A top NBA insider delivered a massive update on if the Milwaukee Bucks will be able to re-sign their top free agents this summer.
After their shocking ouster in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks are in the midst of a bit of a culture change. Their historic elimination to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat lead to the surprising firing of Mike Budenholzer and first-time head coach Adrian Griffin being brought on as his replacement.
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While the team could get a major change in strategy and playing style, the Milwaukee Bucks are in a unique place when it comes to their roster. They are not expected to make notable changes, however, they have some big goals this summer. And that is to try and retain Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. Both men have been key to their recent success and their championship three seasons ago.
Middleton surprisingly opted out of the final year of his deal that would have paid him over $40 million last week. In doing so he joined Lopez on the free agent market. It seemed like a distinct possibility they could lose one or both in free agency, and each has been linked to rival teams over the last few weeks.
Milwaukee Bucks likely to re-sign Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Jae Crowder
However, on Wednesday, NBA insider Marc Stein revealed in a Substack newsletter a round of news that should make Milwaukee Bucks fans very happy. When it comes to Khris Middleton, the team is allegedly in a “promising” position to re-sign him, and the momentum seems so strong that the insider claimed a new contract with the Bucks “is all but assured.”
Lopez is another high priority for the organization and things are also headed in the right direction for his return next season. The word around the league is that he too is “leaning toward a Bucks return.”
Yet, that isn’t where the good news ends. Stein also added that the Milwaukee Bucks “are increasingly expected to re-sign Jae Crowder after surrendering five second-round picks to acquire him from Phoenix before the February trade deadline.”
While it means the team will likely be very much the same one that lost in the opening round of the playoffs, it is still a unit that many thought could reach the NBA Finals before the postseason started.