The 2022-23 NBA league year began at 5 p.m. on Thursday, and Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst wasted no time in filling its roster with seasoned players while the team wants to keep its championship window open.
There may be more moves to come, but it’s been an active two weeks for the Bucks. Let’s take a look at all the trades that have taken place, in chronological order of their deals and what they mean to the team:
Age on opening day: 30
Height: 6-6
Weight: 219
How acquired: Exercised player option
Contract: 1 year, $1.8 million
Analysis: Antetokounmpo has opted to return to the Bucks for a fourth season, and he is once again counted on to provide intensity on both sides of the field, along with the ability to fill in when needed (11 starts in over the past three years) in various positions .
Age on opening day: 29
Height: 6-5
Weight: 209
How acquired: Exercised player option
Contract: 1 year, $5.7 million
Analysis: Connaughton surprised some by picking up his option, and a competition source with knowledge of the free agent market predicted the wing would earn about $7 million a year if he opted out — either from the Bucks or elsewhere. But by signing up, Connaughton put his team on a solid footing regarding the 2022-23 luxury tax, while also keeping open the option of signing a long-term extension with the club.
Connaughton made 39.5% of his three-point attempts in his career last season but made 40.7% before breaking a finger in his shooting hand. Connaughton, one of head coach Mike Budenholzer’s most trusted players, was a player the Bucks had to keep as they will be capped and taxed in the coming seasons and they know what he can bring to a championship team.
Age on opening day: 22
Height: 6-6
Weight: 199
How acquired: No. 24 draft pick
Contract: 2 years, $4.2 million**
Analysis: Horst said the team was ready to… move up in the draft to Beauchamp. to select, which brings youth, athleticism and a 7-foot wingspan to a team with title hopes. Beauchamp knows he has to take down open shots, but his fastest way to get actual playing time is on defense. He may give the Bucks another switchable perimeter defender that can help them better stand up to teams that are shrinking and forcing Brook Lopez’s center off the floor.
†Contract value is based on two years of rookie scale, but picks can sign for 80% less or 120% more than the scale. There are also third and fourth year options for first-round picks not included in the projection.
Age on opening day: 27
Height: 6-10
Weight: 250
How acquired: Unsubscribed from his contract, unrestricted free agent
Contract: 4 years, $49 million***
Analysis: After saying for two years that he’d taken less money to sign with the Bucks, the organization repaid Portis by offering him the maximum allowed years and dollars. Portis was arguably the No. 1 offseason priority for the team, as they wouldn’t have $49 million to spend elsewhere — and they probably wouldn’t find a player his age hitting 41.8% of his three-pointers and 36 double earned-doubles in the past two seasons.
It’s a win-win situation for either side as Portis is rewarded for helping the team to a championship in 2020-21 and for becoming a player who is a very good fit for the Big Three and apparently has his best seasons (he is two months younger than Giannis Antetokounmpo). For the Bucks, they were able to keep a core piece of a championship roster for a deal that will look better as the salary cap rises each year.
***No free agent deals can be made official until July 6.
Age on opening day: 35
Height: 6-8
Weight: 220
How acquired: Unlimited Free Agent
Contract: 1 year, $6.5 million***
Analysis: As the Bucks’ offense and season came to a halt in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston, it became clear they needed another playmaker beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. And not just any playmaker, but one who could fit in with the Big Three with the ability to make open three-pointers and handle a two-man play deftly with sound decision making and range to force the defense to respect his shot.
Ingles could be that guy. By the NBA Advanced Tracking Stats, he has improved his game in the pick-and-roll year after year. Last year in 45 games with Utah, he scored in the league’s 86.6th percentile as a pick-and-roll ball handler, which was the career best (for reference, Holiday was in the 83.9 last season and Middleton the 71 .7 percentile). Ingles also shot 48.6% from the field and the Jazz scored 1.02 points per possession when he was the ball guide last season.
Ingles is also known for coming off the bench as he has spent most of his eight year career in that role.
Ingles is a 40.8% three-point shooter, but he shot 34.7% from distance when he suffered a ruptured left anterior cruciate ligament in January. While he won’t be ready to play at the start of the season, he was signed to be on top form for the playoffs – and the Bucks feel good enough about not only his recovery from the injury, but his skill level to their entire taxpayer midlevel exception to him.
***No free agent deals can be made official until July 6.
Age on opening day: 36
Height: 6-4
Weight: 220
How acquired: Unlimited Free Agent
Contract: 1 year***
Analysis: Matthews started training at his Madison home last season and finished it for the Bucks when they made their title defense in the playoffs. He made it clear that he wanted to play an entire season in Milwaukee and the Bucks agreed with him to bring the defending hero back.
Matthews immediately made an impression on both sides of the field in his first 16 games, shooting 44% from behind the three-point line while playing his typically ferocious defence. But in the last 33 games of the regular season, he shot just 27.6% from behind the three-point line and 33% from the field overall — though those percentages rose to 35.7% in the last nine games he started. 44.2%. In 12 postseason starts, he shot 40% from behind the three-point line. Starting or not, Matthews won’t be tasked with carrying a massive offensive load, but a more consistent output from deep would be welcome in 2022-23.
***No free agent deals can be made official until July 6.
Age on opening day: 27
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200
How acquired: Unlimited Free Agent
Contract: 2 years, $4.6 million (with a player option)***
Analysis: There wasn’t much to dislike about Carter’s performance when he signed as a free agent in late February. He provided a strong perimeter defense with the ability to harass ball handlers the length of the field. Also in his 20 games, he shot a remarkable 55.8% from behind the three-point line. His career high from deep in a full season is 42.5% in Phoenix in 2019-20 and he is a 38.3% career shooter from outside the arc. Plus, he was on the Suns’ NBA Finals team in 2020-21, so he knows what a marathon deep run is after the season.
The interesting thing about Carter is that he made most of his playing time through injuries to George Hill. Once Hill has fully recovered from back and oblique injuries and is on the team for next season, it will be interesting to see where Carter fits in the guard rotation.
***No free agent deals can be made official until July 6.
Age on opening day: 24
Height: 6-8
Weight: 225
Contract: 1 Year Qualifying Offer, $2.1 Million Submitted
Analysis: The Bucks expanded the qualifying offering into their 2020 second-round pick to continue providing depth on the wing position and provide another year to show overall development. Nwora’s sophomore season had its ups and downs, from an opening night block of Kevin Durant on the fringe to a series of ‘not played’, but he is familiar with what the coaching staff needs and was part of the championship team.
It is important to note that Nwora can choose not to sign the offer, and he can receive contract offers for more years and money from the Bucks or another team (which the Bucks have the right to match). The Bucks can also withdraw the offer. It may take a while but to make a return official.
For the draft and free agency, the following players are under contract to the Bucks for the 2022-23 season:
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Giannis Antetokounmpo ($42,492,492)
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Khris Middleton ($37,948,276)
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Jrue Holiday ($32,544.00 base salary, with a chance to earn an additional $5,873,040 in bonuses)
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Brook Lopez ($13,906,976)
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Grayson Allen ($8,500,000 base salary, with a chance to earn an additional $1,275,000 in bonuses)
-
George Hill ($4,000,000)
-
Rayjon Tucker ($1,815,677 non-guaranteed)
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Luca Vildoza ($1,752,638 non-guaranteed)
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks Makes Moves With Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, Marjon Beauchamp