With the 2025-26 NBA season opener quickly approaching, the league is in the doldrums of free agency. Several notable players still remain unsigned but for the most part, they’re either in a stalemate or holding pattern. Still, there have been small ripples in the NBA ecosystem, the most recent of which saw the Milwaukee Bucks signing away one of the Los Angeles Clippers free agents.
On Thursday evening, six-year NBA veteran Amir Coffey reached a training camp contract with the Bucks. Typically, these agreements are for Exhibit 10 deals; one-year, non-guaranteed contracts that states a player can get a bonus if they’re waived and play at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate. For clarity, Milwaukee’s official G League affiliate is the Wisconsin Herd.
The problem is that Coffey is a bit too good for the G League. Even if he was eligible to sign a two-way contract, and he’s not because he has over four years of NBA service, he’s too good for that too.
Why Clippers FA Amir Coffey Will Make Bucks Final Roster
Listed at 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, Coffey averaged 9.7 points per game on .471-.409-.891 shooting splits in 2024-25. Essentially, he was close to being a double-figure 50-40-90 scorer. On top of that, he started in 13 games. In those contests, he averaged 12.8 points per game on .525-.434-.864 shooting splits.
From just a brief glance at his numbers, it’s clear that Coffey’s a capable and effective offensive player. Looking at his shooting chart, he was shooting near league-average or above from every major zone. Sure, he wasn’t scoring at Kawhi Leonard‘s volume, but it was commendable.
Amir Coffey’s 2024-25 shot chart
pic.twitter.com/sMG5Vme4Mx
— ZubacSZN (@213clipset) July 13, 2025
The tale of the tape is even better though. He can score on- and off-ball. He’s a threat in halfcourt and in the open court. He has a pristine, archetypal lefty stroke.
Situation is everything in the NBA. Amir Coffey is a 3 level scorer who is a victim of the analytic movement. Could drop 20 in his sleep. Absolute bucket pic.twitter.com/9rjwCCb0IO
— ZubacSZN (@213clipset) July 9, 2025
How is Amir Coffey still unsigned? pic.twitter.com/j7bsNc6UuO
— ZubacSZN (@213clipset) July 11, 2025
At the end of the day, Coffey is a three-level bucket-getter. The fact he’s left-handed only makes him more difficult to guard; because his opponents are more used to guarding right-handed players, his movements are inherently more unorthodox. Speaking of defense though, Coffey’s not just a player who can get it done on offense
He can lock up too.
Amir Coffey locking up Luka
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—
(@playoffbuck) August 14, 2025
His lateral agility isn’t going to win him any awards. Nonetheless, he can still force players into difficult shots with his defensive footwork, physical tools, and competitive nature. In fact, there’s a whole highlight reel of him doing just that when guarding Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic, an All-NBA point guard.
The Last Word On Amir Coffey
The primary reason that Coffey should be on the Bucks final roster by the start of next season is his talent level. There’s a secondary reason though. Their forward depth.
Obviously, franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Hall of Fame-level player. However, he’s missed at least 15 games in four of the last five seasons. Meanwhile, incumbent starter Kyle Kuzma has missed at least 15 games in three of the last four seasons. Furthermore, his forgettable performance in the 2025 NBA Playoffs might have him on the hot seat. 3-point specialist Taurean Prince has played fewer than 60 games in four of his nine career seasons.
These players are all on the wrong side of 30, making them more susceptible to injury. Unfortunately for them, young forwards Tyler Smith and Chris Livingston are green behind the ears with 318 career minutes combined. Keep in mind that Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has developed a reputation of being much more trusting of seasoned players.
With that being said, Rivers has a high opinion of Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue and that could also become a factor. In other words, if Lue was willing to play Coffey regularly, Rivers might be too.
© Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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