- Sources tell Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated that the Bucks are contemplating moving up or down with the No. 24 pick. Woo projects Arizona guard/forward Dalen Terry to Milwaukee at 24 within his latest mock draft, assuming the team keeps the pick.
As the Pacers continue to weigh the possibility of trading center Myles Turner, the Timberwolves, Raptors, and Hornets are among the teams believed to be interested, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
According to Fischer, the Knicks have showed interest in Turner in recent years too, but the expectation is that they’d only be a serious suitor for the big man if Mitchell Robinson leaves in free agency.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- The Sixers have called “a healthy portion” of the teams around the NBA in an effort to gauge their interest in Tobias Harris, Danny Green, and Matisse Thybulle, sources tell Bleacher Report. Fischer suggests Philadelphia has been trying to find teams that would give up a first-round pick for Thybulle as part of a three-team trade that would send an impact veteran rotation to the 76ers.
- The Jazz are seeking a first-round pick in exchange for any of their rotation players besides Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, according to Fischer, who adds that Royce O’Neale is generating significant trade interest around the NBA.
- Nikola Jokic is thought to be a “driving factor” in the Nuggets‘ interest in Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic, a draft-and-stash EuroLeague star whose NBA rights are held by the Thunder. The Spurs, Bucks, and Bulls have also been mentioned as potential suitors for Micic, Fischer reports.
Bucks swingman Pat Connaughton has decided to exercise his player option for 2022/23, putting off free agency for another year, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Having opted in, Connaughton will assure himself of a $5,728,393 salary for next season.
Connaughton, 29, had the best season of his seven-year career in 2021/22, averaging 9.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in 65 appearances (26.0 MPG). He also established new career highs in three-pointers per game (2.2) while knocking them down at a 39.5% clip. Connaughton’s emergence on the wing was one factor in the Bucks’ decision to trade Donte DiVincenzo at the 2022 deadline.
Connaughton’s option decision comes as a bit of a surprise, since he likely could’ve earned a raise if he had chosen to test the open market. John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link) says he felt Connaughton was worth twice as much as his $5.7MM salary and got the sense that a number of teams agreed.
Now that his option has been exercised, Connaughton will be eligible to sign a contract extension for up to four years and approximately $59MM. As Hollinger notes in a follow-up tweet, it’s possible the veteran wing and the Bucks have already discussed the possibility of an extension and reached a mutual understanding contingent on Connaughton opting in.
Theoretically, the Bucks could commit to paying Connaughton the same amount over the next few seasons with an opt-in and extension as they would have if he’d opted out and signed a new free agent contract. Locking in a lower ’22/23 salary should benefit Milwaukee financially, with team salary projected to be well over the luxury tax line next season.
Connaughton had been the No. 20 player on our list of 2022’s top 50 free agents. If you enter our free agent prediction contest and select the Bucks as his destination, you’ll earn a free point.
Within his latest round-up of NBA rumors, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms a number of items that have been previously reported or speculated. According to Scotto, Bucks forward Bobby Portis is widely expected to decline his $4.56MM player option to become a free agent, the Lakers are considered a strong bet to pick up Stanley Johnson‘s $2.35MM team option, and Pelicans guard Devonte’ Graham is available in trade talks.
Scotto’s article includes several other intriguing tidbits related to the draft, free agency, and the trade market. Here are some of the highlights:
- The Nets have fielded trade inquiries on Joe Harris and Cam Thomas, according to Scotto, who says rival executives believe Brooklyn could potentially get a first-round pick in exchange for Thomas. While there’s a sense that Harris might be more available than in previous years due to the Nets’ February acquisition of Seth Curry, the team still believes Harris would be a useful piece on next year’s roster due to his ability to help on the boards and space the floor around Ben Simmons, Scotto writes.
- The Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Bucks are among the teams that have inquired about the No. 14 overall pick, currently held by the Cavaliers, league sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto previously reported that Cleveland would be open to the idea of moving down in the draft if it meant acquiring a future first-round pick.
