It will be an interesting offseason for several teams, particularly ones like the Sacramento Kings. Bogdan Bogdanovic is set to become a restricted free agent and the Serbian is expected to get his share of offers. One team believed to be in the mix is the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks had a good 2019-20 NBA regular season but that failed to translate in the playoffs. Milwaukee fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, something that surprised many.
Most know that the Heat were never expected to reach that far. They went on to the NBA Finals and gave the Los Angeles Lakers a decent fight before bowing in six games.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo disappointed many. Most felt he would be the difference for the Bucks although some had questioned his ability to lead the franchise to the NBA title. Some felt his game was lacking, particularly in outside shooting. Regardless, his regular-season efforts bagged him the 2019-20 NBA MVP trophy, making him a back-to-back awardee.
A glaring thing that Milwaukee needs to address is support for Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton is there but some feel that adding a third one in the person of Bogdanovic would make sense. However, that would mean placing the Bucks at the luxury tax threshold. Regardless, Milwaukee is said to be ready to do so, The Athletic reported.
Of course, there is no assurance that the Bucks can easily get Bogdanovic from the Kings. Being a restricted free agent, Sacramento can match any offer for the 28-year-old guard. Seeing however how the Kings have a crowded backcourt, there is a chance that the Kings may allow Bogdanovic to go. They could match any offer and then trade off the Serbian to make sure that they don’t end up empty.
A lot of that will depend on what new general manager Monte McNair has in mind. He is likely aware that the Kings have Buddy Hield as an alternative. If the Kings need personnel for other positions, he may just consider moving out Bogdanovic for other assets. It is a complicated process but don’t expect the Kings to make it easy for the Bucks or other teams.
Luke Walton could have a say as well. Though he was kept after another disappointing season, it remains that the 40-year-old coach is under the radar. He does have a young talented lineup at his disposal but needs to whip the boys to form and aim (at least) a spot in next year’s NBA playoffs. Failure to do so could have dire consequences.
