The large sum of money between the Milaukee Bucks’ top four players limits the team’s depth, which has few avenues to improve with the roster’s age.
The depth of this team just isn’t amazing, and it’s a large part of why the Bucks lost to Miami. Grayson Allen, the likely starting shooting guard, will be 28 years old once the season begins. Sixth man Bobby Portis at age 28 is good, yes, but then you’re looking at 30-year-old Pat Connaughton as the 7th man isn’t super attractive. Jae Crowder, if in the rotation, is going to be 34 in the coming days.
There are two young players that have intrigue for Milwaukee. First is the 22-year-old Marjon Beauchamp, a player with major two-way upside who will find himself firmly in the rotation this coming season. His rookie year wasn’t great, but he flashed his defensive ability with some shot-creation ability.
The second is UConn’s Andre Jackson Jr., who they just drafted with the 36th pick in the draft. Jackson is a tenacious defender and is only 21 and should give the Bucks some help on the wing from day one. If the shooting can come along in the NBA, he could be one of the league’s better role players.
Still, that’s two players. If you’re doing math at home, the Bucks have nearly $190 million locked up into three players ages 31, 33, and 35 over the next two years. Yes, these guys are all impact players still, but this is still concerning. Think for the future in two seasons: these guys are going to be 33, 35, and 37.
Simply put, the main question to me is this: how are the Bucks going to get young talent around the 28-year-old Antetokounmpo? We can only assume Antetokounmpo will remain a top 5 or 10 player for years and years down the line, certainly longer than the two years (three for Middleton) that the remainder of the core four is locked up for. They need to hit on the draft picks that they have and hope that the current young players in Beauchamp and Jackson Jr. develop to be impactful players.
Ideally, they’re better than just impactful high-end role players. The modern NBA has shown that having one superstar isn’t enough to win in the NBA. There needs to be at least another star or two next to the superstar player, and the current Bucks core is just so old. It will be difficult to find or acquire a legitimate second star next to Antetokounmpo as the Holiday, Middleton, Lopez era fades.
In 2024 and 2026, the New Orleans Pelicans have rights to swap first-round picks with the Bucks. Milwaukee doesn’t own its 2025 or 2027 1st round selections. They have no second-round picks in 2025, 2026, 2028, or 2029. With fewer years and an easier explanation to understand, the Bucks really don’t have a ton of picks available to them. When they do, they will likely have picks late in the draft as long as Antetokounmpo is on the roster.
I worry about this roster. Think four years down the line if Antetokounmpo is on the roster and what does it look like? Of course, they could attract major free agents or make a huge trade, but as of right now, it just doesn’t look amazing. Holiday will likely retire, and Lopez may be too. Middleton will be 35, and over the next three seasons, the Bucks will have two late first-round picks and an early second-round pick from Portland. They are really banking on Beauchamp becoming something of a two-way star right now. The future is just very bleak.
Regardless of everything written here, the Bucks are still a really good team that could certainly compete for a title in 2023-24. Their best four players are arguably the best four-man group in the league, and perhaps a change of scenery in the coaching department with Adrian Griffin coming in is for the best.
Over the last two seasons when their entire core four is on the court, the Bucks boast an 11.8 NetRtg with a 125.1 offensive rating (which would rank 1st in NBA history) and a 113.3 defensive rating.