Milwaukee Bucks 2024 NBA offseason preview: It’s all about improving around the margins

2023-24 season: 49-33

Spotlight of the season

Does the Sept. 27 acquisition of Damian Lillard depend? It’s been an uphill battle for the Bucks all season, and going from Adrian Griffin to Doc Rivers solely made issues worse.

The way it ended

With failed expectations. It’s not possible to fault the Bucks for the accidents to each Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the latter lacking your entire postseason. Regardless, on this unapologetic world, outcomes are all that matter, and the Bucks didn’t dwell as much as the championship-level expectations that have been positioned on them after the Lillard commerce.

Lillard himself definitely raised some questions with reference to his long-term match with the Bucks, because the soon-to-be 34-year-old didn’t sport the quantity, nor taking pictures effectivity, of years’ previous. Whether or not Lillard’s subpar season was only a minor hiccup or an indication of points to return stays to be seen. But it surely’s tough to ascertain him reaching the identical degree he did throughout his final yr in Portland, when he averaged 32.2 factors per recreation.

Additional mucking up Milwaukee’s future is the well being of Khris Middleton. The workforce’s third star performed simply 55 video games, managing 27 minutes per contest, which isn’t prone to get significantly better as he enters his age-33 season subsequent yr.

The collective regressive well being of Milwaukee’s star trio, and the hiring of Rivers — who isn’t identified for bringing gamers collectively — has out of the blue morphed the Bucks, who received the title simply three years in the past, right into a workforce of fixed concern, which stands in stark distinction to how they have been perceived going into this season.

In fact, a full season with a full invoice of well being for all three dramatically modifications the outlook of this franchise. However that appears overly optimistic at this stage.

Largest offseason want

The identical because it’s been for the previous two summers: youth. This Bucks workforce is previous, and its three children — MarJon Beauchamp, Andre Jackson Jr. and A.J. Inexperienced — are seen extra as complementary gamers than foundational items, complicating issues for a franchise that needs to lengthen its aggressive window.

Organizational course

The primary impression of Antetokounmpo’s pairing with Lillard was the incorrect one. Seems buying and selling Jrue Vacation for Lillard was a steep defensive downgrade, and an ailing match on each ends of the court docket price Griffin, a first-year coach, his job. The midseason hiring of Rivers did little to resolve chemistry issues, and an ill-timed damage to Antetokounmpo made issues worse.

Nonetheless a lot optimism you may need in Milwaukee’s capacity to retool round Antetokounmpo and Lillard, there are limits to what the Bucks can do. Brook Lopez, Lillard and Middleton will enter subsequent season at 36, 34 and 33 years previous, respectively. The Bucks have minimal contracts or middling commerce chips to spend on defensive upgrades. Their high precedence, although, is guaranteeing neither Antetokounmpo nor Lillard requests a commerce earlier than each stars get an opportunity to enhance their two-man recreation over the summer season. — Ben Rohrbach

Projected draft picks (pre-lottery)

Nos. 23, 33

Just like the Suns, Milwaukee should make their first-round choice, provided that they didn’t have one final yr. They will commerce the participant after making the choice, however given their want of getting youthful, this wouldn’t be advisable.

Draft focus

The Bucks have the posh of merely including items round Antetokounmpo and Lillard. 4-year school gamers who could be plugged in immediately are Kansas’ Kevin McCullar Jr. and Marquette’s Tyler Kolek. Each gamers have been the highest scoring choices for his or her respective groups and may contribute immediately to a longtime workforce. Antetokounmpo and 7-4 Purdue star Zach Edey would even be a enjoyable duo to look at within the paint. — Krysten Peek

Key free agent

Malik Beasley (UFA)

Wage-cap breakdown

The Bucks are paying over $151 million subsequent season for simply 4 gamers in Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Middleton and Lopez. Add roughly $22 million for Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton, and it’s trying just like the franchise might be deep into the tax and above the primary apron, proscribing its improve choices.

The workforce is definitely in it to win it, so it stands to motive it will supply Beasley the perfect deal it will possibly, which is 120% of his present $2.7 million wage. Nonetheless, groups can simply beat that, so it stays to be seen if the sharpshooter returns.

Subsequent season’s objective

A correct bounce-back. This season led to absolute disaster, and the Bucks must be conscious of the truth that Antetokounmpo might lose endurance on a less-competitive workforce, placing additional emphasis on total enchancment.

What can transfer the fantasy needle

The Bucks have to take the summer season off to get wholesome. Middleton missed 27 video games through the common season, however the late-season accidents to Antetokounmpo (calf) and Lillard (Achilles) have been the ultimate nails within the coffin. Given Milwaukee’s lack of draft picks and cap area heading into subsequent season, it needs to be prepping Jackson and Beauchamp for extra minutes, an important step of their improvement. The Bucks received run out of the gymnasium towards the Pacers, and so they’ll want the duo’s athleticism to choose up the tempo and defend higher in the event that they need to stay a contender within the East. — Dan Titus