After a competitive first-round series against the Raptors in 2017, the Bucks seemed poised to take a step forward into the realm of legit contenders in the East. That didn’t happen, however, as the club struggled to reach its ceiling, firing head coach Jason Kidd midway through the season. Milwaukee may have to count on a new coach – and internal improvement from its current players – to get better results in 2018/19, since the club doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility to upgrade its roster.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Bucks financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:
Guaranteed Salary
- Giannis Antetokounmpo ($24,157,304)
- Eric Bledsoe ($15,000,000)
- Khris Middleton ($13,000,000)
- Tony Snell ($10,607,143)
- John Henson ($10,577,466)
- Matthew Dellavedova ($9,607,500)
- Mirza Teletovic ($3,500,000) — Waived via stretch provision
- Thon Maker ($2,799,720)
- D.J. Wilson ($2,534,280)
- Spencer Hawes ($2,007,058) — Waived via stretch provision
- Larry Sanders ($1,865,546) — Waived via stretch provision
- Sterling Brown ($1,378,242)
- Total: $97,034,259
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Brandon Jennings ($2,222,803)1
- Tyler Zeller ($1,933,941)
- Malcolm Brogdon ($1,544,951)2
- Total: $5,701,695
Restricted Free Agents
- Jabari Parker ($4,333,931 qualifying offer / $20,347,176 cap hold): Bird rights
- Total: $20,347,176
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- No. 17 overall pick ($2,459,922)
- Shabazz Muhammad ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
- Jason Terry ($1,499,698): Early Bird rights
- Total: $5,459,318
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Projected Cap Room: None
- While trades or cuts could open up some cap room for the Bucks, they’re far more likely to remain an over-the-cap team this summer. Their nine guaranteed contracts, plus Brogdon’s non-guaranteed salary, Parker’s cap hold, and the cap hold for their first-round pick bring the Bucks’ total team salary to $105,373,063, which is over the cap, but comfortably below the projected tax line.
- While it looked as if the Bucks may have to move a contract or two in order to re-sign Parker and remain below the tax line, that’s not necessarily a lock. Parker wasn’t at his best down the stretch and in the postseason, which may have diminished his free agent stock to some extent. If Milwaukee doesn’t have to pay max or near-max money to retain Parker, staying out of the tax would be much easier.
Footnotes:
- Jennings’ exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
- Brogdon’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 1.
Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
After offering max deals to players that didn’t “deserve” a max deal I have no doubt the Nets will offer Parker a max deal
Agreed.
Nets have a similar player, RHJefferson, albeit with a different mentality. They may be done waiting for him though.
Parker will just resign with Milwaukee. An injury prone guys going to take five years. Also hopefully we can trade Henson and or Dellavedova. Snell I doubt. That will open up enough space to bring in a big man and or a shooter to put us in line to be competitive year in year out
Salaries have to match. So you’re trading Henson and Delly for a big man. They can’t just dump the contracts to free up space. 16 teams are currently over the luxury tax limit.
I see people talk about a Sign-n-Trade with Parker. It’s tricky, especially when he will get an offer sheet. They can’t trade him to the team that he signs the offer with. AND it may be a bad contract – think Amir Asik, Jeremy Lin, Tyler Johnson type of back-loaded contracts.
Maybe they line-up with the Heat. Swing a deal for Whiteside. Bucks main need is an upgrade at the 5. Could be Whiteside or DJ.