Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bucks fans and fans across the country.
The elephant has been in the (locker) room all offseason and, despite anticipation of its removal, it remains. Of course, this particular elephant is which players won’t make the final roster. With no two-for-one trades in sight, the Bucks currently carrying 17 standard contracts, and NBA teams only able to roster a maximum of 15 standard contracts during
the season, Jon Horst and his staff will likely have to make the very difficult decision to waive two players. And that decision has to come soon—rosters must be set by 4:00 p.m. CT on October 19. So, which approach should they take?
Remove the dead wood
One option for Horst is to rid the roster of veterans who aren’t in the Bucks’ long-term plans. While plenty of fans would like this to include Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee already has too much dead money on its books, so more likely veteran cut candidates are Kyle Kuzma and Caris LeVert. As the oldest players on the roster, Kuzma and LeVert could be cut without impacting the Bucks much on the court. However, doing so would mean Milwaukee no longer has their very tradable expiring salaries—$20.3m for Kuzma, $14.8m for LeVert—which, attached to draft capital or players with upside, could net the Bucks a quality player come trade deadline (or draft capital if the Bucks took on longer-term “bad” salary).
Bite the bullet on youth
On the other end of the spectrum, Horst could opt to cut youth that, for one reason or another, doesn’t seem to have the place on the roster it once might’ve. In this line of thinking, Bogoljub Marković is a prime candidate as he’s both a developmental project and on an inexpensive four-year, $9.3m contract that includes a team option in the final year. Outside of Marković, the options are less obvious. Kasparas Jakučionis’ name has recently been floated in the comments, but it’s hard to envision that scenario playing out given how insistent the Bucks were on him being included in the Giannis trade. Kevin Porter Jr., on the other hand, returned to the Bucks by exercising his $5.4m player option (i.e., not by negotiating a new deal with the team), has a history of injury, and isn’t likely to bring much back in a trade. Plus, Milwaukee’s guard room is crowded. Of course, he is one of the most talented players on the roster, so cutting him wouldn’t come without risk.
Take the easy way out
Somewhere in between the veteran and youth options is Pete Nance. It’s fitting, too. At 26, he’s not really a prospect anymore—yes, Porter is also 26, but his upside far exceeds Nance’s—and with only 68 career games he’s not exactly an established veteran either. More conveniently, at least from a roster-trimming perspective, he’s on a non-guaranteed deal. Truthfully, cutting Nance would hurt. After all, he’s an ideal third-string big, who makes the right play, spaces the floor, and does no harm. But he’s the easiest first step to solve the Bucks’ roster dilemma and would potentially (likely?) return to the team on a two-way deal anyway. Beyond Nance, things get a little more complicated, but Jericho Sims is the next “easiest” cut. Like Nance, he’s not old—Sims will turn 28 on October 20—but he’s certainly not young either and, at this point, he is who he is. Moreover, he’s on a measly one-year, $2.8m deal.
There you have it, three potential paths the Bucks could take to trim the roster to 15. Which strikes your fancy? Alternatively, you might want a combination of these—or something different entirely. If so, be sure to share your GM wheeling and dealing in the comments.
