Last Season: The Bucks finished with a league best 60-22 and a top seed going into the playoffs. They lost to the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2.
Transactions: The Bucks resigned Chris Middleton to a 5 year, $177,500,000 max contract. Along with Middleton the Bucks signed Robin Lopez and Wes Matthews. They lost Nikola Mirotic to Euro League club Barcelona, leaving a rumored $50 Million deal on the table. Signing Robin Lopez is the answer to that but is a step down nonetheless. The Bucks also lost Malcolm Brogdon to a sign and trade with the Indiana Pacers for future picks, in a league based around the three point shot, the Bucks will miss his nearly 43% from behind the arc, they get a little of that shooting back with the signing of Kyle Korver but outside of that he offers little else.
Title Hopes: The 2019-2020 NBA Season is like few others in recent memory with anywhere from 10-12 teams having a realistic chance to win the title. The Bucks are going to be at the top of that list in the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Bucks franchise, he is a dominate player coming off of an MVP season and a deep playoff run all while still scratching the surface of what he will eventually become. He will only get better and the Bucks will go as far as Antetokounmpo will take them.
The Bucks return a number of their core players. Khris Middleton receiving a max deal seems like a no brainer, his skillset pairs well with Antetokounmpo’s and the main thing for Milwaukee is keep their franchise player happy. Resigning Middleton does just that but for how long? Along with Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez are back and will continue to be solid contributors on offense. Brook Lopez’s playoff renaissance as well as his durability (started 81 games in 2018-2019) is a great sign for Milwaukee going into next season. Wes Matthews will do his best to fill the hole Brogdon left, but since his Achilles, injury in 2015 he has not been the same player.
The Tragic Flaw: As Antetokounmpo goes, so do the Bucks… unfortunately there are some crafty defensive teams that were able to limit his presence in the post and with a developing jump shot, he can be contained in certainm situations. The Sixers present an interesting problem for the league MVP. They have multiple athletic big men that can defend his size and strength down low. The losses of both Brogdon and Mirotic this offseason hurts the team on both end of the floor. The supporting cast is solid but this is a team that could be a trade away from winning the title.
