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What happened last season?
Last season was a step in the right direction for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks, who finished with a record of 42-40, hope to improve on a surprisingly good season going into 2018. Making the playoffs was a major positive, and what’s more is that they didn’t look out of place sharing the court with the heavily favored Toronto Raptors.
The biggest source of excitement in Milwaukee, however, was the play of the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis clearly took a giant step toward becoming one of the top superstars in the NBA. He led the Bucks in scoring, rebounding, and steals last season, and with every game Antetokounmpo looks more and more like a bona fide superstar.
Besides Giannis, other bright spots were the emergence of rookies Malcolm Brogdan and Thon Maker. Both were part of the rotation last season and will likely have a more prominent role on the roster next season.
Upcoming Free Agents
Unrestricted
G - Tony Snell
Restricted
G - Jason Terry
F - Michael Beasley
Cap Space
Guaranteed Cap Space: $6,853,656
Potential Cap Space: $15,717,238
Top Priorities
Tony Snell
Last season Snell averaged 8.5 points per game in 80 starts for the Bucks and shot a career high 41% from behind the arc. At only 25 years old, a strong two-way player such as Snell is the perfect complement to a star like Antetokounmpo, and he is exactly what Milwaukee needs going into next season. For the right price it makes sense to bring Snell back.
Potential Targets
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (DET) - SG
KCP is a restricted free agent which means the Pistons have the right to match any offer made by another team. If Caldwell-Pope attracts multiple teams and a bidding war starts, he may come with a high price tag. The young guard averages 13.8 points a game and is a lock-down defender, but doesn’t offer much improvement to Milwaukee’s back-court. He could sign with the Bucks, but it is likely he stays in Detroit.
Shabazz Muhammad (MIN) - SG
Muhammad is also a restricted free agent who provides similar production to Tony Snell. For three seasons he has played the sixth man role in Minnesota, but there are some teams potentially willing to offer him a spot in their starting lineup. Perhaps Jason Kidd could get the most out of the former UCLA standout, and the Bucks’ offense could definitely use a scorer like Muhammad. With that being said, he likely stays put next season, but given the right price the Timberwolves may not match.
Rudy Gay (SAC) - SF
Coming off a ruptured Achilles, Gay may be the perfect buy low candidate for the Bucks. He is an unrestricted free agent and the 30 year old will be looking to prove that he can still play at a high level. Rudy Gay can become what Andre Iguodala was to Golden State, a talented player coming to a young team with something to prove right before they take off. Having a veteran like Gay lead a young core could be work brilliantly. He could be signed at a discount because of the injury, but there’s a real chance that other teams are willing to throw a max contract his way.