- Rival executives who spoke to Scotto believe veteran forward Nicolas Batum could be in line for a deal worth $10MM per year after turning down his player option. The Clippers would have the ability to go that high to re-sign Batum using his Early Bird rights.
- Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia has visited Milwaukee and worked out for the Bucks twice during the pre-draft process, Scotto reports. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who previously identified LaRavia as a player on Milwaukee’s radar, has him ranked 28th on ESPN’s big board of 2022 prospects. The Bucks hold the 24th overall pick.
Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe, perhaps the biggest enigma of the 2022 NBA draft, is the subject of several rumors in Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link).
Givony has Sharpe coming off the board at No. 7 to Portland, writing that Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is believed to be a fan of the young guard, despite the fact that Sharpe is 12 years younger than Lillard and is on a “completely different timetable.”
A pair of teams picking later in the lottery may also have their sights set on Sharpe. The Thunder, who hold the No. 12 pick, continue to pursue trade-up opportunities, according to Givony, who says Sharpe and Jaden Ivey are among the players Oklahoma City appears to be targeting.
Meanwhile, Sharpe is also said to intrigue the Hornets if they trade up from No. 13, Givony writes, noting that the Kentucky guard surprised other teams when he opted to work out for Charlotte.
Here are a few more of the most interesting tidbits from Givony’s newest mock:
- Virtually every NBA team expects the Magic to select Jabari Smith first overall and would be surprised if they go in a different direction.
- The Kings are considered more likely to stand pat than to trade the No. 4 pick, but they’ve had discussions with almost every team behind them in the lottery and even some outside of the lottery, per Givony. Pacers wing Chris Duarte is among the possible trade targets the Kings have done their homework on, Givony adds.
- Surprisingly, Givony has heard the Suns are among the clubs exploring trade scenarios involving the Pelicans‘ No. 8 pick. Givony suggests Phoenix could potentially include a player like Cameron Johnson in its offer to help create more long-term cap flexibility to retain Deandre Ayton.
- There’s a widespread belief that the Knicks won’t end up picking at No. 11, Givony reports. they’re “aggressively” exploring scenarios in which they trade back or trade out of the first round.
- Rival teams believe the Cavaliers are high on Ousmane Dieng, though he could be off the board by No. 14, says Givony.
- Echoing multiple recent reports, Givony identifies Hawks big man John Collins as a major draft-day trade candidate. Givony goes a step further, suggesting that Collins could even be packaged with Kevin Huerter in a deal involving the Kings‘ No. 4 overall pick.
- The Bucks (No. 24) are eyeing older prospects who could help them win right away, such as Andrew Nembhard, Jake LaRavia, Christian Braun and Ismael Kamagate, according to Givony, who has heard from rival teams that Milwaukee has also conveyed some interest in trading up into the teens, possibly for a big man like Mark Williams and Walker Kessler.
Duke’s Paolo Banchero is projected by most mock drafts to be selected by the Rockets with the No. 3 pick. Banchero believes that’s two slots too low, USA Today’s David Thompson writes.
“I feel like I am the best player in the draft and I feel like I showed that throughout the year,” he said. “I feel like I showed everything with my skill sets and my intangibles.”
However, he wouldn’t be disappointed if he ends up playing with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr in Houston.
“Those are two extremely skilled, extremely talented players,” Banchero said. “Both guys I’ve known for a while. I feel like playing with them would be fun.”
We have more draft-related info:
- Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley is the latest player to get a green room invite, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. He’s currently ranked No. 27 on ESPN’s Best Available list. There are now 22 players with green room invitations.
- Jalen Williams has worked out for the Clippers, Warriors, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Bucks, Thunder and Spurs, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. ESPN ranks the Santa Clara guard at No. 21. Williams will soon visit the Cavaliers, Anderson adds.
- In Basketball News’ Matt Babcock’s latest mock draft, Williams winds up with the Grizzlies at No. 22. Jabari Smith is the Magic‘s pick at No. 1.
Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo has exercised his $1.88MM player option for next season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Giannis Antetokounmpo‘ brother, who turns 30 this summer, saw action in 48 regular season games last season, including six starts. He averaged 3.6 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 9.9 MPG. He also saw spot action in eight postseason games after playing in 13 playoff contests during the Bucks’ championship run in 2020/21.
As Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets, if Thanasis had declined the option and signed a new minimum-salary contract, it would’ve saved Milwaukee a small amount of money on next season’s cap and tax bill. However, he was always a good bet to get a contract with the Bucks for next season, one way or another.
Thanasis played two games with the Knicks back in 2015/16 and has been on the Milwaukee roster for three seasons. He signed a two-year deal worth approximately $3.6MM last August.
Prior to the 2019/20 season, the 6’6″ forward had played for a handful of international and G League teams.
Bucks wing Grayson Allen underwent a surgical procedure on his left ring finger, according to The Associated Press.
- The Bucks hold the No. 24 pick and could be in the market for a wing player. The Athletic’s Eric Nehm takes a look at nine prospects who could potentially be available at that spot, including LaRavia, MarJon Beauchamp and Patrick Baldwin Jr.
After winning their first championship in 50 years in 2020/21, the Bucks followed it up with a stellar title defense in ’21/22.
Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo turned in another MVP-caliber performance, leading Milwaukee to a 51-win season. The Bucks had the third-best offense in the NBA, despite the fact that their three stars – Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday – all missed at least 15 games due to various injuries, while starting center Brook Lopez was limited to just 13 total appearances due to back surgery.
The Bucks entered the playoffs looking capable of making a deep run and quickly dispatched the Bulls in the first round, but Middleton sustained a knee injury during that series that ultimately ended his season, removing one of the team’s best two-way threats from the chess board for the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Milwaukee still made it a competitive series, but fell to Boston in a hard-fought seven games.
With Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Holiday all under contract going forward, the Bucks appear unlikely to make serious changes to their core, but will face some important decisions on members of their supporting cast.
The Bucks’ Offseason Plan:
A handful of key Bucks rotation players are eligible for free agency, including three wings: Pat Connaughton, Wesley Matthews, and Jordan Nwora.
While it’s possible Connaughton will simply pick up his $5.7MM player option and postpone his free agency until 2023, he’s coming off the best year of his career — he averaged a career-high 9.9 PPG and shot 39.5% from outside the arc in 65 games (26.0 MPG). He has earned a raise and the Bucks hold his Bird rights, so they have the cap flexibility to give it to him as long as they’re comfortable paying the associated tax penalty.
Matthews will be entering his age-36 season and can’t be counted on to play as big a role as he did earlier in his career in Portland and Dallas, but he and the Bucks have established a good relationship, so perhaps he’ll be back on a minimum-salary contract to fill out the roster.
Nwora’s free agency will be more interesting. Although he wasn’t part of the playoff rotation, the 23-year-old took some promising steps forward in his second NBA season, bumping his scoring average to 7.9 PPG and hitting 34.8% of his threes. An athletic forward with some defensive upside, Nwora could be a useful piece for Milwaukee going forward — the Bucks will have to hope no rival suitors aggressively try to pry the restricted free agent away from them.
In the frontcourt, Bobby Portis has played on a below-market deal in each of the last two seasons, but has certainly earned a raise, particularly after filling in for Lopez at center for much of 2021/22. Holding his Early Bird rights, the Bucks will be able to give Portis a deal starting up to approximately $11MM. It will be interesting to see whether they’re more inclined to pay up for Portis than they were for P.J. Tucker a year ago.
Even if the Bucks retain Portis, more changes at the center spot could be around the corner. Lopez is coming off back surgery, is 34 years old, and will be on an expiring $13.9MM contract in 2022/23, so I wouldn’t be surprised if his name pops up in trade rumors. While Lopez’s ability to hit three-pointers and protect the rim has value, the Bucks would probably love to have a center more capable of handling switches and guarding out to the perimeter.
In his prime, Serge Ibaka was that sort of player, but he’s coming off a back surgery of his own and didn’t look like his old self this past season. If his medicals look OK and he’s willing to sign at a bargain rate, perhaps a return to Milwaukee is possible, but otherwise I’d expect the club to look elsewhere for center depth.
