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Right now, the situation for the Bucks seems fluid. There are questions that will not receive an immediate answer. Will Mike Budenholzer, who has a contract until summer 2022, stay? Will homeowners think about luxury taxes in uncertain times, or will they spend to win? Will GM John Horst find a way to trade in some of the big contracts? Will the coach change the philosophy and, consequently, the needs of the supporting cast of Giannis Antetokounbo? Will you continue to look for veterans like Wesley Matthews and Kyle Korver with minimal contracts or will you look for young people with different characteristics?
An equally important question is when the Free Agency will open, which will go back a few weeks so that the League and the agents of the 30 organizations can find answers to all the problems that have arisen from the rivalry with China and the pandemic. Commissioner Adam Silver wants to save time, but no one knows when the 2020 NBA Draft will take place, when the market will open, when the 2020/21 season will begin. Everything fluid, everything open, everyone difficult …
Either way, life will go on sooner or later and the Bucks will have to weigh their options. We wrote that Chris Paul is the ideal base for this team and the scripts already say that they will make an effort in Milwaukee to claim him, although the 84 million that he has for the next two years is an outrageously large amount.
Horst will look for dozens of possible and implausible exchanges, no one can see reason and understand in which direction it will move, but surely the market of restricted and unrestricted (his teams have the right to match any proposal and keep them) players have several interesting options. Some faces, others very expensive, others in reasonable quantities, have experience, competitiveness, protagonists and complementary, good creators and effective slashers, let’s see some that – theoretically always – would fit into this organization.
THE PROTAGONISTS
Now that Eric Blencho can no longer lift the weight and pressure of the playoffs, the Bucks will have to do everything they can to deliver it. Good defense, great when he really wants to fight, he was the first to put pressure on the periphery before the opponents ended in Antetokunbo – López. but it is not enough for a championship team. If Milwaukee escapes their contract (35 million over the next two years and the 2022/23 season is partially guaranteed for $ 3,900,000 out of $ 19,375,000) and they don’t acquire Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder, then they will. they have to find a protagonist to do the work for them.
Goran Dragic will be an unrestricted free agent, as will Dennis Schroeder. Two bases different from Blencho, more executive, but also tremendously competitive. The Slovenian is an amazing character who definitely fits in with the Bucks culture, the German is more awkward, eccentric, but at the same time a player who is patiently waiting for his chance to shine as a leading man at the highest level. In the 2019/2020 season he had 18.9 points from 51% in two points, 39% in three points and 84% in shots, along with 3.6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.6 errors per 31 minutes of participation as sixth player.
Beyond that, there is the amazing scorer Jordan Clarkson who would be a great solution for the role of the Bucks’ sixth player. It would not easily “stop” in the top five, as a first option from the bench, but it would make a difference with the previous ones. That player was missing from the Deer in the “bubble,” a short game change, that is. An even more ideal fit would be Bogdan Bogdanovic, but for the starting lineup. Can the Bucks pay the money he will ask to put him between the point guard and Middleton? The Serbian has a good skills package, scores, creates, had 15.1 points of 53% in two points, 37% in three points and 74% in shots, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and a steal every 29 minutes, he is 28 years old and enters the peak productive phase of his career. It seems like a luxury, it would be a great move to get it.
A less enthusiastic but equally sensible option is Joe Harris, although the 29-year-old shooter is likely to make a significant discount to stay with Irving-Durand’s Brooklyn Nets. A 43% bomber in six NBA seasons, he can coexist with Middleton in 2-3 spots and have a really easy job and plenty of free throws in every game.
Hassan Wajad will also be the protagonist, with his own case, of course, with asterisks. At 31, he’s an incredible blocker, a completely different center than Brooke Lopez. The field will not open for Antetokunbo, but together they would cover the opponents on the racket and with a good creator on the ace they would finish many phases above the rim. He’s made a lot of money, he was the second center in the Blazers’ rotation, but the first high until the return of Jusuf Nurkic. He could function as a starter in the event of the departure of Brooke Lopez, or as a complement to him, but certainly his special character is capable of putting the Bucks off.
LUXURY ROLLERS
An important category is the rollers, who often make a difference in championship teams. Golden State Warriors’ Andre Iguodala will always be the most iconic role player to pitch a contender. The Bucks will need a sixth, seventh, eighth player and will need to upgrade from Hill – Conaton – Korver – Robin Lopez.
Davis Bertans is a power forward looking for a great multi-year contract, but as the situation is liquid, he may prefer a one-year contract to re-enter the market in the summer of 2021. The Latvian is a shooter without limits, he can run consistently and efficiently from eight and nine meters, in the 2018/19 season he had 42.9% in the triple and this year 42.4% with 15.4 points per 29.3 minutes of participation . The Bucks lacked a “mirotic” and Bertans can do the job even better.
At 3-4 positions, John Horst could target Jay Crowder – Jeremy Grant, as the former has launched his actions with the Miami Heat and it makes sense to ask for a starting position and the latter to keep improving. He could even break into the top five for the Bucks, with Middleton falling to two, shooting well from the 3-pointer and this year he scored 12 points on 39% from the periphery (1.4 for 3.5). Good case, affordable, fits the body and while it doesn’t seem like an ideal fit, it could work in many roles.
If the Bucks are looking for a notable shooting guard at a more reasonable price, they will look to Brin Forbes who is coming off two full seasons with the Spurs (11.5 points from 48.3% in two points, 40.8% in three points and 85.7% in shooting, 2.5 rebounds and two assists for 26.7 minutes in 145 games) and it would definitely be an improvement on Wesley Matthews. He is 27 years old, the Spurs will be his priority, but perhaps the Bucks take him seriously as he can give them the information they need.
At the top is Serge Ibaka who can do a little bit of everything both in defense and attack, but also Mason Plumley, a rather underrated athlete who will never shine, but who is one of the best complementary centers in the League. A superior to Robin Lopez, a good creator, cheap, maybe he too wants a new challenge.
CHEAP AND USEFUL
The Bucks need leading men, but they also need the next “Konaton,” “Korver,” “Ilyasova,” with the former likely staying in Milwaukee with another small contract. Cheap solutions to fill the bench are Michael Carter-Williams, who has been close to Giannis Antitokoumbo since his tenure at Elafia, Avery Bradley, who plays both guard positions, has a good three-corner and is an excellent defender.
Also in this category is forward Dario Saric who hasn’t made a lot of money in the NBA, you will hardly find them this year and could “button” perfectly in Milwaukee. At age 26, he had 10.7 points this year versus 57% on shots from two, 36% on 3s, and 85% on shots, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per 24.7 minutes for the Phoenix Suns, which would have been an improvement on Ilyasova. Although Budenholzer prefers capable players to deliver on both ends of the court. Defense is not the strong point of the Croatian, but in attack his talent cannot be questioned.
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