Milwaukee Bucks hit homerun on Day 1 of free agency

The Milwaukee Bucks tipped off free agency in the best way on Thursday: By re-signing their own players and adding a veteran player who has the potential to contribute in a big way next postseason.

The biggest contract they handed out was to retain Bobby Portis. On Wednesday, Portis opted out of his $4.6 million player option and officially entered the unrestricted free agent market. However, it appears that was always part of the larger plan for him to re-sign with the Bucks, as the two parties came to an agreement on a four-year, $49 million deal.

The $49 million was the maximum the Bucks could offer through the early bird rights they retained and is a nice payday for Portis. Portis came to Milwaukee two years ago and played on a massive discount last season for just $4.5 million. His 2022-23 salary should start at $10.9 million with an average annual salary of $12.25 million.

The Milwaukee Bucks not only re-signed their own players at the start of free agency, but they added a key free agent as well.

Milwaukee also re-signed Wesley Matthews and Jevon Carter to address concerns about their depth at point guard and on the wing.

Matthews was a major contributor during their playoff run and was rejuvenated during his second stint in Milwaukee. He busted his tail chasing great offensive scorers such as Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during the first two rounds. Although those players had some strong offensive performances, Matthews made life difficult for them. He returned on a one-year deal probably worth the veteran minimum.

After being released by the Brooklyn Nets late in the season, the Bucks scooped Carter up as their third point guard. Carter is a defensive pest who can guard someone the length of the court and make them work for every dribble. He’s also proven to be a capable knockdown shooter from behind the arc.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer benched carter when George Hill returned from injury in the second round of the playoffs, a move he likely regrets. Hill wasn’t able to provide the same spark as Carter and was a clear downgrade. Hopefully, this signing is Milwaukee’s public way of acknowledging the error. He’s back on a two-year deal likely at the veteran minimum.

Lastly, the Bucks brought in some new blood in the form of Joe Ingles. Ingles was a staple in Utah over the last eight years and was a steady force for them. He won’t be ready to play to begin the season after tearing his ACL in January, but he has the potential to be a major contributor next postseason.

Ingles is a player who can not only defend bigger wings and forwards, but pester them as well. He talks trash and has the play to back it up. It will be another player the Bucks could use in a switching lineup.

Offensively, he can handle some of the playmaking duties as a tertiary creator. He can also space the floor and knock down threes at a great clip–he’s a career 40.8 percent shooter from behind the arc. His blend of skills will help Milwaukee in multiple ways if he can return to his pre-injury form. Milwaukee used their full taxpayer mid-level exception worth $6.4 million to sign him.

The Bucks didn’t have a lot of money to use and spent it all on Day 1 with the signing of Ingles. Overall, they spent the maximum money they could–a great sign for a team that allegedly let P.J. Tucker walk last year because of luxury tax concerns.

At 13 guaranteed contracts on the roster, it’s possible the Bucks sign one more veteran to a minimum contract–the only financial tool they have available to them. We’ll see how it plays out, but it’s clear Milwaukee hit a home run at the start of free agency.