Bringing back Middleton, Lopez keeps Bucks contenders for next two seasons

The Milwaukee Bucks are going to run it back.

It's the smart play. The Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo in his prime and a roster around him built to maximize his unique game. Milwaukee had the best record in the NBA last season.

Milwaukee also looked older and less athletic in getting knocked out of the playoffs as a No. 1 seed. The Bucks can chalk their first-round playoff exit up to Antetokounmpo's back injury and the need for a new voice in the head coach’s chair (although if Mike Budenolzer was distracted during that series, he had good reason ). Still, this team is every bit a title contender, breaking them up would mean steps backward.

However, running it back meant spending above the second apron of the new CBA's luxury tax. Would the Bucks, with new minority ownership in place (ask Browns fans what they think of Haslam, then step back to be safe), spend like that? They did. They locked up Khris Middleton with an agreed to three-year deal, $102 million . Then came the news of Brook Lopez agreeing to terms with the Bucks (after rumors of him being chased by the Rockets, although some league sources wondered if that was more leaked leverage than genuine).

All that spending means the Bucks no longer have access to their mid-level exception and have to draw players willing to take minimum contracts. They have made a few good pickups within those margins adding sharpshooter Malik Beasley (one year, $2.7 million ), Brook’s brother Robin Lopez, as well as bringing back Jae Crowder (who was in Budenholzer's dog house but may bet more of a chance with new coach Adrian Griffin. Depth was an issue for the Bucks last season, they are trying to fix that, but they are not getting younger or more athletic.

It all just makes clear the pivot is coming. This is an old core outside of Antetokounmpo (age 28): Lopez is 35, Jrue Holiday is 33 (and extension eligible this fall) and Middleton is 31. What Jon Horst and Milwaukee did right this offseason was kept the big contracts short — they are locked into the Antetokounmpo/Holiday/Lopez contending group for two more seasons, then they can retool a different-looking contender around Antetokounmpo.

Maybe the drop-off of their aging core happens faster than expected and the Bucks have to pivot sooner rather than later — which is why other teams are lurking, waiting to see if that happens and Antetokounmpo gets frustrated — but it's worth the risk considering how good this team is and can be. The Bucks won a title in 2021 and won 58 games last season. Those are the things that keep stars happy, and Antetokounmpo is not a typical superstar. He's loyal.

Milwaukee had a solid offseason — keeping a contender together is a good move. However, the real work in the Milwaukee front office has to be in long-range planning.