As free agency rumors continue to swirl around the Milwaukee Bucks and some starry veteran names, the team has completed a fairly insignificant piece of business in the meantime.
The Bucks have opted to bring back an intriguing-if-raw young talent on a one-season agreement.
Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst seems to be generally prioritize "win-now" roster decisions like stretching-and-waiving injured nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard's remaining $112.6 million owed on his contract to carve out cap space for ex-Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner.
With Bradley Beal now off the board (the former Phoenix Suns star negotiated a massive contract buyout and signed with the L.A. Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal), the Bucks could still pursue seasoned veteran point guards like Chris Paul or Malcolm Brogdon.
Curiously, though, the Bucks opted to re-sign little-used forward Chris Livingston a one-season, $2.3 million minimum deal, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
The Milwaukee Bucks are re-signing forward Chris Livingston on a fully guaranteed one-year, $2.3 million deal, Rich Paul and Brandon Cavanaugh of Klutch Sports tell ESPN. Livingston, the 58th pick in the 2023 NBA draft, receives a third consecutive year on a guaranteed contract. pic.twitter.com/yRQHzrMZxZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 16, 2025
Why the Bucks would want to use precious roster real estate on a player who will likely not earn any minutes in Doc Rivers' rotation is a befuddling mystery, and speaks to the kinds of strange fliers Horst has made on young pieces in recent years.
Granted, Livingston was the No. 58 pick in 2023, and thus if he was able to contribute anything at all that would be a bonus, but the decision for Milwaukee to retain him and use an actual standard roster spot, with key free agents still potentially on the board, is a bizarre one.
The 6-foot-6 combo forward has appeared in 42 total regular season games across the his two pro seasons out of Kentucky, averaging 1.3 points on 40.8% shooting from the field and 75% shooting from the charity stripe and 1.3 rebounds in 4.7 mop-up minutes per.
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