Milwaukee Bucks: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make

Milwaukee Bucks offseason move No. 5: Guarantee Sam Merrill

After being acquired in the Jrue holiday trade, Merrill signed a two-year partially guaranteed deal worth $2.4 million. The second season of this deal was worth $1.5 million with a full $1.0 million not guaranteed which is a lot to leave on the table for a player like Merrill.

Merrill played 30 games for the Bucks last season, staring two of them. He was assigned to the Memphis Hustle for the G-League bubble in February. He played in five games averaging 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in 28.8 minutes per game.

The 24-year-old showed that there is potential to become a decent rotation player for the Bucks, depending on if he can break into it. He would need to average more than 7.8 minutes per game if he was going to be able to accomplish this.

The other problem for the Bucks is that they have already got $145.6 million on their books in committed salary. They have the vast majority of their core locked up so they need the rotation players who provide the depth and experience that makes the difference in a championship run. As Merrill has now got the experience and confidence of an NBA champion, he may be able to help at a low cost.