The Milwaukee Bucks have been in a challenging position since their early and disappointing playoff exit, and they must make some drastic changes.
I’m just going to state the obvious: The Milwaukee Bucks are in need of a roster change.
Since losing shockingly in the playoffs consecutively, the Bucks obviously need to make some changes. After multiple failures within the organization and with the coaching staff, the Bucks have long needed to make some changes and their need for change is urgent.
Following their disappointing postseason exit at the hands of the Miami Heat, two-time defending MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo heard complaints and had concerns of his own about his future with the team. Antetokounmpo made sure to reassure them that he would be a part of the Bucks’ future, but he did not shy away from letting it be known how the organization should value him and his potential future teammates. One of his demands was that the team had to go into the luxury tax.
Giannis knows and everyone knows it. The Bucks need to make a drastic roster change.
The first step in these changes comes through the 6’11” Antetokounmpo, who still needs to sign his supermax contract extension. So, the Milwaukee Bucks team isn’t just waiting for new and exciting prospects, but for their main star to commit long term.
One way to make this drastic roster change is to look at this offseason and the other talent around the league and scout heavily in every way possible, which is what they have started doing.
It is free agency season. Also, it is trade season. And they both loom over everything. The way that the game is played is altered by free agency and trades during the offseason. The free agent list this year consisted of a deep list of talent, although the top of the class was less impressive than past years.
However, the Bucks had an awful start.
It should be noted that these needed changes shouldn’t just be made through free agency; they can make trades, which is something they did when they acquired Jrue Holiday from the Pelicans and gave away Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and three first-round draft picks in return.
Then, the Bucks attempted (and failed) to trade Donte DiVincenzo, along with D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova to the Sacramento Kings in return for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James. The trade with Bogdanovic didn’t succeed, though, because the guard didn’t notify or wasn’t approved by Sacramento to choose Milwaukee as his trade destination. Those trades now are void and are under a tampering investigation.
And the extent of which changes should be made will indeed be affected by these types of situations. Milwaukee still has a bunch of their players they were looking to ship because of the lackluster performance last year, such as DiVincenzo, Pat Connaughton, and Wilson. Ilyasova, Kyle Korver, Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews were free agents who have either found a home or are on their way to a new home. Matthews, for example, signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Lopez with the Washington Wizards.
The Milwaukee Bucks are beginning to think outside of the box, and they should continue to do so with this league full of stars and superstars if they want to continue to compete at a high level which places them to contend for a championship.
But they have to look at this free agent list and the league list long and hard to see which best fits their situation. Championship-bound, Giannis-led, Milwaukee-grown, and therefore, in need of an overall solid and unique roster.
The Bucks roster currently stands with three of their core starters: Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez knee-deep into free agency and after trades opened up to be made. Only one consensus can be made: The Bucks still need a drastic roster change.
With free agency, trades, and the Bucks own well-known roster demands looming over everything this offseason, I will take a look at some roster changes the Milwaukee Bucks could consider which will help them in their search for a more equipped team.
This is a first of a three-part series looking at players that fit the Milwaukee Bucks, and this first part is about free agents the Bucks should have looked at before signing with other teams.