NBA News: The Milwaukee Bucks are headed into an unexpectedly uncertain off-season. After their early exit from the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Bucks moved on from their head coach Mike Budenholzer. In a somewhat surprising move, Milwaukee hired Adrian Griffin as the next head coach. They also recently hired assistant coach Terry Stotts. Now the Milwaukee Bucks will have to start retooling their roster before the 2023-24 NBA season in order to push for a second championship in four years. To do that, the Bucks are being predicted to add one all-star via free agency.
Milwaukee Bucks Predicted To Add All-Star Mike Conley Once Released (NBA News)
Guard Mike Conley earned his first All-Star appearance in 2021, joining teammates (at the time) Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The Jazz finished with the best regular season record in the NBA that year. In February of 2023, the Utah Jazz sent Conley to the Minnesota Timberwolves during a pretty significant three team trade. Now, Mike Conley is being thrown around as a possible future free agent, and would be perfect for the Milwaukee Bucks. Dalton Sell of Fansided stated:
Sticking with point guards, Mike Conely is another one who would make a ton of sense for the Bucks if he enters the market. If the Minnesota Timberwolves waive Conely in the coming weeks, $14.3 million of his $24.4 million salary for next season is guaranteed. Though it seems likely the Timberwolves will guarantee that salary, the situation is at least worth monitoring.
While Conely’s scoring numbers this past season – 11.9 points per game – were the fewest of his career since his sophomore season in 2008-09, his facilitating numbers were excellent. In his 15th NBA season, the guard averaged a career-high 6.7 assists with just 1.5 turnovers, which was tied for his career-low. Those are undeniably some captivating numbers from the 35-year-old.
Conely would be the perfect floor general for this team, giving them a veteran passer who does not turn the ball over and makes smart decisions. This past season, the Bucks were often hindered by head-scratching turnovers from their players, such as erratic passes. Conely would not clean that up entirely, but he could be of great use in that regard.
On top of that, he’s a strong outside shooter, having shot below 36 percent just twice in his career. Alongside Holiday, Conely would form a lethal one-two punch offensively and defensively in Milwaukee’s backcourt.
Will Mike Conley Be Released By The Minnesota Timberwolves? (NBA News)
Whether it is via trade or free agency, Mike Conley has been widely rumored to depart Minnesota this off-season. His $24.4 million salary may be a tough to justify, especially with Anthony Edward’s extension coming up. Edwards is eligible for a max five-year, $204 million deal, possibly reaching up to $240 million due to incentives this off-season.
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