Report: Bryn Forbes Declines $2.5M Bucks Contract Option, Will Become Free Agent

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Bryn Forbes will enter free agency after declining his $2.45 million option with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2021-22 NBA season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

After four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, the 28-year-old signed with the Bucks last offseason. He averaged 10.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in 70 appearances, and his best performance came in a 143-136 loss to the Houston Rockets on April 29 when he scored 30 points off the bench.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer used Forbes to great effect as a three-point specialist. According to Basketball Reference, 64.5 percent of his field-goal attempts were from long range, and he hit them at a career-high 45.2 percent clip.

During Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Forbes briefly enjoyed the spotlight. He hit six threes in Game 2 and drained seven in the series-clinching Game 4 victory.

He came back to earth after that, averaging 6.6 points per game during the postseason, but he shot 37.1 percent from three-point territory as the Bucks won the NBA championship.

Forbes’ value beyond his shooting was limited.

Per Stathead, he had the second-lowest assist rate (4.5 percent) among guards who logged at least 1,000 minutes. He also ranked 110th out of 116 shooting guards in ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus (minus-2.28). According to NBA.com, opponents shot 43.2 percent on three-pointers when matched up against him.

The aforementioned game against the Rockets was a microcosm of Forbes’ year. He caught fire from the perimeter, going 6-of-10, but he had just one steal to go along with his scoring output, failing to register an assist or rebound.

Three-point shooting has never been more valuable, so a veteran who makes them at a rate in the mid-40s is bound to get interest on the open market. The Michigan State alum could plausibly get more money and long-term security than his last contract provided him.

However, mid-level free agents often get squeezed during difficult financial periods, like the current one caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perhaps Forbes can take on a larger role than the one he occupied in Milwaukee. If nothing else, he should be a target for a playoff contender that needs floor-spacing.