The Milwaukee Bucks have officially signed veteran guard Delon Wright, bolstering their roster with needed depth and defensive versatility as they aim for the 2024-25 NBA championship.
Wright agreed to a one-year, veteran minimum deal on July 1, but the contract couldn’t be signed until 11:01 a.m. CT on July 6. The minimum salary for Wright, who has nine years of NBA experience, is $3,003,427. To encourage teams to sign older players, the NBA reimburses a portion of the salary for veterans with three or more years of service, so only $2,087,519 of Wright’s contract counts against Milwaukee’s cap.
As a second-apron team with limited roster-building options, the Bucks entered the 2024 free agency period only able to offer minimum contracts. They signed draft picks AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith, leaving three roster spots available for veteran signings.
Milwaukee has also agreed to a deal with veteran forward Taurean Prince, although this contract has not yet been finalized.
The Bucks have started previous seasons with only 14 guaranteed contracts in 2020 and 2021, so they might not immediately fill another free agent spot after Wright and Prince. Keeping a spot open provides flexibility for a later signing or for acquiring multiple players in a trade.
Both Wright and Prince have experience as starters, but have primarily served as key reserves. Prince, standing 6 feet 6 inches and weighing 218 pounds, offers defensive strength on the wings and a reliable three-point shot (39.6% last season with the Los Angeles Lakers).
Wright, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound guard, is known for his aggressive on-ball defense (career 1.2 steals per game and 1-3 deflections per game on average). Although he is a career 35% three-point shooter, he has demonstrated the ability to shoot more consistently (39.8% in 27 games with Sacramento in 2020-21, 38.5% in 27 games with Toronto in 2015-16, and 37.9% in 77 games with Atlanta in 2021-22).
Wright was a first-round pick, selected No. 20 in 2015 by Toronto.