The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the more surprisingly active teams in free agency this offseason and next year the team will look very different from the one that was swept by the Miami Heat in the playoffs, as Monta Ellis is gone and star point guard Brandon Jennings could be next to leave town.
Ellis signed a deal with the Dallas Mavericks after opting out of his contract with the Bucks that would have paid him over $11 million and now he is with the team after signing a three-year deal worth over $25 million. Ellis could have made more by staying with the Bucks and finishing the deal he signed with the Warriors before being traded and he also would have made more if he took the extension the team offered him earlier as well, but now he will move on, leaving a big scoring void for the Bucks that coach Larry Drew hopes will be filled by new stars OJ Mayo and Carlos Delfino.
Jennings is a restricted free agent and trade rumors have been swirling about him since the team has yet to be able to come to an agreement on a contract. Mayo signed a three-year, $24 million deal and left the Mavericks for the Bucks and after averaging over 15 points per game last season, the team is hoping he can be the primary star. The team needs it even more now that the Hawks matched the offer for Jeff Teague, leaving the Bucks in a tough spot because they showed they were ready to move on without Jennings and now they don't even have Teague.
The Bucks have made a number of moves this offseason, including trading for guard Luke Ridnour from the Timberwolves and also signing Carlos Delfino from the Rockets. The team released Delfino to make room for Dwight Howard and the Bucks signed him soon after to a two-year deal with an option for a third. The team's roster already looks very different from last season and they also added center Zaza Pachulia to a three-year deal.
Pachulia comes to the Bucks after playing with Drew in Atlanta and he will bring some solid stats to the team, as he averaged 5.9 points and 6.5 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game last season and now will provide some strong depth for the team. The deal is worth over $15 million and gives the Bucks a solid center as they try to compete in the East after losing Ellis and they may also lose Jennings depending on if a deal gets done or not. Mayo played one season in Dallas and scored 15.3 points and 4.4 assists per game and also shot one of the best marks of his career. The team went just 38-44 last season but are expecting improvements after the moves this summer.
