Bucks Set a New Trend in the NBA with Bold Move
The Milwaukee Bucks made a daring move this NBA offseason, one that could set a new blueprint for teams aiming to compete for a championship.
In today’s NBA, managing a high-priced roster comes with significant penalties, both in terms of luxury tax payments and limited flexibility for future transactions. This forces teams to get creative in managing their salary cap, especially when dealing with large contracts that strain their financials.
In an innovative move, the Bucks utilized the stretch provision on the remaining $112.6 million of Damian Lillard’s contract, which had two years left after he tore his Achilles during the playoffs. With Lillard not expected to play this season, the Bucks chose to stretch the money owed to him over five years. This move was made in an effort to provide Giannis Antetokounmpo with a more competitive roster.
By spreading out Lillard’s contract, the Bucks freed up substantial cap space, which allowed them to sign center Myles Turner to a four-year, $108.9 million deal.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks praised the Bucks’ use of the stretch provision to enhance their roster, pointing out that it has sparked a trend across the league, with other teams following suit by stretching player contracts.
“The stretch provision to create cap flexibility isn’t new, but the Bucks’ move has set off a wave of similar transactions,” Marks wrote. “Since 2013, 54 players and a total of $320 million in salary have been waived and stretched. However, just in the last month, $223 million in salary has been stretched — nearly $100 million more than in the past decade.”
Marks also noted that prior to Lillard, Nicolas Batum in Charlotte had the largest annual cap hit ($8.9 million) from a player stretched, but now the trend is growing as teams are willing to absorb large cap charges for the sake of immediate cap space, with teams like the Phoenix Suns looking to escape financial struggles.
Whether or not the Bucks’ gamble will pay off remains to be seen, but their move signals to Giannis that they are still focused on winning now, even if it creates challenges down the road. If Giannis leaves, however, the lingering impact of Lillard’s stretched contract could look like a costly mistake, though Milwaukee seems prepared to take the risk.
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