Milwaukee Bucks fans will be glad to know that Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez are both returning for the upcoming season. Even Jae Crowder has agreed to a deal to stay on for at least another year. It was a great first two days of NBA free agency for Milwaukee, no doubt.
Be that as it may, the Bucks still have a major conundrum on their hands. Combined, Middleton and Lopez commanded $150 million in committed salaries. The details of Crowder’s deal have not been revealed as of yet, and that too will take up a part of Milwaukee’s salary cap, albeit to a far lesser degree. The problem for the Bucks now is how do they fill out the rest of their roster with the limited cap room they have at their disposal.
Milwaukee Bucks Have Major Salary Cap Headache
Our very own Robin M Adams comprehensively explains the Bucks’ salary cap situation after their deals for Middleton and Lopez. In a nutshell, Milwaukee is already above the cap as it is. In fact, they’ve also gone beyond the NBA Luxury Tax Threshold which means that they’re looking at an expensive luxury tax bill this coming season. As Adams explains, the team basically has $10.2 million at their disposal while still having to fill six out of their 15 roster spots. Needless to say, the Bucks will need to get creative from here on out.
Potential List Of Free Agent Targets For Milwaukee Bucks
After Day 2 of NBA free agency came to a close, there are still a handful of big-name free agents available on the market. Given the current makeup of their roster, the harsh reality is that the Bucks have no chance of signing any of them.
Milwaukee will need to aim lower — much lower, that is. At this point, it would probably be safe to say that the Bucks will have to set their sights on free agents that will be willing to sign for the veteran’s minimum, which is $3 million per season.
Simple math will tell you that six players on a veteran’s minimum equate to $18 million in salaries, and while the front office may be able to come up with some shrewd salary cap maneuvers, the fact of the matter is that the Bucks will need to pay an even bigger luxury tax. Not to mention the actual amount of money they will need to shell out for their 2023-24 payroll.
Now that that’s out of the way, we can focus on the subject at hand. The good news for Milwaukee is that there is still a myriad of free agents out there that will likely be amenable to signing for the veteran’s minimum.
At the point guard spot, the Bucks could opt to extend Goran Dragic’s deal. If not, a few other former Milwaukee players could be had as well in D.J. Augustin, Matthew Dellavedova, and George Hill. Frank Ntilikina, Austin Rivers, and Ish Smith are all also still on the market.
At the two spot, the Bucks still have the option to extend Wesley Matthews’ deal for at least another year. Other viable options include Will Barton, Danny Green, and Kendrick Nunn.
Milwaukee will need to extend Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s deal, right? I mean, Giannis wouldn’t be happy if they cut his brother. There is a multitude of other options for them at forward, which include the likes of T.J. Warren, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Terence Davis, Torrey Craig, Derrick Jones Jr., and Justise Winslow. Moreover, JaMychal Green, Blake Griffin, James Johnson, and Wenyen Gabriel could also still be had.
Milwaukee will need some help at the center spot, which means that they could decide to renew Meyers Leonard’s deal. If not, other options include Willie Cauley-Stein, Robin Lopez, Cody Zeller, Boban Marjanovic, Bismack Biyombo, and Montrezl Harrell.
There’s still a deep well out there. Milwaukee will just have to look in the right places.
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