While Bucks ownership has shown that it’s prepared to pay luxury tax bills, I don’t get the sense that they’re willing to go into Warriors or Clippers territory, so if Portis, Connaughton, and Nwora all seek raises, I wouldn’t necessarily count on all three returning — one of the wings could be the odd man out.
Depending on how much they spend to retain their own free agents, the Bucks may try to bring in another rotation piece using the taxpayer mid-level exception. It’ll be worth about $6.4MM, but spending it could cost exponentially more if team salary is well above the tax line.
One move to watch out for is the possibility of the Bucks trading down in the draft from No. 24 to the second round. Even though late first-round picks aren’t particularly expensive, second-rounders who are on minimum-salary contracts are significantly more affordable for tax purposes. So if, for instance, Orlando is willing to offer No. 32 and No. 35 to move up to No. 24, I think the Bucks would be intrigued by the idea, since locking in a couple low-cost roster spots may make them more comfortable about spending elsewhere.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap figures are based on the league’s latest projection ($122MM) for 2022/23.
Guaranteed Salary
- Giannis Antetokounmpo ($42,492,492)
- Khris Middleton ($37,948,276)
- Jrue Holiday ($33,665,040)
- Brook Lopez ($13,906,976)
- Grayson Allen ($8,500,000)
- George Hill ($4,000,000)
- Sandro Mamukelashvili (two-way)
- Total: $140,512,784
Player Options
Pat Connaughton ($5,728,393): Bird rights- Bobby Portis ($4,564,980): Early Bird rights
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo ($1,878,720): Bird rights
- Total: $12,172,093
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Rayjon Tucker ($1,815,677)
- Luca Vildoza ($1,752,638) 1
- Total: $3,568,315
Restricted Free Agents
- Jordan Nwora ($2,011,516 qualifying offer / $2,011,516 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $2,011,516
Two-Way Free Agents
- Lindell Wigginton ($1,616,044 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $1,616,044
Draft Picks
- No. 24 overall pick ($2,451,840)
- Total: $2,451,840
Extension-Eligible Players
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2022/23 season begins.
- Pat Connaughton (veteran) 2
- Brook Lopez (veteran)
- Khris Middleton (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Serge Ibaka ($12,637,170 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Jevon Carter ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Wesley Matthews ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Jeff Teague ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 3
- Total: $18,071,718
Offseason Cap Outlook
With $140MM+ in guaranteed money committed to just six players, the Bucks are on track to go well beyond the projected $149MM tax line even if they just let all their free agents walk and trade their first-round pick. More realistically, at least one of those two free agents will be back and Milwaukee’s team salary will likely increase beyond the $160MM spent on player salaries this past season.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $6,392,000 4
- Trade exception: $1,517,981
Footnotes
- Vildoza’s salary will become partially guaranteed ($500K) after the first day of the regular season.
- Connaughton would only be eligible if his option is exercised.
- The cap hold for Teague remains on the Bucks’ books from a prior season because he hasn’t been renounced. He can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- These are projected values.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
By the time the draft rolls around next Thursday, G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels will have worked out for every team picking between No. 4 and No. 11, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, who suggests within his latest mock draft that Daniels’ maturity has stood out to teams during interviews. The 19-year-old is increasingly being viewed as the sort of player whose versatility and high floor makes him one of the safest picks in the mid-lottery, Wasserman adds.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Jeremy Woo of SI.com has published his final big board for 2022’s draft class, featuring a top three of Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Ivey.
- David Aldridge of The Athletic spoke to several coaches and executives to get their thoughts on this year’s top draft-eligible forwards, including Smith, Banchero, Keegan Murray, and AJ Griffin. One college assistant coach who talked to Aldridge said it was “a joke” that Banchero had to go to college for a year, since he was NBA-ready after high school.
- The Bucks, Bulls, and Lakers are among the teams Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard has worked out for so far in the pre-draft process, he said today following a workout with the Pacers (Twitter link via James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star). Nembhard still has auditions on tap with the Thunder, Heat, and Timberwolves.
- As part of a Q&A with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Wake Forest wing Jake LaRavia said he has workouts coming up with the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Pacers.