Bucks guard/forward Pat Connaughton has picked up his 2025/26 player option, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The move locks in Connaughton’s salary of $9,423,869 for next season and puts him on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2026.
Connaughton’s option decision comes as no surprise. He played a key role on Milwaukee’s championship team in 2020/21 and had a career year in ’21/22, when he averaged 9.9 points per game on .458/.395/.833 shooting, but his playing time and his production have dropped off significantly since then.
This past season, the 32-year-old wing averaged just 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 14.7 minutes per game across 41 outings. His 32.1% three-point percentage was his worst mark since his rookie year in 2015/16.
Since Connaughton wasn’t going to receive a starting salary of $9.4MM if he had become a free agent, it makes sense for him to take the guaranteed money by exercising his option.
Now, the decision on Connaughton’s future is back in the Bucks’ hands. He’ll likely be a trade candidate on that $9.4MM expiring contract as Milwaukee looks to reshape its roster and remain in the playoff picture while Damian Lillard recovers from an Achilles tear. Given his drop-off in minutes and effectiveness, Connaughton won’t have any trade value on his own, but his deal could be used for salary-matching purposes.
As our player option tracker shows, Connaughton is one of three Bucks players with an option decision to make this month. Bobby Portis ($13.45MM) and Kevin Porter Jr. ($2.55MM) are viewed as good bets to opt out in search of more lucrative multiyear deals.
He is no fool he would have gotten a lot less on tehn free agent market.
For the Bucks, this is how it feels when you go “all-in”, it doesn’t work out, and the bill comes due.
The last two teams standing never went all-in, and one of them is there because they facilitated another team’s all-in move. Gotta wonder if the all-in era is winding down
All-in is way sexier, for the fans and the media ……. besides, not every team has a Presti in charge and owners willing to stay in the sidelines.
Project Pat get your money, likely the last good payday.