This summer, the Milwaukee Bucks proved that small market teams could indeed land a big-name free agent, too. Not only that, but they maintained the skill level of their role players and re-signed one of their own free agents to a lucrative deal.
The Bucks started making moves well before free agency started when they traded Ersan Ilyasova to the Detroit Pistons for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams. Milwaukee waived Butler and Williams after completing the trade, basically clearing cap room.
The next move for the Bucks came at draft night when they traded two picks to land Toronto Raptors backup point guard Greivis Vasquez. Not the biggest of moves, but Milwaukee needed a backup for Michael Carter-Williams and who better than Vasquez.
The Venezuelan has terrific size for a point guard and will provide sufficient play making and scoring off Milwaukee’s bench. At 6-foot-6, Vasquez’s size makes it easier to play him at either guard position if needed. He is a quality reserve player and will help bolster the Bucks’ second unit.
During the draft, the Bucks selected Rashad Vaughn with the 17th overall pick. Vaughn, one of the youngest players in the draft at age 18, is a fantastic jump shooter as he proved that during Summer League action. Vaughn averaged 17.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per outing in Las Vegas. The UNLV product definitely showed promise in summer play, but the problem is that the Bucks have a crowded backcourt which may limit Vaughn’s time on the floor.
Right as free agency began the Bucks did not waste any time to re-sign Khris Middleton. The 23-year old earned a four-year, $70 million contract after a rather successful year last season. Middleton averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds on 46.7 percent shooting from the field and 40.7 percent from three-point territory to aid the Bucks to the playoffs. Keeping Middleton was a top priority.
After locking up Middleton, the Bucks made quite a huge splash by acquiring Greg Monroe, one of the top free agents this summer. Although he is not an All-Star, Monroe is a big time player who certainly makes the Bucks a better team. Many may overlook Monroe, but the 25-year old quietly averaged a double-double last season on nearly 50 percent shooting from the floor.
While rebounding is one of his strengths, Monroe’s scoring ability is often discounted. He has a smooth offensive game, consisting of mid-range jumpers and low post scoring. For a big man, Monroe is also a stellar foul-line shooter, making 75 percent of his free throws last season.
Surprisingly, Monroe passed up on the opportunity to play for big markets, such as the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, to play for a small market team.
Moving forward, the Bucks made couple of other salary dump-like moves, as they traded Zaza Pachulia to the Dallas Mavericks for merely a second-round pick and Jared Dudley to the Washington Wizards for the same price. The Bucks felt comfortable sending Pachulia elsewhere since they signed Monroe as their new starting center.
To replace Dudley and to cap off the summer, the Bucks most recently obtained Chris Copeland on a one-year, $1.1 million bargain deal. Although Copeland struggled to find his niche with the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks are hopeful he can regain his shooting touch while playing under his former teammate and new head coach Jason Kidd. The 6-foot-8, 31-year-old forward may see a large role with the Bucks than he did with the Pacers this upcoming season.
The offseason has fared pretty well for the Milwaukee Bucks. They have without question improved on last season’s playoff team by adding a top free agent and maintaining the talent level between their role players. Now it’s time to see how far coach Kidd could lead this young team this year.
Off-Season Grade: B-