Following a second-round playoff exit this past season, the Milwaukee Bucks are gearing up toward restructuring the roster around the core this offseason with the mindset of running it back to chase another NBA championship. While holding the 24th pick in the NBA Draft and exploring the trade market will be topics of conversation for Milwaukee’s front office, signing free agents to round out the bench will be the most essential component this summer.
Barring any significant deals, the Bucks are returning their star trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. In addition, starting center Brook Lopez is set to return on his $13.9 million expiring contract while Grayson Allen and George Hill are on contract for next season as well.
Since the Bucks were unlucky in the series loss against the Boston Celtics due to Middleton’s knee injury, they shouldn’t overreact by making any blockbuster deals that would alter the core. With most of this championship-caliber core expected to run it back, the offseason in Milwaukee should be focused on strengthening the supporting cast through free agency.
As the Milwaukee Bucks prepare to enhance the roster for the 2022-23 season, we look at three low-risk, high-reward free agents to pursue this offseason.
Once free agency hits, general manager Jon Horst and the Milwaukee Bucks will be ultra-busy from the very start. Needless to say, re-signing Bobby Portis should be the ultimate priority for the Bucks if the fan favorite big man decides to decline his $4.5 million player option, which is widely expected to happen. Similarly, retaining Pat Connaughton will be crucial as well.
Although, if the Bucks sign Portis and Connaughton to new extensions, they’ll progress much deeper into the luxury tax. Therefore, the rest of the roster should be filled out with low-cost producers that can provide positional depth and excel in a smaller role off the bench.
Re-signing pending free agent Wesley Matthews on another veteran minimum contract should be a no-brainer and making an effort to maintain Jevon Carter would be an excellent start for Milwaukee. Let’s dive into three other potential low-risk, high-reward free agents that the Milwaukee Bucks could pursue this offseason.