Milwaukee Bucks 2023 Offseason Checklist

The Milwaukee Bucks are facing a difficult offseason full of question marks, made worse by their embarrassing first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Miami Heat.

The new CBA set to kick in this summer makes Milwaukee’s position even worse. Counting only the eight players under contract next year, they are already $24 million over the salary cap and just $4 million under the luxury tax line. They will likely blow past that simply by retaining a couple of key players.

With a lot at stake this summer, here are all the decisions they must make.

Player Options

Khris Middleton

Middleton has a $40.4 million player option for 2023-24, the final year of his deal. It’s unclear what he’ll do. He could decline the player option and sign a new deal with the Bucks for a maximum of five years and $272 million, more than any other team could offer him. He could also decline the option and re-sign with the Bucks before July 1st to a contract worth up to four years and $204 million.

If he accepts the option, he could sign an extension with Milwaukee for a maximum of four years, and $221 million.

Jevon Carter

Carter’s 2023-23 player option is worth a measly $2.23 million, an option I’m assuming he’ll decline. If he does, Milwaukee has early bird rights on him, allowing them to re-sign him to a deal for a least two seasons and worth up to $11.34 million next year. It’s unlikely he’ll get that much, but he should be in for a raise from someone.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Brook Lopez

Lopez is the Bucks’ number one priority among unrestricted free agents. He had an impressive 2022-23 campaign following a season in which he struggled with a back injury that cost him the majority of the year. He has a $20.8M cap hold and is eligible to sign an extension by July 1 worth up to three years and $54.1 million.

Joe Ingles

Ingles was a nice addition to their halfcourt offense and looks like he still has some juice left in the tank. His cap hold is $7.8 million and they can re-sign him to a three-year deal worth up to $24.5 million.

Jae Crowder

Crowder was barely used in the postseason after Milwaukee traded five second-round picks to acquire him at the trade deadline. Crowder looked like he lost a step defensively and wasn’t up to par. His cap hold is a whopping $19.3 million and he has the option to extend with the Bucks by June 30th.

Wesley Matthews

The Bucks have early bird rights on Wesley Matthews, but that is unlikely to matter. If he returns for another year, the Bucks will use the veteran minimum to re-sign him.

Goran Dragic

We didn’t see much of Dragic in Milwaukee as the Bucks’ third point guard. He’s an unrestricted free agent with a cap hold of $1.99 million.

Meyers Leonard

Leonard is another unrestricted free agent after signing with the Bucks in the middle of the season. His cap hold is also $1.99 million.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo

We have likely seen the last of Thanasis Antetokounmpo. He’s been a great teammate, but isn’t an NBA-caliber player. His cap hold is $1.99 million.

Extension Eligible

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Between September 22nd and the first day of the regular season, the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo could agree to a contract extension worth up to two years and $113 million. I’d expect the Bucks to offer it immediately, even if it’s unlikely Antetokounmpo signs it (he’s most likely to sign an extension when his current deal expires).

Head Coach Decision

Mike Budenholzer

The Bucks’ first-round playoff exit put Mike Budenholzer’s job in grave danger. He failed to make the necessary adjustments and had more blunders than normal in their embarrassing Game 4 and Game 5 losses, in which they blew big fourth-quarter leads in both.They will have to make a quick decision about the future of their franchise’s head coach.