After consecutive early playoff exits in the last few seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks faced a critical off season. They need to maximize their off season possibilities while remaining in title contention.
They have the option to upgrade their roster with free-agency players. However, the Bucks only have a limited route due to the second apron. If they want to sign a free agent to anything more than a minimum contract, they’d need to use the TPMLE (Taxpayer Mid-Level Salary Exception).
It will be difficult for them as they’re over the $189.5m second apron. They could waive Pat Connaughton and stretch the remaining $18.5m on his contract over five seasons to get below the second apron. Trading out a single player is great for them as the team’s salary drops by $1.9m and that could allow them to stay below second apron and avoid penalties.
In this article, we will take a look at Bucks trade rumors floating around and their roster differently.
Let’s get started.
The Bonafide Stars of Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks still have a trio of bonafide stars who are capable of winning matches on their own. Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton are like the three pillars of the Bucks roster. With them on the team, they are still a playoff-caliber team. However, Lillard and Middleton are not the ones who can make the deep run. But without Giannis, they’re probably more like a play-in team, as we witnessed it last year. And if two of these three are missing, then it can get really bad for them. We saw precisely that in the last season.
Every team needs a seven-man group that they can rely on every time out. Look at the other teams like the Celtics, who have solid starters. However, in the last three seasons, Bucks didn’t even have six. In 2022, Beyond Giannis and Jrue Holiday, they had a solid Pat Connaughton, hit-or-miss Brook Lopez, and Wesly Matthews defense. By this means, they didn’t even have 5 or 6 reliable players who could start. There is only one reliable star in Giannis.
And this year’s team even had fewer players including Middleton, solid Lopez, Patrick Beverley, and Dame when he was healthy enough to play. Portis and Malik Beasley hurt more than they helped for most of the series. So, it wasn’t ideal for the Bucks.
With injuries popping up, they had to look to their eighth man and higher for a starting position. So, how do the Bucks fill in spots from four to nine behind their stars? They want guys who can keep them in contention. Connaughton is no longer the dependable star that he had been for the past couple of years. Bobby Portis never really was in the playoffs apart from a few times.
0The Bucks are hoping that one or two of the larger core of young boys will become part of the reliable crew in the coming future. Regardless of Milwaukee Bucks trade rumors, there are only four players who have the capability to take the Bucks to new heights. To win a title in 2025, they need more such players who can be trusted when the time comes.
Bucks Trade Rumors
We have a trio of Bucks veterans who have contributed to the team going back to 2018 and whose salaries are in the mid-tier range. Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Pat Connaughton are the most obvious trade candidates for the Bucks.
They are the most obvious ones because of their salaries and contract lengths. In recent weeks, each of them has been mentioned in the Bucks trade Rumors.
By trading these three players, they can stay behind the second apron, open the TPMLE, and even upgrade their roster as well.
Brook Lopez
The first on the Bucks trade news is Brook Lopez. To get behind the second apron, the Bucks need to cut at least $1.9 million in guaranteed salary. This would allow them to aggregate players in future deals. And not all the teams would accept Lopez’s salary in return. They may have to send him to a third team. Some attainable players whose salaries are at least $1.9m below Book Lopez’s are Marcus Smart, Jarrett Allen, Nikola Vučević, Jakob Poeltl, and Duncan Robinson.
Brook Lopez has a 1-year contract remaining with $23m guaranteed. All these players in contention have salaries around the $20m mark.
However, if they want to gain access to the entirety of the $5.2m taxpayer mid-level exception, they’d need to cut at least $6m from the salary this year. So, they may want to trade Lopez with a player that has a $17m salary mark to open up the TPMLE.
Bobby Portis
The second player on the Milwaukee Bucks trade news is Borry Portis. In the case of Bobby Portis, his salary is just over $12.5m and he has 2 years remaining on his contract. Now, let’s look at the guys the Bucks take to trade Portis or even Lopez. However, they would require a third team to furnish the deal.
Bobby Portis’ salary is just over $12.5m and the guys Bucks trade with him are Brandon Clarke, Robert Williams, Wendell Carter Jr., PJ Tucker, Terance Mann, and Matisse Thybulle.
All these players have a lower salary than Bobby Portis.
Pat Connaughton
Now, let’s look at Pat Connaughton to complete Bucks trade rumors. His salary is just over $9.4m and has two years remaining in his contract. Connaughton was the only one out of three who was somewhat decent in the last season. So, he comes after Lopez and Portis when it comes to Milwaukee Bucks trade news.
If they are only trading Pat, then they need a $1.9m cut in salary to drop below the second apron.
Pat Connaughton can be traded with players who have similar salaries. Their names are Gary Payton II, Zeke Nnaji, Georges Niang, Cody Martin, Jock Landale, Trey Lyles, Kevon Looney, Jaden Ivey, Vasilije Micić, and Paul Reed.
However, if they want to drop below the second apron, then they need to consider Jae’Sean Tate, Ayo Dosunmu, Nassir Little, and Kenrich Williams.
There are other players as well the Bucks can consider. But it is possible that they won’t be part of a deal like this. The bottom line they need to consider is that the total incoming salary doesn’t exceed what’s going out.
If the team exceeds the second apron, then they can only trade one player. However, they can bring back as many as they like, given the salary is less than 100% of the outgoing player.
Suggested Read: Pat Williams, Orlando Magic Co-founder and Longtime NBA Team Executive, Dies at 64
Which Players Milwaukee Bucks Should Get
Many want the Bucks to go for the younger players. That’s not something new, in every athletic event, people want to go for younger personnel. Bucks trade needs to get better options.
They should go for young guys who already belong to this stage, rather than acquiring untested players in the hope that they will play well. Hope is not bad, but in athletics, we can’t get by with only hope.
More than 200 players who are 24 or younger finished the season on NBA rosters, many of these players are on cheap rookie deals. From that list, we’ve mentioned some of the attainable names for the Bucks trade. Players like Ayo Dosunmu and Tari Eason who’ve proven themselves on the big stage would be a great addition for the Milwaukee Bucks.
There are many candidates who are 25 or younger who are not proven but might have some untapped potential. The list includes the names of Zeke Nnaji, Nassir Little, David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, Jared Butler, Johnny Davis, Ousmane Dieng, Dalen Terry, and more.
Why the Bucks Should Consider Trading for an Unproven Player
For all the disapproving and worried talk about their player development, the Bucks have one of the best records for inducting young players into the team and making them superstars. Their record of developing young players on their second, third, or fourth stop is excellent. Portis is an example of that.
When Portis arrived in Milwaukee, he did not have a good reputation. But they gave him a chance to develop and flourish in the team. Then there were players like Jevon Carter, Allen, and Connaughton, who all came on Bucks with cheap contracts. Connaughton was a minimum free agency signing in the 2018 offseason. He played key rotations roles for the Bucks.
By this theory, the Bucks should once again go for the unproven players who can become the wild horses of the team.
With this, Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will have a younger supporting cast in comparison to Portis and Connaughton.
