Milwaukee Bucks Training Camp Primer

Four months after their season came to an abrupt end with a Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Milwaukee Bucks returned to work for the start of training camp.

Milwaukee opens its exhibition schedule Saturday, Oct. 1 with a visit from the Memphis Grizzlies and kicks off the regular season Oct. 20 in Philadelphia.

In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know as the Bucks set out to claim their second NBA title in three seasons:

Last Season

After winning their first championship in 50 years, the Bucks overcame a season-long rash of injuries to finish 51-31, good for a fourth consecutive Central Division title and the No. 3 seed in the East.

The Bucks opened the postseason by dispatching the rival Bulls in a five-game first round series but without All-Star shooting guard, who was lost to a sprained knee in Game 2 against Chicago, were unable to get past the Celtics in the next round.

Along the way, forward Giannis Antetokounmpo became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer while averaging a career-high 29.9 points with 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists while finishing third in MVP voting behind Denver’s Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid of the 76ers.

Names & Faces

A rarity in the modern NBA, the Bucks return with their roster almost entirely intact from last season. Of the 20 players in camp this week, only three — MarJon Beauchamp, Marques Bolden and Joe Ingles — weren’t with the team last season.

Beauchamp was Milwaukee’s first-round pick (No. 24 overall) in this past summer’s draft while Ingles, who spent his first eight NBA seasons with Utah, signed a one-year free agent deal in July and Bolden, entering his third season as a pro, signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract on Sept. 25.

Budenholzer also has a new member on his coaching staff this year in DeMarre Carroll, an 11-year NBA veteran who played two seasons under Budenholzer in Atlanta. Carroll fills a spot vacated when assistant Darvin Ham left to take the Lakers’ head coaching job over the summer.

Coaching Staff

Head coach: Mike Budenholzer (5th season)

Associate head coach: Charles Lee

Assistant coaches: Pat St. Andrews; Chad Forcier, Vin Baker, Josh Oppenheimer, Mike Dunlap, Vince Legarza, Blaine Mueller, DeMarre Carroll.

Training Camp Roster

Guards: Grayson Allen; MarJon Beauchamp; Jevon Carter; Pat Connaughton; AJ Green*; George Hill; Jrue Holiday; Wesley Matthews; Luca Vildoza; Lindell Wigginton.

Forwards: Giannis Antetokounmpo; Thanasis Antetokounmpo; Joe Ingles; Sandro Mamukelashvili*; Khris Middleton; Bobby Portis, Jr.

Centers: Marques Bolden; Serge Ibaka; Brook Lopez.

Transactions

With so many players under contract or team control, general manager Jon Horst had a relatively quiet summer. His biggest moves came in July by way of extensions for guard Pat Connaughton and center Bobby Portis.

July 6 — Signed Joe Ingles; Re-signed Wesley Matthews and Jevon Carter

July 7 — Signed Bobby Portis to four-year contract extension

July 8 — Re-signed Lindell Wigginton to two-way contract

July 18 — Signed Pat Connaughton to three-yea contract extension

July 19 — Signed Serge Ibaka to one-year contract

Sept. 25 — Signed C Marques Bolden to one-year contract

Injury Report

Joe Ingles (left knee)

Ingles underwent surgery to repair his left ACL in February and won’t be ready to go when the Bucks open the regular season Oct. 20 in Philadelphia.

Expected return: January

Khris Middleton (knee, wrist)

The knee sprain that sidelined Middleton for Milwaukee’s playoff series against the Celtics has long since healed but Middleton underwent surgery in July to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist, leaving him on the sidelines to start the regular season, as well.

Expected return: October/November

Payroll Picture

The Bucks are fortunate to have their core in place for the foreseeable future but all that talent comes at a cost and leaves the team well above both the league’s salary cap as well as the luxury tax threshold for a fourth consecutive season.

“It’s not a unique situation for us,” said Wes Edens, one of the Bucks’ four primary owners. “As a group we made a big commitment to deliver championships and do everything we can on the ownership side to be supportive of Jon and ‘Bud’ and the whole organization. So we’re obviously deeply committed to that. We think we have a special, generational talent in the form of Giannis and all the good players around him in Khris and Jrue, so we’re very committed financially to do what we can to give ourselves the best chance to win.”

2022-23 Salary Cap: $123,267,000

2022-23 Payroll: $173,699,627

Available cap space: $-23,432,627

Est. Luxury Tax Bill $57,872,355

Exhibition Schedule

Sat., Oct. 1 — vs. Memphis

Thu., Oct. 6 — vs. Atlanta (Abu Dhabi, UAEUAE
)

Sat., Oct. 8 — vs. Atlanta (Abu Dhabi, UAE)

Tue., Oct. 11 — at Chicago

Wed., Oct. 12 — vs. Brooklyn

Regular-season opener: Thu., Oct. 20 at Philadelphia

Home opener: Sat., Oct. 22 vs. Houston