The Bucks opened a hole at backup point guard by dealing D.J. Augustin in the P.J. Tucker trade.
Enter Jeff Teague, who got waived after the Celtics traded him to the Magic in the Evan Fournier trade.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Free agent guard Jeff Teague is signing with Milwaukee, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 29, 2021
This reunites Teague and Bucks Mike Budenholzer, who coached Teague with the Hawks.
But – in a theme with buyout players – Teague is no longer near his All-Star level. The 32-year-old underwhelmed in Boston and really struggled in a second stint in Atlanta last season.
Perhaps, he’ll perform better in Budenholzer’s system. Plus, Milwaukee is desperate for a backup point guard.
Presumably, the Bucks will still sign Austin Rivers. Rivers is better than Teague at this point and miscast as a true point guard, anyway. Milwaukee could use another roster spot on Rivers, who’s best as a defensive-oriented combo guard.
The Bucks might still have to rely on a combination of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Donte DiVincenzo for playmaking when starting point guard Jrue Holiday rests in the playoffs. But Teague provides regular-season depth and at least has a chance of playing well enough to crack the postseason rotation.
