Milwaukee Bucks: Free agency contract predictions and primer

George Hill

In terms of priorities, Hill certainly falls in the tier below the three aforementioned free agents for the Bucks. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s not important, as Hill showed with his stellar play in the playoffs.

Hill provided all indications that he wanted to remain with the Bucks when he spoke to the media during exit interviews, and all reporting that has followed in the time since has further backed up the sentiment that he and Milwaukee are determined to work on a deal.

The route to how exactly such a deal comes about, and exactly what it amounts to remains to be seen. On Hill’s part, if he really does want to play for the Bucks this season, his free agency may require a degree of patience and understanding too.

There’s a scenario where the Bucks re-sign Lopez at just $10 million per year, stretch Leuer, and can then sign Hill into cap space for a deal ranging up to as much as $9 million. On the other side of the equation, it’s possible that all of Milwaukee’s other free agency responsibilities prove costly and their only options for Hill are the room mid-level exception and the veteran minimum.

Either way, both of those possibilities point to a clear path to bringing Hill back at certain number, if he’s interested. Whether it’s using cap space or the room exception, I’d expect the Bucks to gauge Hill’s interest on a deal in the $4.5-5 million range.

If other negotiations break their way (i.e. Lopez), the Bucks could potentially then have a route to signing Hill and another free agent into their remaining cap space, while also still having the room exception to offer someone else beyond that. More realistically, if the Bucks are operating over the cap by the time they get to Hill, they’ll still have the chance to deliver the agreed upon offer to him.

There may be moving pieces along the way, but on the whole a deal in that range should make sense for both Hill and the Bucks.

Prediction: Hill signs a two-year, $9.5 million deal with the Bucks

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