The Milwaukee Bucks have had a roller coaster of an offseason. Giannis Antetokounmpo eventually signed the supermax contract and acquired Jrue Holiday, but much of the Bucks’ future is still in the air. Did they get better or worse? Are they still the best (regular) season team out East?
Key Additions: Jrue Holiday, Bryan Forbes, Bobby Portis
When you look at the players that the Bucks have gotten, under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be that bad. Forbes and Portis are bench players that can contribute and hold it down when the starters are out. But they aren’t the ones that need focusing on. Holiday, again, is a great addition, but not for how the Bucks got him. The Bucks sent Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, three first-round picks, and two pick swaps to get Holiday. That is an insane trade package for all but the 1% of NBA players.
The Holiday trade still gets me. I like Holiday as a player, but that man is not worth five total picks. That is just outrageous. Combine this with the Bogdanovic debacle, and it has been a questionable offseason by the Bucks front office.
Key Losses: Eric Bledsoe, George Hill
I was never much a Bledsoe fan. He is a guard past his prime who got paid way too much money. The failure of this front office started when they decided to pay Bledsoe of Malcolm Brogdon. Hill was solid for the Bucks, and his presence will be missed. The additions of the replacements for Bledsoe and Hill outweigh the loss of both, but does that make the Bucks a better team?
Starting Lineup: Jrue Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokunmpo, Brook Lopez
Nothing really surprising here. DiVincenzo has been in the system longer than any other two-guard on the team, so it makes sense that he’d get the start.
Season Outlook
With the return of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving fully healthy, things haven’t gotten easier out east. The Milwaukee Bucks probably won’t be the one seed, but even if they are, it’s hard to see the Bucks going further than they did this year. I will never blame anyone for getting their money, but the Bucks have screwed up their future up so much, it’s difficult to see the Bucks being competitive years from now. Their only option is to make a splash in free agency, something that is difficult for small market teams. Maybe Giannis changes that? Who knows.
