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Milwaukee Bucks: Regrading the Pat Connaughton signing in 2018

By Bradshaw Furlong

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 15: Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots a three point shot in the first half against the Brooklyn Nets during game 5 of the Eastern Conference second round at Barclays Center on June 15, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 15: Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots a three point shot in the first half against the Brooklyn Nets during game 5 of the Eastern Conference second round at Barclays Center on June 15, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Milwaukee Bucks: Pat Connaughton, LA Clippers: Patrick Patterson
Mar 29, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

One of the biggest ways championship teams stay on top and keep their championship windows open for as long as possible is by finding hidden gems that they can sign for below what they should be making. One such signing that didn’t look that way initially was the Milwaukee Bucks signing of Pat Connaughton in the summer of 2018.

Early in Connaughton’s NBA career, it didn’t seem as if he’d find his way to become a valuable role player for a championship team. After all, he was drafted in the second round, 41st overall by the Brooklyn Nets (and then flipped to the Portland Trail Blazers). Through his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Blazers, Connaughton played in 73 games and averaged 6.3 minutes per game. His 3-point percentage looked solid at 40.7, but he took 54 total triples, and that percentage was buoyed by a 51.5 percent season in his second year.

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He broke out in his third season, playing in all 82 games and getting around 18 minutes per night. He shot over 35 percent from deep on solid volume (2.6 attempts per game, 53.8 percent 3-point attempt rate) and scored 5.4 points per game. That was enough to parlay him into a contract with Milwaukee the following offseason. However, that uncertainty of only one productive season led to Jordan Treske’s initial B- letter grade for the deal.

It has been a somewhat tumultuous tenure for Connaughton and how fans have viewed his value to the team. He has notably been a favorite of head coach Mike Budenholzer, but fans aren’t always supportive of the idea that he should be the first guy off the bench or even a regular rotation player at times. Regardless, Connaughton is now entering his fourth season as a member of the Bucks and has carved out a niche after signing that initial deal.

With that being said, let us regrade that deal all these years later after Connaughton’s efforts in the team’s title run.

The financial impact of the initial Pat Connaughton signing in 2018 for the Milwaukee Bucks

In terms of getting value for your money — the bang for your buck — I don’t think the Bucks could have gotten any more out of the initial deal that they signed Connaughton to. Milwaukee signed the then-25-year-old Connaughton to a two-year, $3.36 million contract, and the second year was non-guaranteed.

The salary was slightly above the minimum, so it used part of the Bucks’ mid-level exception, but it’s hard to complain about that part in looking back at the signing. The Bucks obviously guaranteed Connaughton’s salary for 2019-20, and he outplayed the contract yet again. Although it’s not always as easy to see Connaughton’s value as it is with someone like Bobby Portis, everyone should be able to agree that Connaughton vastly outplayed the $1.68 million salary he was on in his first two years with the franchise.

There is more debate surrounding his second contract, specifically how it was handled at the time. It was initially reported that the Bucks signed Connaughton to a two-year extension, with a player option in the second year. It was then deemed that such a contract could not be signed as it was an Early Bird Rights exception, meaning it could not have a second-year player option. The two sides then renegotiated a deal that gave Connaughton an extra year with more money added. In total, it was a three-year, $16 million contract extension.

However, this is about the initial deal, and Connaughton has assuredly outplayed that contract. Being able to sign a prime-age role player to that kind of deal is what championship-contending teams are built on.

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