The New Orleans Pelicans missed out on a great opportunity to add shooting, depth, and veteran experience off the bench by not signing Amir Coffey.
Whilst the rest of the NBA world was reacting to schedules dropping and how many nationally televised games the Lakers got (39, c'mon man), the Milwaukee Bucks were in the shadows, making the steal of the summer. As reported by ESPN's Shams Charania, free agent forward Amir Coffey has agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Coffey was one of the league's most underrated players last season. The 28-year-old posted averages of 9.7 points per game and shot an impressive 47.1% from the field and 40.9% from 3 in his 72 appearances for the Clippers.
His impressive shooting from beyond the arc last season was no fluke, as over his 6-year career in the NBA, he is a career 39.7% three-point shooter. This past season, he ranked in the 92nd percentile among forwards in corner three-point percentage.
Coffey's skill set doesn't stop at shooting as he uses his 6'8" incredible well on the defensive end. Using his body and footspeed to stay in front of defenders and force them into challenging situations.
Coming into the offseason, I expected Coffey's market to be huge and even pitched the Pelicans giving part of their mid-level exception to the 3-and-D wing. However, as free agency progressed simultaneously Coffey's market shrank.
The Bucks were able to offer something the Pelicans couldn't
Even though the idea of the Pelicans signing Coffey was a fun one, the second his expected salary became a minimum, it was clear New Orleans was out of the picture.
Even though the Pelicans have a ton of talent on their roster, they have yet to put together a true, healthy, successful year, which, along with New Orleans being a smaller market, scares free agents.
Coffey likely looked at the Bucks and saw the opportunity to get heavy minutes while playing alongside a true top 5 player in Giannis Antetokounmpo. He probably also realized the Bucks have the 8th most nationally televised games next season, meaning if he plays well, he'll be getting a ton of media attention.
For Coffey, signing with the Bucks was just about this season rather than about the rest of his career. One really big year as a key role player alongside a superstar like Giannis could help him really establish his name, heading into next free agency.