A full guide to the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2022 offseason

Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/19/guide-milwaukee-bucks-guide/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/milwaukee-bucks/">Milwaukee Bucks will now shift their focus to the offseason. It was a disappointing postseason exit, to say the least, but the Bucks should be proud of their effort and keep their heads high.</p> <p>Milwaukee had their opportunities to knock out Boston and nearly pulled it off without All-Star Khris Middleton, but they couldn&#8217;t get enough production from the supporting cast to prevail in the end. Even though it was a tough way to end the season, getting <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/19/guide-milwaukee-bucks-guide/2/"https://www.nba.com/game/mil-vs-bos-0042100217/box-score" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blown away in Game 7</a> on the road in a hostile environment at TD Garden, the Bucks gave everything they had with the most dominant player in the world putting together an incredible effort.</p> <h2>A full guide to the Milwaukee Bucks&#8217; 2022 offseason</h2> <p>Giannis Antetokounmpo&#8217;s dominance was on full display as his individual brilliance extended an electrifying series against the second-seeded Celtics to seven eventful games. Despite falling short, the bonafide superstar showed the world why he&#8217;s currently the best player in the league.</p> <p>It was astonishing to watch Antetokounmpo produce such mesmerizing greatness across the playoffs. The two-time MVP averaged 31.7 points, 14.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game on 49.1 percent shooting throughout the postseason.</p> <p>As long as Giannis leads this franchise, the Bucks will compete for championships each season. In his last postgame presser of the year, Antetokounmpo delivered an inspiring perspective heading into the offseason by stating, &#8220;instead of thinking that we lost something, we can gain and learn in order for us to put ourselves in a position to win another championship.&#8221;</p> <p>Entering the 2022-23 NBA season, the Bucks&#8217; main core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday are all under contract and will most certainly return to run it back. Throughout this upcoming offseason, the Bucks will prioritize strengthening the bench.</p> <p>In regard to reconstructing the roster, Milwaukee can&#8217;t overreact too much following the loss to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals. If we&#8217;re being honest, the Bucks most likely would have won the series and even repeated as NBA Champions if Khris Middleton was healthy.</p> <p>They&#8217;ll always be title-contenders with the core that they&#8217;ve built, headlined by their star trio. This summer will mostly entail the front office and ownership figuring out how to maintain key role players and enhance the supporting cast. So without further ado, let&#8217;s dive into the key situations that the Milwaukee Bucks will encounter this offseason.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/19/guide-milwaukee-bucks-guide/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span>&nbsp;Bobby Portis&#039; player option </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_445144" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/19/guide-milwaukee-bucks-guide/2/"http://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2018/08/18248664.jpeg">Brooklyn Nets released him. Carter was efficiently productive when given his opportunities, especially during George Hill’s absence, but head coach Mike Budenholzer didn’t play him once Hill returned to the rotation in the playoffs.</p> <p>Carter was an ideal fit in Milwaukee’s system, and the Bucks should look to re-sign him as the 26-year-old guard enters free agency.</p> <p><strong>Serge Ibaka</strong></p> <p>The Bucks acquired Serge Ibaka before the trade deadline to get insurance for Brook Lopez while the seven-foot center recovered from back surgery, but once Lopez returned to full strength, Ibaka disappeared from the rotation and didn’t play a single meaningful minute throughout the postseason.</p> <p>If Ibaka returns to Milwaukee in free agency this summer, it would most likely be on a veteran minimum deal. However, it seems more likely that he’ll sign somewhere else, especially if Bobby Portis remains with the Bucks.</p> <p><strong>Jordan Nwora</strong></p> <p>Jordan Nwora will be a restricted free agent this offseason. The former Bucks’ second-round pick never became a consistent piece of Milwaukee’s rotation despite showing glimpses of potential at times. He’s a 23-year-old sharpshooter that will garner interest around the league, but the Bucks may not be interested in matching any substantial offers that Nwora receives once free agency hits.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/19/guide-milwaukee-bucks-guide/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> NBA Draft </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_445154" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/05/19/guide-milwaukee-bucks-guide/2/"http://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2018/08/18249153.jpeg"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span>&nbsp;Top 3 landing spots for Zach LaVine this offseason </a> </div> </div><!—pageview_candidate—>">