@Music City posted:Holiday and Middleton are in Tokyo (Team USA lost to France, with Holiday going 27 min and leading the team with 18 min.). This makes an off-season recovery program problematic for 2 of the 3 major Bucks investments (Middleton played just 7 min). I do not expect these guys to play any preseason action, and I do think they’ll be on limits restrictions for much of the early season. This gives young players like Jordan Nwora, Donte DiVincenzo, Mamadi Diakite, and Elijah Bryant an opportunity to gain valuable game experience and prepare them for more meaningful action next playoff season. The Bucks desperately need to get these young players capable of playing important minutes because they simply cannot afford to bring Tucker or Teague back. And it’s going to take some massaging to bring Bryn Forbes or fan favorite Bobby Portis back (both have player options).
The Bucks should benefit from continuity if they ultimately are forced to “run it back” considering the roster turnover from a season ago. The only holdovers to see major minutes in the 6/7 man playoff rotation were Giannis, Middleton, Lopez, and Connaughton.
The tax threshold is $140M, and the Bucks have very little they can do to add FAs since they’re already at $143M (https://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee_bucks/). They can offer some $$$ to their guys, but his much do you risk? The Bucks will return the top scoring offense in the NBA in 2021-22, but it still seems like they need better shooting. They were at or near the top in almost every meaningful offensive category in 2020-21, but the playoffs proved that they really need more. Can they get more out of the big 3? Theoretically yes, but with the Olympics, what impact will a shortened off-season have on these guys, who logged more than 40+ min/game most of the playoffs? Will the experience of this Championship prove to be a catalyst for a level-up from both Middleton and Holiday? It could.
Horst has a unique challenge with this roster- they were statistically superior and were able to sidestep a few obstacles to take it all. With no draft assets and limited trade pieces, it may be very difficult to improve this roster with any new blood. The improvements may need to come from within…
Giannis, Middleton, Holiday, Connaughton, and Lopez are under contract for next year. DDV is also, but the Bucks can extend him if they want or wait until he's a restricted free agent next year. Those 6 are all back, unless DDV gets moved in a trade package. It's unlikely, but not impossible.
Tucker might be back. The Bucks have his Bird rights so they can pay him whatever they want. They also can't replace his salary slot anyway, so maybe they give him 2 years and 20 million and keep the wear and tear low on him until the playoffs. They are already over the luxury tax, so it's not like paying him is going to do anything other than take some more money out of Lasry/Edens pockets. I think they can afford it.
https://hoopshype.com/rumor/1535907/6
If Tucker returns, that's 6 of the 7 rotation guys in the playoffs right there and DDV. Thanasis is an RFA and he's playable in the regular season, so that's 9. Nwora, as Music says, is probably the guy that's going to be the most likely to make a leap from garbage time to contributor. Can he be as good as Forbes? I'd say yes. Diakite is intriquing as well.
Portis can sign with the Bucks for 6 million, but he'll probably get 3 times that on the open market. You can't blame him for leaving if and when he does.
Forbes is unplayable in the playoffs. Not a huge loss if he opts out. It would be nice to have him for those January/February dog days to soak up a lot of minutes when he can play against a lot of bottom tier players and his defensive liabilities aren't as glaring.
If Teague wants to come back at the vet minimum, that's a no brainer too.
Then it's who might come to Milwaukee to chase a ring at the end of their career. I mentioned Oladipo as that type of guy, but some team that can't get stars to go there usually will likely overpay him (at least based on his injury risk).
Portis is the only guy likely to leave that would hurt them during playoff time (assuming Tucker is back).