3. Re-signing Tony Snell
After Khris Middleton went down with a hamstring tear prior to the 2016-17 season, the Bucks traded a washed-up Michael Carter-Williams to the Chicago Bulls for marginalized swingman Tony Snell. He soon became the starter at shooting guard, playing in 80 of 82 games and shooting 40.6 from downtown — a much-needed skill on a spacing-starved team.
Snell was a restricted free agent this past summer, leaving Milwaukee with a choice between signing him to an extension or allowing him to walk (Snell could also have opted to sign the one-year qualifying offer). They elected for the former, as the two sides agreed to a four-year, $46 million deal.
This season Snell has played a less crucial role for the Bucks, due in large part to a fully healthy season by Khris Middleton and the trade for Eric Bledsoe. But his production has stayed remarkably consistent — he is playing roughly the same amount of minutes and scoring the same amount of points on the same basic shooting percentages. If the Bucks paid him based on maintaining the same level of production, then they are getting exactly what they wanted.
Snell is only making $11.5 million this season, a reasonable amount for a team’s fifth-best player, the role Snell has settled into. Teams need low-usage glue guys, and Snell provides accuracy behind the arc with length and energy on defense, making him the quintessential 3-and-D player. He isn’t a future star, but this team didn’t have a star available to them — and especially not at that price.
With the Bucks pressed against the cap they had little choice but to re-sign Snell, and they did so without breaking the bank. It was the right move, one with limited upside but all of the needed security of keeping a player who puts in the work and fits the team’s needs perfectly.
Grade: B+