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Summary

Connaughton will be looking for his first big NBA contract this summer, as he has spent most of his career playing for the minimum. Connaughton has become a solid rotational wing for the Bucks, but his minutes have decreased this season as the Bucks have added depth at the wing.

 

If Connaughton can make enough plays to get meaningful minutes in the playoffs, it could earn him a big contract this offseason, as proving he can contribute at the highest levels would certainly boost his stock. While Connaughton has struggled from three the past three seasons, he has had a very good eFG% due to his efficiency at the rim. If Connaughton can start hitting threes at an above-average rate, he could be in for a big payday.

Cap Considerations

Connaughton will be an unrestricted free agent with a $2.2 million cap hold and Early Bird rights. Since the Bucks will only have his Early Bird rights, they will be limited to paying him a starting salary of up to 105% of the average salary this past season (roughly $10 million), which should be enough to retain Connaughton.

 

If Connaughton is brought back by the Bucks on a multi-year contract, they should frontload his contract as much as possible, while still avoiding the luxury tax. Doing so would give them more flexibility in the future when a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo extension could push Milwaukee's payroll very high.

 

If Connaughton demands a starting salary of greater than $9.3 million, only teams with cap space will be able to sign him. If Connaughton and an above-the cap team have mutual interest, sign-and-trade options can be explored.

Potential Teams: Bulls, Bucks, Wizards, Pacers, Mavericks

Predicted Contract: 2-year, $10 million with the Bulls

Actual Contract: 3-year, $16 million (player option) with the Bucks.

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Connaughton's deal was initially announced as a two-year deal with a player option on the second year, but that contract is not allowed using Early Bird rights, so they had to change it to a three-year deal. The per-year amount was close to what I expected.

Last updated: 12/31/2020

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