Amid the hours of the NBA’s schedule release, league-wide insider Shams Charania broke news that Amir Coffey, a three-level scoring wing that spent every second of his career with the LA Clippers, signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Because weeks had passed and Coffey was still on the market, fans did not expect this news to be coincidentally announced on an exciting day during the offseason.
Free agent forward Amir Coffey has agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell ESPN. Coffey spent his first six NBA seasons with the Clippers, averaging 9.7 points, 47.1% field-goal shooting and 40.9% from 3 in 2024-25. pic.twitter.com/mHHrD3qwZa
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2025
Coffey joins the Bucks, reuniting with Kevin Porter Jr., with whom he spent time on head coach Tyronn Lue’s bench last season. This does not make him a stranger to a new environment, as Coffey played well with Porter Jr., and the offensive connection they had on the Clippers could be transferred to Milwaukee.
Furthermore, in 72 games this season, Coffey averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, shooting 47.1% from the floor and 40.9% from three-point land. This addition immediately provides the Bucks with an immense improvement in shooting, as they lost one of the greatest shooters in history, Damian Lillard, in early July.
On the flip side, Bucks fans must wonder why, if Coffey’s shooting was so elite and the stat sheet portrays him as an excellent piece around Kawhi Leonard, it took over a month for a team to sign him.
This is largely due to his defense, which will likely become a major issue alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo throughout the 2025-26 regular season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks will encounter problems with Amir Coffey’s subpar defense
In the playoffs, Tyronn Lue of the LA Clippers played numerous reserves, especially in Game 7, which was a blowout loss. However, one player who sat in his seat the whole time was Amir Coffey. This seemed shocking when considering his double-digit regular season averages and prominent efficiency.
Moreover, Lue could no longer trust Coffey when it came to defending with effort and pride. He did not follow the same strides the team had made in terms of their defensive improvements, which Jeff Van Gundy provoked, and Lue eventually realized the Minnesota product should not be on the court.
That said, the Bucks have a wide-open opportunity to win the Eastern Conference. Doc Rivers may feel inclined to utilize Coffey, as he is also reunited with the wing he coached during the 2019-20 regular season. This will be an unfixable mistake, given how noticeable his flaws on defense were for the Clippers.