What to know about the Bucks offseason: Draft picks, salary cap, roster-building restrictions, key dates
The Milwaukee Bucks are at the start of another long offseason, which begins in earnest for them with the NBA draft on June 26-27. It is the first time the league will hold its draft over a two-day period.
Here are some key questions and dates for the offseason:
Do the Bucks have a first-round draft pick?
Yes, but it was not in their control. As part of the 2020 trade for Jrue Holiday, New Orleans began the season with the ability to swap draft position with Milwaukee. After “winning” a tiebreaker with the Phoenix Suns and the Pelicans, the Bucks were awarded the No. 21 pick and the Pelicans received No. 23. Those are now switched, with the Bucks moving down two positions.
The Bucks also have a second-round pick, via Portland, either at No. 33 or 34.
Because of the swap rights, the Bucks cannot trade that first-round pick until draft day.
Do the Bucks have salary cap room?
No.
The salary cap for 2024-25 is $141 million, and Milwaukee has 10 players currently under contract for roughly $182 million – which takes the Bucks not only past the luxury tax but also the first tax “apron.” They will need to sign a minimum of four more players to guaranteed contracts.
More: What to know about the Milwaukee Bucks players’ contracts, salary cap
What can the Bucks do this offseason to change the roster?
There are two parts to this answer.
First, the Bucks finished the 2023-24 season not only as a luxury-tax paying team, but with a payroll that exceeded the first and second tax “aprons,” which allow teams to exceed the salary cap but penalizes them for doing so by restricting other roster-building avenues.
Should the Bucks not get under the second apron by the start of the new league year July 1, they will once again be operating in the second apron.
Beyond repeater tax penalties, the Bucks will not be able to:
Take back more than 100% of an outgoing salary in a trade.
Aggregate players in an outgoing trade (i.e. trading two or three players for one).
Send out cash in a trade.
Use the $2 million Robin Lopez and Cameron Payne trade exceptions created in the 2023-24 season.
Sign and trade their own free agent for other players under contract.
Sign an outside free agent to a contract larger than the league minimum.
Trade their 2032 first-round pick.
Sign a “buyout” player whose salary was greater than the non-taxpayer mid-level salary exception.
With 10 guaranteed contracts on the books, they would be able to trade a player for multiple players if the outgoing and incoming salaries matched.
A second, drastic avenue is also available but very, very unlikely.
Milwaukee could trade one, or several, of their core rotation pieces (i.e. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton or Brook Lopez) for either draft compensation or a player(s) making far less money.
Such moves would signal a broader reconstruction of the roster and vision of the team, however. There has been zero indication that this is a possibility this summer.
Depending how the roster was filled out, they still might be able to sneak under the apron at the 2025 trade deadline if it was deemed necessary.
When does free agency begin?
Teams can negotiate with free agents on June 30, but none can officially sign until 11:01 a.m. July 6 when the new league year begins.
How many free agents can the Bucks sign?
It depends on some scenarios.
If the Bucks made no trades, let all their unrestricted free agents walk and retained their two draft picks – they could sign two veteran minimum contracts.
If they trade their draft picks along with rostered players, they could fill out the remaining spots with minimum deals.
Can the Bucks re-sign their own free agents?
Yes, but there is a restriction that makes them a less competitive option on the open market.
Take Malik Beasley, for example.
The 27-year-old signed a one-year, minimum $2 million deal and started a career-high 77 games while making a career-best 41% of his three-pointers. As a team that is over the salary cap, the Bucks can offer him only a four-year contract worth roughly $10 million. Other teams can offer him five-year deals at whatever value they see fit.
Can the Bucks make any trades?
Yes, but with some restrictions – mainly the ability to trade multiple players for one. The Bucks knew this was likely, which was an underlying reason why making the Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen-for-Damian Lillard deal happen last summer was key.
The Bucks, however, can trade one player for multiple players – but the salaries must either match perfectly, or cost less than the player the Bucks set out.
For example:
If the Bucks traded Pat Connaughton, they could not take on a player making more than his $9,423,869 deal.
They could not trade Connaughton and MarJon Beauchamp for a single player.
They could trade Connaughton for two players making the same as or less than his $9.4 million.
How many head coaches are the Bucks paying?
Three.
Mike Budenholzer still has one year and $8 million left on a contract extension he signed in 2021. Budenholzer’s deal could be offset if he is hired as a head coach this offseason. Adrian Griffin is making about $4 million and has another three years left on his deal after being hired and fired in the 2023-24 season.
The Bucks also dismissed assistant coach Nate Mitchell, who was hired at the start of the season, at the all-star break.
Doc Rivers is making $10 million annually for the next three seasons. Rivers added three more assistants to his staff when he was hired, and it is possible he continues to shuffle that group in the offseason.
Coaches salaries have no bearing on player salary at all.
Bucks key offseason dates
May 12-19: NBA draft combine
June 26-27: NBA draft
June 30: Teams can negotiate with free agents.
July 2-7: Greek national men’s basketball team participates in an Olympic qualifying tournament.
July 6: New league year begins, free agents can sign contracts.
July 8: AJ Green’s 2024-25 contract for $2.1 million becomes fully guaranteed.
July 26-Aug. 11: Summer Olympics. Thanasis and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the only Bucks participating if Greece qualifies.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks offseason what to know: Draft picks, free agency, salary cap
