After reportedly signing a three-year, $16 million deal on the opening of free agency, Pat Connaughton is extending his stay with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Much has changed for the Milwaukee Bucks in the last week, but one friendly face has extended his stay in the Cream City with free agency opening Friday evening.
News broke late that night that the Bucks have reportedly re-signed Pat Connaughton on a two-year, $8.3 million deal as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. After plenty of confusion, Connaughton’s deal was amended and it became a three-year, $16 million deal as Wojnarowski reported Saturday afternoon.
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Connaughton’s reported re-signing came on the heels of the Bucks losing rotation pieces such as Robin Lopez to the Washington Wizards and Wesley Matthews to the Los Angeles Lakers.
That’s on top of the Bucks reshaping their roster in a blockbuster deal Jrue Holiday and their failed bid for Sacramento Kings restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic.
So with all that in mind, Connaughton being the first piece of Bucks action may look very underwhelming by comparison, especially in light of their recent additions as well. But let’s look at Connaughton’s re-signing critically as we evaluate his return to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The value of Pat’s deal
Let’s get down to brass tax, especially as it pertains to the confusing saga that saw Connaughton agree to a deal that wasn’t permissible under the CBA to getting another year and more money annually.
Many salary capologists have broken it down better than I will, but the original agreement to bring in Connaughton wouldn’t have been able to be signed under an early Bird rights exception, given the reported player option in the second year. That brought both parties back to the negotiating table and led Connaughton getting an extra year and more money annually than the original framework.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger ($$) scathingly broke it down to a T in his running column on the latest free agency happenings and it all just paints the picture of frantic nature of the Bucks’ offseason, especially after the Bogdanovic deal going bust. When you read the multiple ways the Bucks fumbled their way towards agreeing to the deal they now have with Connaughton, among other things, it’s hard to unsee it, even if you’re not versed with doing some cap gymnastics.
On the other hand, the position the Bucks were in coming into free agency after the Bogdanovic saga put their backs against the wall. And agents will pounce on teams that may or may not have a backup plan in place like the Bucks may or may not have had after missing out on Bogdanovic so publicly.
So with now a three-year deal to retain Connaughton’s services on their books, the Bucks essentially bidded against themselves, even as there were looming whispers that a team with cap space could have made the Bucks sweat with Connaughton’s free agency.
Examining Pat Connaughton’s role with the Milwaukee Bucks
Having played the last two seasons in Milwaukee, all Bucks fans are well equipped with what Connaughton brings to the table. The only difference now is that Connaughton’s returning to a team and foundation that suddenly looks very different to the one he and the team’s cornerstones had been familiar with.
Obviously jettisoning Eric Bledsoe and George Hill in favor of Holiday is one massive way for the Bucks to look different going into the 2020-21 season. How they go about filling in the rest of the puzzle is the big question, especially after the Bogdanovic disaster.
Meanwhile, Connaughton’s the one wing who has gone on to ensure his place in Milwaukee and their rotation going into next season. Matthews is headed to Los Angeles to vie for NBA title, while Sterling Brown is hitting the open market as an unrestricted free agent and Kyle Korver may or may not return for another NBA season.
As of now, Connaughton is in line for steady minutes on the wing, considering just how unfinished that part of the Bucks’ roster is at the moment. He proved capable of filling in for depth minutes over the last couple of seasons, but it was a different story when it came to the Bucks’ brief playoff run last year.
The picture is clearly muddled at this moment, but for right now, Connaughton does give the some continuity amid the additions of D.J. Augustin and Bobby Portis. But with three roster spots left open at this stage, adding another wing will go a long way in shoring up that part of their depth chart.
Looking at Pat Connaughton’s fit with the Milwaukee Bucks
When it comes to assessing Connaughton’s fit within the Bucks’ reshaped foundation, you have to weigh both the good and the bad.
Let’s start with the good. Connaughton offers great positional size, athleticism and versatility on the defensive end, all qualities that the Bucks are well familiar with and entice them to signing the Notre Dame product two summers ago. That has helped him become a solid perimeter defender who offers the rare ability of being able to block shots when contesting and chasing opposing sharpshooters around the floor.
Given his familiarity with the organization and how they operate defensively, that’s not something to be ignored.
On the other hand, Connaughton’s 3-and-D skill set is a little bit one-sided, considering his struggles in mastering his 3-point shot as he is a 34.4 percent 3-point shooter over his five-career. The ups and downs that have come with Connaughton being unable to provide at least adequate floor spacing has been the main source of why he’s more a depth contributor than a starting-caliber player.
Along with that, Connaughton is far from a shot creator, even though he is somewhat respectable in moving the ball and making solid decisions in that way. His cutting skills off the ball does give the Bucks some movement to a Bucks offense that has had it’s troubles in growing static, especially in the postseason.
Certainly, Connaughton’s character and intangibles have been key in establishing the culture the Bucks have been able to cultivate over the last couple of season as they have ascended into being a contender in the East.
Is that enough to overlook the more defensive-minded qualities Connaughton provides while his offense remains stuck in second gear? To each their own on their opinions on that front, but there are plenty of things that have to be ironed out at the moment, both with Connaughton’s deal and elsewhere on their roster.
What’s the grade on Pat Connaughton’s deal with the Milwaukee Bucks?
With things finally set in stone and you consider all of the twists and turns in order for the Bucks to bring back Connaughton, it’s hard to undo the many developments that led to what his final deal looks to be.
Even with the Bucks’ wing rotation unsorted with essentially Connaughton, Donte DiVincenzo and Sam Merrill in place, Connaughton’s return does very little in making that a finished product in terms of the team’s roster construction.
Speaking as someone who is probably more pro-Pat than most Bucks fans are, Connaughton does bring a different dimension to those players when he is clicking on the right nights. His defense, while aggressive, does have its uses, especially when there’s a shooting threat on the floor and he does just enough to contribute in other ways with his rebounding and is a nice small ball option under those situations.
The Bucks may very well easily find a nice veteran wing to bring on a minimum deal in free agency to bolster that area of their roster. It remains to be seen who would be willing to come to Milwaukee, especially with DiVincenzo and Connaughton taking up minutes at the moment.
Basically, for Connaughton to live up to his new contract and raise, it comes down to having faith that he’s able to sort out the shooting questions that have followed him throughout his career. And I speak for all Bucks fans in saying that there’s plenty of skepticism on that front after seeing the ups and downs he had in Milwaukee the last two seasons.
Thankfully, the Bucks have made some offensive upgrades to the point where Connaughton can exist in a role where he just offers up shooting, defense, rebounding and a jolt of athleticism for when they need it. Being able to play his role suited Connaughton more in his first season, especially as the Bucks had multiple creators on the floor and in their backcourt during the Bucks’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
But because they have doesn’t overlook all of the developments that have occurred to where we are looking at a bigger deal for Connaughton that what was originally reported. All for someone who may just be the Bucks’ third wing when it matters most.