5 Big Questions About Milwaukee Bucks’ Offseason

The Milwaukee Bucks’ second straight disappointing postseason exit has left the franchise with more questions than answers heading into a pivotal offseason. After vaulting into championship contention a year ago, their window is open only as long as they have Giannis Antetokounmpo on their side—something that is less certain after his contract expires following the conclusion of next season (whenever that may happen).

Antetokounmpo already met with Bucks’ ownership to discuss his questions about the team’s immediate future. Many questions he shares with fans and analysts alike. How will the Bucks get better next season? Will Mike Budenholzer, Eric Bledsoe and others return? Let’s jump into these questions and more, as we preview Milwaukee’s most significant offseason in decades.

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo sign his supermax extension?

The back-to-back MVP is eligible to sign a supermax contract, technically known as a a designated player extension, following the conclusion of the playoffs, but the COVID pandemic makes it even less clear whether it’d even be in Antetokounmpo’s best interest to do so. In a typical offseason, he’d be eligible to sign a massive five-year, $253.8 million deal while earning a whopping $43.8 million in 2021-22. However, we are the furthest from normal right now, and there’s no saying what that will look like considering the financial status of the NBA and the unknown 2020-21 salary cap.

Regardless of the money situation, it might’ve always been in Antetokounmpo’s best interest to flex some of his player power and sign a shorter deal. If he were to follow the route his peers have taken in recent years and sign a shorter two-to-three year deal with a player option, it would keep the pressure on the Bucks to continue building a championship-caliber roster. After all, the key pieces around Antetokounmpo are a few years older and the roster will need major reconstruction in the near, if not immediate, future. Of course, he would be giving up a ton of money if he doesn’t sign the supermax—an extension that can only be signed for five years, nothing less.

Don’t be surprised if Antetokounmpo passes up on the first opportunity to sign his huge contract, as he at least waits to figure out what’s going on with the NBA’s salary cap. Although talk shows will run wild with it, it says more about a smart business decision than his true intentions to stay in Milwaukee long term.

Will Mike Budenholzer be their head coach next season?

It appears we already have our answer to this question, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Mike Budenholzer will be back as the Bucks’ head coach next season. So maybe the more appropriate question is how will Budenholzer adjust a system that clearly leads to regular season domination, but postseason disappointments?

Milwaukee has won about three-quarters of their regular season games over the last two years, a major accomplishment to be sure. A lot of that is due to the defensive and offensive strategies he has implemented since joining the franchise. Offensively, he implores his players to spread the court along the three-point line while maximizing the driving lanes for someone like Antetokounmpo. At the other end of the floor, he moved all his chips into the middle of the table when it comes to defending the rim despite leaving his team vulnerable from the outside.

Teams have found ways to exploit both of these tactics in back to back postseasons and it resulted in some ugly finishes for Budenholzer and the Bucks. He must diversify his team’s strategies and make them less predictable for the opposition. Can he adjust despite being notoriously stubborn?

How will the Bucks’ roster look different?

It’s clear general manager Jon Horst has his work cut out for him when it comes to reconstructing this roster on the fly. Just a year ago he re-signed Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez and George Hill while trading away Malcolm Brogdon. Now, he has a bevy of free agent decisions to make at the backend of the roster, as guys like Pat Connaughton, Sterling Brown and Kyle Korver are free agents of one kind or another and veterans Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez each have player options for 2020-2021.

Milwaukee infamously relied on their depth, both in the regular season and playoffs, to help get them through the grueling schedule while keeping their players fresh. This strategy backfired in the postseason when they continuously rolled out 10-t0-11 players a game despite needing more time from their stars. Maybe Horst’s best bet is to take away some of the depth and eliminate the option for Budenholzer altogether.

Will they trade for Chris Paul?

Chris Paul is the offseason’s big fish and the Bucks will do everything they can to get the Oklahoma City Thunder to bite on their lure. However, they have multiple competitors (the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks appear to be two of them), as well as a salary cap issue.

Paul is set to make a massive $41.4 million next year with a $44.2 million player option the following season. Setting aside that acquiring him would likely send the Bucks into the luxury tax, Milwaukee would be hard-pressed to throw together an offer that entices the Thunder. Just to match salaries, they’d have to include Bledsoe ($16.8 million), Hill ($9.5 million) and either Ersan Ilyasova ($7 million) or a combination of D.J. Wilson ($4.5 million) and Donte DiVincenzo ($3 million). And then it’s not even clear how many picks the notoriously stout trader Sam Presti would coax out of the desperate Bucks.

Although Paul’s the popular acquisition and one that would significantly upgrade their point guard position, he also bring a bunch of question marks to the team. How can they fill in the rest of the roster? Can he stay healthy for a deep postseason run? Will he finally hit a wall at 36-years-old? So many questions.

How can they get better?

A task that might be more difficult than originally thought, Horst must figure out a way to improve his team heading into next season. His franchise star, fans and the ownership demand it.

Running it back following two straight disappointing playoff performances will have many questioning his job security, as Milwaukee can’t keep trying the same thing and expecting different results. As discussed, their roster is a bit handicapped with contracts that aren’t horrible, but aren’t necessarily attractive either. They will have their full mid-level exception if they don’t go into the tax, a contract that would typically carry a $10 million value, to use in free agency. Will it be enough of an upgrade alone?

Horst and company will certainly have to get creative when it comes to improving their roster. It will be extremely difficult to swing a trade for a top-notch player without mortgaging their future in the process. However he does it, it’s clear he must explore all avenues and leave no stone unturned if the Bucks are to truly compete for a championship next season.