The Milwaukee Bucks added more shooting to their bench Friday by acquiring guard Grayson Allen from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for 2020 second-round pick Sam Merrill and a pair of future second-rounders.
What can Allen bring to the Bucks? And why did the Grizzlies move on from a player who started 38 games for them last season?
Bucks get: Grayson Allen
Grizzlies get: Sam Merrill, two future second-round picks
Milwaukee Bucks: B
After the Bucks won the NBA title while making just 32% of their 3-pointers, they've made adding shooting a priority this offseason. Milwaukee brought back guard George Hill, who led the NBA by making 46% of his 3s for the Bucks in 2019-20, and now adds a 38% career 3-point shooter in Allen.
In part, there was a void for the Bucks in terms of bench shooting after Bryn Forbes returned to the San Antonio Spurs in free agency. Forbes made 45% of his 3s during the regular season but was on the fringes of Milwaukee's playoff rotation because of his defensive limitations and his 3-point percentage dropped to 37%.
Compared to Forbes, Allen offers more size at 6-foot-4 and more defensive toughness. He certainly won't be confused with a stopper and has never played beyond the first round of the playoffs (last season in Memphis, he averaged 23.2 MPG in five games) but the Bucks can at least hope Allen is more playable in the postseason.
Because Milwaukee had a trade exception left from the deadline trade that brought P.J. Tucker to the Bucks, it's able to take on Allen's salary while sending out only the minimum contract of Merrill in return. Merrill's 2021-22 salary will fully guarantee on Sunday and his inclusion suggests Milwaukee was set to move on from the 60th pick of last year's draft.
Besides the second-round picks, the big cost of adding Allen is financial. If the Bucks keep their roster count at 14 players, including the non-guaranteed salaries of Elijah Bryant and Mamadi Diakite, they'll enter next season with a tax bill north of $40 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
It's interesting to note that Milwaukee will end up paying Allen and Hill nearly as much as it would have Tucker and another player signed for the veteran's minimum. That strengthens my feeling the decision to let Tucker go was less about money and more about choosing better shooting over Tucker's physical defense.
Memphis Grizzlies: B-
Although Allen played an important role for the Grizzlies last season, they've got plenty of avenues to replace him. A healthy Jaren Jackson Jr. will likely start at power forward, sliding Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks to the wing and filling the spot in the lineup Allen occupied for more than half of last season. Memphis also has second-year guard Desmond Bane to provide similar shooting and De'Anthony Melton as another option off the bench on the wing.
More than anything, this is an acknowledgment that Allen wasn't in the Grizzlies' long-term plans after his rookie contract expires and an attempt to get value for him now. Memphis could have done that at any point before the trade deadline, but making a move now gives head coach Taylor Jenkins a full training camp to adjust his rotations.
It will be interesting to see whether Merrill sticks with the Grizzlies. Memphis will have 14 players under guaranteed contracts as soon as 10th pick Ziaire Williams signs, and 30th pick Santi Aldama might spend next season overseas rather than immediately coming to the NBA.