Bucks close in on Strickland, Skinner By Gery Woelfel Going into the NBA's free agency period, Milwaukee Bucks general manager Larry Harris had two objectives: 1) Sign a veteran point guard who could complement and take the pressure off the team's No. 1 draft choice, T.J. Ford; and 2) acquire a veteran frontcourt player who could provide some rebounding and toughness. Harris is close to accomplishing his goals. According to league sources, the Bucks reached verbal agreements Monday with point guard Erick Strickland and power forward/center Brian Skinner, both unrestricted free agents. Both players are expected to sign contracts with the Bucks Wednesday, the first day free agents can do so. Strickland, 29, played for the Indiana Pacers last season. He appeared in 71 games for the Pacers, starting 10 of them. In 21.7 minutes a game, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Strickland averaged 6.5 points and 2.9 assists. Skinner, 27, played for the Philadelphia 76ers last season. He appeared in 77 games for the 76ers, starting nine. A hard-working, low-post player, Skinner averaged 6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.9 minutes. Joel Bell, who represents both Skinner and Strickland, would neither confirm nor deny his clients have orally committed to signing with the Bucks. Bell said he wouldn't make any comments until Harris did. Harris could not be reached for comment Monday. The Bucks' decision to pursue Strickland came after they were rebuffed in their attempts to land Kevin Ollie, a former Bucks guard who finished last season with Seattle. More than a dozen teams expressed interest in signing Ollie before he whittled his choices Sunday night to Cleveland and Milwaukee. At that point, Ollie was leaning toward signing with the Bucks for four years and $11.5 million. But Bill Neff, Ollie's agent, then raised the ante. "I told them that I wanted to add a fifth year and that the first team to accept those terms would get Kevin,'' Neff said. "Cleveland agreed to that extra year and Milwaukee wouldn't.'' The extra year was worth $4.5 million, giving Ollie a $15 million contract. Newspaper Link
Thanks, for the story and link, countingcrow. All the attention right now is on Kidd, Mourning, Payton, etc., but these little deals could turn a team around. Hope the Rockets are paying attention.
Not financially. Plus, Skinner brings more youth and potential than Campbell, who really regressed last year. Milwaukee's not trying to win now, anyway.
What is the Bucks long term plan? They seem like they don't have any idea wtf they are doing. They trade away stars and got piles of sh-it in return.
I think the Bucks have resigned themselves to full rebuilding mode. They have a decent core of players in Michael Redd, Desmond Mason, Tim Thomas, TJ Ford. This should be a good team if they can build on their chemistry in the years to come. Though they'll probably be a lottery team for about 2 years, I think they'll be a contender soon enough. Plus, they'll be major spoilers, you can't underestimate this team because if Timmy Thomas ever does have the breakout year predicted of him, that team can look dangerous at times, especially from beyond the arc.
The Bucks are definitely more talented then horrible teams in the past have been, but I doubt that they will make the playoffs. It seems that they have set up a perfect supporting cast for a superstar, but they don't have a superstar! That trade of Ray Allen has to be one of the worst in franchise history and this is a team that traded away Kareem and Nowitzki. I hope they win the lottery and get Okafor or the 7'9" Korean guy, I can't remember his name. However, its possible that they could make the playoffs if Timmy does breakout and Redd, Ford, Haislip, and Gadzuric develop. That is a lot of variables though.
