Malcolm Brogdon – Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Milwaukee Bucks were active with the official start of free agency underway on Sunday.
All-star Khris Middleton will sign a five year, $178 million dollar deal to remain with the Bucks. The negotiating period started Sunday and the contracts can become official on July 6th.
Bucks center Brook Lopez agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal.
Veteran guard George Hill was released by the team earlier, then agreed to a lesser deal, three years worth $29 million.
Those deals came at a price. With guard Malcolm Brogdon set to become a restricted free agent, the Bucks sent him to the Indiana Pacers for a first and pair of second round draft picks next year. Brogdon gets a four year deal worth $85 million from the Pacers.
The Bucks could have matched any potential offer from another NBA team for Brogdon, who was a restricted free agent. But the salary cap was going to be an issue and to a certain extent, still is. Somebody had to go and to the Bucks ownership, it made the most sense to deal Brogdon.
Brogdon will certainly be missed, signing Hill helps. They’ll need to get last seasons top draft pick, Donte DiVincenzo, as well as returning players Sterling Brown and Pat Connaughton to step up their game to make up for Brogdon’s departure.
Getting Middleton to return, as well as Lopez in the middle, will go a long way towards helping the Bucks take another run at an NBA title.