An expensive core of players will limit the Bucks‘ ability to add talent this summer, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Although there’s a need to upgrade after a chaotic season that ended with a first-round playoff exit, the front office will likely be sorting through minimum-salary options to fill out the roster.
Milwaukee’s salary situation starts with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who are each owed $48.8MM next season, which combines for about 69% of the projected $141MM salary cap. Adding $31.7MM for Khris Middleton and $23MM for Brook Lopez puts the Bucks above $152MM, exceeding the cap with just four players.
Beyond that, Milwaukee will pay $12.6MM to Bobby Portis and $9.4MM to Pat Connaughton, plus minimum contracts for MarJon Beauchamp ($2.7MM) and Chris Livingston ($1.9MM). Andre Jackson Jr. only has a $946K guarantee on his $1.9MM salary until January, and A.J. Green‘s $2.1MM contract is non-guaranteed until July 8.
Keeping all those players would cost the Bucks about $180.85MM, Nehm adds, which puts them over the projected first tax apron of $178.655MM with at least four more slots that have to be filled. If Milwaukee holds on to its 23rd ($2.95MM) and 33rd ($1.16MM) picks in the draft and signs two minimum-salary veterans, the team will exceed the $189.485MM second apron without including $2.3MM in unlikely incentives for Middleton.
Nehm notes that the Bucks need to add point-of-attack defenders, help on the wing, and a backup center, but it will tough to find any of those things while operating under the apron restrictions.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Kings guard Malik Monk, Nets center Nic Claxton and Magic guard Gary Harris should be targets for the Pistons in free agency, James L. Edwards of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. Monk would provide much-needed three-point shooting and can attack off the dribble, Edwards notes, while Claxton would be a proven rim protector and Harris fills a need as a three-and-D wing. Edwards also expects Detroit to re-sign free agent forward Simone Fontecchio.
- In the same piece, Edwards suggests the odds are about 50-50 on head coach Monty Williams remaining with the Pistons. Edwards states that it works in Williams’ favor that he still has five years remaining on his six-year, $78MM contract and he didn’t have a good roster to work with. However, he got 62 games out of Cade Cunningham and still produced fewer wins than Dwane Casey did before the last coaching change.
- Billy Donovan III, the son of the Bulls‘ head coach, will be the next coach of the team’s G League affiliate, according to Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago. He’ll replace former Windy City Bulls head coach Henry Domercant, who could wind up on Chicago’s coaching staff, Taylor adds.
Wow when I read the first five paragraphs above concerning the Bucks situation, I can only shrug my shoulders and say now what? Such a tough spot to be in yet they need to improve the team with no way to go about it because of the cap.
But I think this is what the league wanted. Two Max guys per team and then fill out the rest of the squad with low salary guys.
I can imagine that will be the exact model and be the strict Unwritten bylaws once the cap becomes harder and some of the looseness is written out in the coming years.
There’s going to be a 2 timeline plan that becomes successful… One star on a rookie extension and one vet max player…
Minnimum salary ring chasing will become an early career choice for those who don’t see themselves as the next LeBron…
Huh? How do you sign a star on a rookie extension?
G74, they would already have the high draft pick who’s a great player, perhaps a star, and sign him, their own guy, to the rookie extension.
@Gary – No sympathy for MIL. The NBA, since 2011, has been run by a group of small market owners of which MIL’s ownership is a part. THEY wrote the CBA, and the current player personnel system. It’s fixated on one goal. Eliminating free agency for star players. Whatever might aid that cause, gets enacted, regardless of the collateral damage it has and will continue to cause.
FWIW, I don’t think their goal was to prevent great teams, or to have top heavy rosters, but both, among other things, are among the inevitable results of their CBA imposed policies. A sports league can’t function properly without fluid player personnel markets. The NBA hasn’t had anything close to that for 4 years, and the product is starting to fray. Hopefully, at some point, there will be a reckoning. It will almost certainly require a new (real) Commissioner. Otherwise, we’re heading towards a league of gloried pick teams, save the 2 or 3 guys the team is actually invested in. Fun for the 2k’ers and fanboys, I guess.
DXC, I’m on board with your sentiments. Not quite the free market anymore. I’d say if you want to pour money into your team and your roster and you have the resources, you should be able to go for it.
If other owners need/use team profits to finance their lifestyle, then so be it. They won’t spend on the top players and they won’t win. It’s a choice as in anything in life.
Pat Connaughton, this years 1st and a future first for Alex Caruso.
That gives them their starting SG and point of attack defender on the perimeter. After that it’s just minimum contracts I guess unless your try trade Middleton which wouldn’t be the worst idea. You’ve got two superstars and as for role players Brook and Alex are great
The Bulls will not move Alex.
Their plan is to move LaVine, and Vooch and bring back DeMar and Williams.
The Bulls need Bobby Portis more to play PF.
I dont think the Bucks can be fixed with the cap room situation they have. Giannis and Lillard could definitely work as a tandem with a couple years of continuity, but not when you’re spending $23 mil a year on Brook Lopez. Other teams that made that model work surrounded the duo with a bunch of cheap overlooked players.
Holy nepotism Bulls.
Billy D should be out the door and yet they give his son a HC spot for the G league.
Should have kept Holliday and not traded for Lillard. Guess which one is the better defender & in the NBA finals?
Jrue wasn’t talking Milwaukee to the finals bro
They had to make a move. They exhausted the timeframes for that roster and needed a game changer and closer who could single-handedly win a game for them. They needed a guy with a dagger in his pocket.
Lillard is that guy. Didn’t work out this year but there’s next year. Just because you make a move doesn’t mean you automatically win immediately. Give it a minute.
Toppin is a RFA. Lakers should give him 30 mill three yrs. Pacers aren’t paying that. Obi can start with Bron and AD. Imo he’d be a great fit. A 4 that runs the floor. If he is 18 n 9. He’s well worth it.
Obi needs the right fit. And he can start and play solid mins. This is talent they can sign. Not give up anything. A good FA signing.