Veteran Amir Coffey Signs 1-Year Deal With the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks just signed veteran Forward Amir Coffey to a training camp deal. It is about time they made a move that doesn’t leave us scratching our heads, wondering what the front office was thinking. After the absolute chaos that was stretching and waiving Damian Lillard earlier this summer, the Bucks needed some good news. Enter Coffey, the 28-year-old wing who’s been quietly doing his thing with the Clippers for six seasons before deciding it was time for a change of scenery. How will he fit?
Why Coffey Could Be Milwaukee’s Hidden Gem
Here’s the thing about Coffey that makes this signing actually exciting. The dude can shoot. Last season with the Clippers, he knocked down 40.9% of his three-pointers while averaging a career-high 9.7 points per game. In today’s NBA, where spacing is everything and teams live and die by the three-ball, that is exactly what Milwaukee needs.
But let’s pump the brakes on calling this a guaranteed roster spot just yet. According to Eric Nehm from The Athletic, this is strictly a training camp deal. That means Coffey has to earn his way onto the final roster, competing with guys like Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Ryan Rollins, and AJ Green for backcourt minutes.
The competition is real, but here is where it gets interesting. Coffey brings something different to the table. While some of these other guys are still figuring out their NBA identity, Coffey has been there, done that. He has played in 323 career games, averaging 6.7 points while shooting a respectable 38.4% from beyond the arc. Those are not superstar numbers, but they’re solid, dependable veteran production.
Milwaukee’s Depth Chart Dilemma
Let’s talk about what Milwaukee is working with right now, because it is… interesting, to put it diplomatically. After the shocking Lillard move, the Bucks find themselves in a peculiar position. They have Giannis Antetokounmpo, still one of the top three players in the world. The supporting cast also feels like it was assembled by throwing darts at a board blindfolded.
Trent Jr. brings some scoring punch, and Porter Jr. has shown flashes of brilliance when he is not making headlines for all the wrong reasons. But beyond that? The depth chart looks thinner than a Wisconsin winter ice fishing hole.
That is where Coffey could slide in perfectly. He is not going to wow you with athleticism or create his own shot consistently, but he knows his role. Catch the ball, shoot it when open, play decent defense, and don’t mess up the offensive flow.
The Minnesota Connection Nobody’s Talking About
Here’s a fun little nugget that’s flying under the radar: Coffey is coming back to the Midwest. The Hopkins High School standout and former Minnesota Golden Gopher spent three productive seasons in Minneapolis, averaging 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game before going undrafted in 2019.
This is a guy who could have easily transferred to a bigger program for his senior season, chasing draft stock and national exposure. Instead, he stayed home and repped Minnesota through and through. That kind of loyalty and character does not go unnoticed, especially when you are trying to build a winning culture. Now he is back in the region where it all started, and there is something poetic about that.
What This Means For Milwaukee’s Season
The Bucks are walking into this season with lower expectations than they have had in years. Most pundits are not giving them much of a chance, and frankly, who can blame them? The Eastern Conference still runs through teams like the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, even if both squads are dealing with their own injury concerns.
But here is the thing about low expectations. They can be liberating. Nobody is expecting the Bucks to compete for a championship this year, which means moves like the Coffey signing can pay dividends without the pressure of immediate results.
If Coffey makes the roster and finds his niche, he could be exactly the kind of steady veteran presence this team needs. He has been to the playoffs five out of his six NBA seasons, so he knows what it takes to contribute on a winning team. That experience could prove invaluable for a Bucks squad trying to figure out its identity.
The Success Story Continues
Coffey’s NBA journey is pretty impressive when you consider he went undrafted. The Clippers took a flyer on him with a two-way contract back in 2019, and he turned it into a six-year career in Los Angeles. That is not luck. It is work ethic, basketball IQ, and the ability to maximize limited opportunities.
In an era where Minnesota has produced legitimate NBA superstars, Coffey might be the most underappreciated success story. He is not putting up flashy numbers or making All-Star teams, but he has carved out a legitimate NBA career through pure professionalism.
The Reality Check Nobody Wants To Hear
Coffey isn’t walking into Milwaukee and single-handedly turning the Bucks into contenders. This is a training camp deal for a reason. There are no guarantees, and the competition for roster spots is legitimate, but sometimes the best moves are the ones that fly under the radar. While other teams are making splashy signings and trading away future assets, the Bucks are quietly adding a proven veteran who knows his role and has a track record of contributing to winning basketball.
Is it enough to overcome the loss of Lillard and compete with the East’s elite? Probably not. But it is the kind of smart, low-risk move that could pay unexpected dividends if everything breaks right. At worst, Coffey provides some veteran leadership during training camp and preseason before moving on to his next opportunity. At best? He becomes a key rotation piece for a Bucks team that desperately needs reliable role players who won’t hurt you on either end of the floor.
