Milwaukee Bucks: 5 goals for the 2018 offseason

3. Offload money if possible

When the cap spiked in the summer of 2016, some NBA teams broke the bank to bring in mediocre players, some of which are barely rotation players two seasons later. The Bucks avoided such a fate, but they are not clean either. Multiple mid-range contracts were signed that look onerous two summers later.

John Henson is a low-end starting center at best, a player with a reasonably high floor but also a low ceiling. He is under contract for $9.5 million next season, which is in that area between a truly bad contract and a value contract. One positive is that Henson’s four-year contract signed in 2016 decreases every year, making him that much more movable as the years progress.

In a similar spot is the contract of Matthew Dellavedova, signed to a four-year, $38 million contract in 2016. He will make $9.6 million next season, and the same amount the following year. On their own, neither contract is bloated, but in the Bucks’ context, both are limiting.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo signed to a large contract — but not quite a max contract — and Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Tony Snell making double digit salaries, the Bucks are pressed up against the cap going into the summer, without accounting for restricted free agent Jabari Parker, their incoming first round draft pick or any free agent signings.

This team will almost certainly avoid paying the luxury tax, which means it has two primary options. One is to let Parker walk, which provides financial relief but leaves the team without one of its most talented players and no means to replace him. The other is to move Henson, Dellavedova or both — each could be replaced in the rotation at much cheaper rates.

It is probable that neither player holds positive value, especially in the limited cap environment of 2018. But if the Bucks can move one or both with minor assets, they could find a way to reload for next season without breaking the bank.