Amir Coffey’s next stop says plenty about how quickly things changed for the Milwaukee Bucks.
What looked like a smart summer addition before the season never really took hold in Milwaukee, and now Coffey is heading overseas after signing a one-year deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv. For the Bucks, it’s another reminder that the early decision to move on from him wasn’t a tough one in the end.
Coffey arrived with the kind of profile that made sense for a Bucks team trying to get younger and more athletic after back-to-back playoff exits. His work with the Los Angeles Clippers suggested Milwaukee might have found a bargain on the wing, especially with defense being such a clear need. But the fit never clicked.
In 30 games with the Bucks, Coffey averaged 2.4 points in 8.8 minutes. That was a steep drop from the 24.3 minutes he averaged in the 2024-25 season with the Clippers. His outside shot also fell off, sliding from 40.9 percent from deep in his final year in LA to 28 percent in Milwaukee.
He didn’t make much of an imprint before being dealt to Phoenix with Cole Anthony, while the Bucks brought back Ousmane Dieng in a trade that has already aged well for Milwaukee.
Coffey had originally signed a camp deal in August of last year and beat out other wings to win a roster spot. Now, after a disappointing season, he’ll continue his career in Israel alongside former Bucks Tyler Ennis and Elijah Bryant.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s wing picture looks a lot different than it did a year ago.
That spot has been a problem for the Bucks for several seasons, with the team struggling to find reliable defensive help on the perimeter. Last year, Doc Rivers cycled through options.
Kyle Kuzma moved in and out of the lineup, while Gary Trent Jr. and A.J. Green even saw time at the small-ball three.
The long-term outlook is at least more encouraging now. Drafting Nate Ament gives the Bucks a young piece to build around, Jaime Jaquez Jr. was the runner-up in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season, and Dieng flashed real defensive upside on the wing if Milwaukee wants to lean bigger.
So while Coffey’s signing once looked like the kind of low-cost move that could pay off, the Bucks ended up reading the situation correctly. It didn’t work, and now he’s taking the next step of his career abroad.
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