NBA Rumors: Celtics Rival ‘Frontrunner’ For Late-Season Addition

Amid a tight race atop the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks are rumored to make a late-season depth addition.

And this potential signing could deliver Milwaukee an NBA Finals-experienced veteran with 20 games remaining on its regular season schedule.

The Bucks reportedly are linked to 36-year-old Goran Dragic, who cleared waivers on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Both Dragic and the Bucks are scheduled to meet Friday and Milwaukee previously expressed interest in him before he signed with the Brooklyn Nets ahead of last season.

Before his release, Dragic spent most of his 15th NBA season with the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 6.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists — his fewest in all three categories since Dragic’s rookie year in 2008. He also averaged 15.4 minutes throughout 51 games played.

Dragic made his NBA Finals debut just three years ago with the Miami Heat and helped eliminate the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. And over the course of his career, he’s made 60 total playoff appearances, averaging 14.6 points while shooting 44.8% from the field.

The Bucks have already made their commitment to a deep playoff run apparent. They snagged Jae Crowder, also for depth enhancement purposes, who also took part in that 2020 NBA Finals run alongside Dragic. And with Milwaukee on a 16-game winning streak, adding even more veteran leadership couldn’t hurt, right?

Before returning to action Friday, the Bucks hold a half-game lead over the Boston Celtics for sole possession of the No. 1 seed in the East.