The Milwaukee Bucks were officially the first team to clinch a spot in the 2023 NBA Playoffs and remain in pursuit of locking up the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
At the moment, everyone in that locker room is zeroed in on winning a championship; that is their end goal this season. If the Bucks make a deep playoff run, it could help several soon-to-be free agents earn a nice payday in NBA free agency. The two obvious candidates to earn a big raise are Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, both of whom could potentially hit the market. Instead, let us look at three role players who could earn a big payday if they step up down the stretch.
3 Bucks’ role players who could earn a big payday down the stretch: Joe Ingles
Coming off an ACL tear, Joe Ingles signed with the Bucks on a one-year deal worth $6.5 million this past offseason. Given Ingles’ age and uncertain timetable due to the injury, many fans were pretty skeptical of the move. Yet, the vision was clear from the front office. Ingles had established himself as one of the best reserves in the NBA, having finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year race in 2020-21, and this team needed some second-unit firepower. Thus far, the Ingles gamble has unquestionably paid off.
After a slow start, which was understandable due to the injury and new environment for the first time in his career, Ingles has been great. On the year, he’s averaging 7.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 40.1 percent from three. Ingles’ ball-handling capabilities and red-hot 3-point shooting have been a major help off of the bench, so much so that the forward’s role has only increased with the team as time has gone on. Ingles has been terrific in the month of March and will likely continue to be featured heavily in the rotation moving forward.
If Ingles can finish out the regular season strong and carry this momentum over into the playoffs, he could certainly help this team in a big way. In a playoff setting, Ingles could help run the offense to take some pressure off of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and others, which would help a lot. If he’s knocking down his triples consistently as well, it would be huge. Ingles may earn himself a raise when he re-enters free agency this off-season if he steps up on the playoff stage.