Bucks close to signing Keyon Dooling...

JS: Bucks close to signing Keyon Dooling

by Frank Madden



The Journal-Sentinel is reporting that the Bucks are on the verge of signing former Nets combo guard Keyon Dooling to a two-year contract, thus filling the final major hole on the Bucks roster. I'd have to guess the deal would be for the full bi-annual exception ($2.08 million in 10/11, $2.25 million in 11/12), which is the most the Bucks could offer him outside of a sign-and-trade.

Dooling's neither young nor particularly good, but that's besides the point. Considering the Bucks' limited cap flexibility, the inflated market, and the lack of quality backups still available, nabbing the 30-year-old Dooling on a cheap, short-term deal seems like something of a best-case scenario for John Hammond and company. It also seems to validate his decision to let Luke Ridnour walk for the not-outrageous four year, $16 million deal he settled for with Minnesota.

Dooling is a bigger and better defender than Ridnour while bringing comparable accuracy from three point range, the combination of which makes him a clean fit for a revamped Bucks team that last year relied heavily on Ridnour's uncharacteristically excellent perimeter shooting. The signing would also bring a sigh of relief to anyone looking over the list of remaining backup PGs still on the market.

http://www.brewhoop.com/2010/7/19/1577484/js-bucks-close-to-signing-keyon