Chris Copeland to Bucks: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Free-agent forward Chris Copeland and the Milwaukee Bucks agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract Thursday, giving head coach Jason Kidd some much-needed floor spacing on his bench.

Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling reported the news on July 23, and the team announced the signing on July 29.

Copeland, 31, spent each of the last two seasons with the Indiana Pacers. He averaged 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 2014-15, struggling all year to find his shot in an expanded role. After shooting 42 percent from three-point range in his first two NBA seasons, Copeland knocked down just 31.1 percent and was relegated to the end of the bench by the All-Star break.

The Bucks are hoping Copeland's shooting percentage will regress to the mean next season. They desperately need floor spacing after trading away Jared Dudley and Ersan Ilyasova this offseason, moves that drew skepticism in some circles. Moving Dudley in particular seemed like a strange move given his cheap salary ($4.25 million) and re-emergence as a floor-spacer (38.5 percent from three in 2014-15).

Copeland, if he finds his rhythm, may be able to approximate Dudley's value while saving Milwaukee more than $3 million. Some of that money went to signing Greg Monroe to a max contract, and the team also traded for veteran point guard Greivis Vasquez. As noted by Zwerling, Kidd and Copeland "have a good relationship" from their time as Knicks teammates.

The Bucks may also be looking for short-term insurance in case Jabari Parker isn't 100 percent at the beginning of the regular season. Parker, last year's No. 2 overall pick, was limited to 25 games because of a torn ACL in December. While the team expects Parker to be ready for training camp, as Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times reported in May, it never hurts to have a backup plan in place.

At $1.1 million, the risk here is also nonexistent.    

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