The Milwaukee Bucks have been busy this summer, but they still have plenty of question marks left to address as the season nears. Let's discuss them.
Discuss extensions for Herro, Jaquez
Both Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have one year left on their contracts after coming over via the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. An extension for both players is certainly on the table, as one Bucks executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith, "In an ideal world, you get those things taken care of now" when discussing new deals. Milwaukee has two big decisions to make.
On Milwaukee's end, it all comes down to money and whether they view both players as key pieces of this new core. How much might Herro and Jaquez command at the moment? Do the Bucks want the pair in town for the long haul? Would keeping them on expiring deals make them easier to trade down the line this season? It'll be interesting to see if the Bucks get both, one, or neither done.
Explore a Peyton Watson sign-and-trade
As mentioned by NBA insider Jake Fischer (subscription required), the Milwaukee Bucks are currently the likeliest external suitor to land Peyton Watson. The forward is stuck in contract negotiations with Denver and could be a sign-and-trade candidate. Milwaukee must decide how badly they want to add him to a forward room that could use another body.
Just like with Herro and Jaquez, this one will likely come down to money. Marc Stein (subscription required) reports that Watson wants around $25 million annually on his next deal. Would the Bucks jump at that figure? If so, it wouldn't be shocking if Watson was Milwaukee's starting small forward on opening night this coming season.
Trim the roster down to 15 players
Though they are still chasing players like Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga, the Bucks have too many players on the roster as is. For the time being, that's fine, as teams are allowed to carry several extra bodies during the summer, but over the next couple of months, the Bucks must part with at least two players with standard contracts.
There is no telling right now who those two will end up being. An obvious place to start would be in the backcourt, given that Milwaukee has a surplus of guards. Maybe they could knock out two birds with one stone by moving two guards in a sign-and-trade for Watson. That would certainly put the finishing touches on what has been a solid summer roster retool.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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