The Milwaukee Bucks have been busy early this offseason and their additions have Coach Jason Kidd thrilled and excited to get back to work with his squad.

Jason was already happy with Milwaukee’s NBA Draft selections of big man Thon Maker and guard Malcolm Brogdon —but the Bucks head coach is smiling even wider now after his team waded into the free agency pool and landed two key pieces in the opening days of the NBA’s open season.

Last Thursday, the Bucks announced the acquisition of guard Matthew Dellavedova in a sign-and-trade deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the following day, they continued to bolster their bench with a familiar face for Coach Kidd: former Brooklyn Nets forward Mirza Teletovic.

“They’re veteran guys,” Jason told The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Look at Delly coming from Australia to St. Mary’s (Calif.). He’s just a competitor, a leader. He’s a worker and he wants to get better. I think it’s a great addition to our team…(Teletovic) is very confident. He just understands how to play and we’re lucky to get him.”

2016 Milwaukee Bucks Draft Picks Press Conference

Adding some experience to the reserve group was a critical goal for Milwaukee entering the offseason.

The second unit was a major strength in Jason’s first year with the Bucks, and veteran reserves were a driving force behind the young team’s trip to the playoffs. But offseason departures and injuries left the Bucks with a thin bench in 2015-16. Additionally, Milwaukee lost one of its most reliable bench players from the last two seasons when Jerryd Bayless joined the Philadelphia 76ers last week. But the Bucks believe they’ve added some outstanding depth with Dellavedova and Teletovic.

“It’s only July. As coaches we’ll start looking at different things. Delly could start with Khris (Middleton) and Jabari (Parker) and Giannis, or it could be coming off the bench. We’ll see,” Jason said of his rotation. “We lost our bench last year and it hurt us. We’ve got to stay healthy. But I think the makeup of the team right now is better with our bench, being able to bring different guys who have played in the league and understand who they are.”

Dellavedova is fresh off winning the NBA title with the Cavaliers in a classic comeback over the Golden State Warriors. The 6-foot-4 native of Australia has been a solid rotation player for the Cavs in his first three years in the league, and J-Kidd loves the grit and toughness he’ll bring to the roster.

“Leadership, being able to play hard—that’s what he does. Delly comes every day to work,” Jason told NBA TV during an interview at Las Vegas Summer League. “He competes. No matter who he’s guarding. Everyone’s always questioned his build, his basketball IQ, but he’s always in the game late, making plays. He’s a basketball player. So we’re very fortunate to have a guy like that who just won a championship in Cleveland.”

Milwaukee Bucks v Cleveland Cavaliers

With two Eastern Conference titles in his back pocket, Dellavedova brings knowledge of the conference to the young Milwaukee squad—but Jason is most eager to see the impact he’ll make on the defensive end.

“This league is about scoring, but if you want to get to a championship level, you’ve got to be able to do both,” Jason says. “Last year we took a dip on the defensive side, but we’re going to get better at that. We’ve got some guys who understand how to play defense. We’ll be fine going into next year.”

While Dellavedova comes in as one of the top defenders on the market, Teletovic joins the Bucks as the best shooter available in free agency. He canned an NBA record 179 three-pointers off the bench for the Phoenix Suns last year while averaging 12.2 points per game with the Suns, marking by far the best scoring output of his four years in the league.

Jason coached Teletovic while the Bosnian sharpshooter was still growing accustomed to the league with the Nets, and the Bucks coach is excited to see how far the now four-year veteran has come since.

“He can shoot the three, we all know that,” J-Kidd said. “But he can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. He’s a team guy. He’s a little more athletic than you think, and we need that toughness. He’s not afraid.”

Phoenix Suns v New Orleans Pelicans

As excited as J-Kidd is to coach him once again, Teletovic told reporters that he is even more excited to be working alongside his former coach.

“When J-Kidd came in he was trying to find character guys. My role was great when he got to the team. He gave me a load of confidence and a lot of trust, and I never forgot that,” Teletovic said to the Journal-Sentinel  of their time together in Brooklyn. “When Milwaukee became an option, it was my favorite team to go to. There was not a lot to think about. I will go play for J-Kidd any day.”

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