Milwaukee Bucks: Grading The Miles Plumlee Deal

Mar 2, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Miles Plumlee (18) during the game against the Indiana Pacers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Indiana won 104-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Miles Plumlee (18) during the game against the Indiana Pacers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Indiana won 104-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Final Grade

It can be hard to stomach a role player like Miles Plumlee getting a four-year, $52 million deal for fans of the NBA. It shouldn’t be, though. That’s just simple economics, considering where the salary cap is going.

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The salary cap is around $93 million this year. Plumlee and Henson combine to make around $24 million. That’s slightly more than a fourth of the cap this year and likely around a fifth of it over the next three to ensure the team has a strong, deep center rotation.

Was this an overpay? Probably. Was it worth it to keep Plumlee around and solidify the Bucks young core? Hopefully.

If the Bucks can find a way to add a real back-up wing player at this point–still possible because Plumlee hasn’t officially signed just yet–they’ll have a complete depth chart at every position. That’s saying a ton considering the disaster Milwaukee’s bench turned out to be last season.

Final Grade: C

Next: The Top Five Remaining Free Agents For Milwaukee

Overpaying for Miles Plumlee to make that happen might be worth it, even if Plumlee himself might not be.