The Milwaukee Bucks are at a crossroads this offseason after another disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, and all eyes are on what is going to happen to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
There has been speculation that Antetokounmpo could request a trade this offseason due to the state of the Bucks’ roster and assets, but no formal request has been made. Still, the Bucks are out of trade assets after making the deal for Damian Lillard, who is going to miss most or all of next season with a torn Achilles.
While the situation with their two-time NBA MVP gets sorted out, the Bucks are still trying to figure out what the rest of the roster is going to look like next season.
Reserve guard Pat Connaughton, who has been a contributor for the Bucks in past playoff series, has a player option to decide on this offseason. He is going to pick that option up, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
“League sources say that Bucks guard Pat Connaughton will soon activate his $9.4 million player option for next season,” Fischer wrote. “Connaughton has until June 24 to do so.”
Connaughton has been in Milwaukee since 2018, but his role on the team has been shrinking over the last few years. This past season, the Notre Dame product played in just 41 games for the Bucks and averaged less than 15 minutes a game.
After picking that option up, Connaughton will be a natural trade piece as an expiring contract that the Bucks can use to try to improve this season. While Milwaukee doesn’t have a lot that it can pair with Connaughton in a potential trade, flipping him to a team could potentially land them a key rotation piece.
Of course, that only becomes a factor if the Bucks still have Antetokounmpo on the team and are a contender. With the former Finals MVP in the mix, the Bucks are always a threat to make the postseason and make some noise. However, if he is gone, Milwaukee is looking at a potential long rebuild.
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