At least Milwaukee Bucks fans can say that the Haslems aren’t penny-pinchers. Jimmy and Dee bought their way into the NBA last spring when they purchased former franchise co-owner Marc Lasry’s share. Since then, two Bucks head coaches have been fired and their most recent hire is one of the most well-known veterans in the NBA — Doc Rivers.
He will not be in the booth with Mike Breen and Doris Burke for the 2024 NBA Finals. Instead, he will be trying to lead the Bucks to the franchise’s second NBA Championship. Rivers will be doing so while continuing to build generational wealth. The Athletic’s Shams Charania is reporting that his contract with the Bucks lasts through the 2026-27 season and will pay him in the neighborhood of $40 million. This, while the Bucks still owe Mike Budenholzer and the recently fired Adrian Griffin money for the next three and a half years.
For those who thought Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed contract would be the extent of Haslem’s largesse, they decided to bring that with them from the NFL to the NBA. Unlike Watson’s wholly unnecessary contract, at least these coach payouts won’t add to the Bucks’ salary cap stress. They are one of the teams in which its player salaries exceed the dreaded “second apron.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo laid down the gauntlet during the offseason. If the Haslems wanted one of the best players in NBA history to be a part of their new business venture, being tight with money would not be an option. Antetokounmpo appeared on a Bleav Network podcast in September and said, “If there’s a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien, I have to take that situation.
Two weeks after that interview the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard. A team with the second-best record in the NBA has decided to eat the salary of three head coaches by firing their new one halfway through the season, and then hiring a high-profile replacement. This new partnership between the Haslems and Wes Edens has proven not to be afraid to schedule some massive direct deposits and go on about their business.
Antetokounmpo appears to be happy enough. He signed a three-year max contract extension in October, even though he could have signed a four-year one had he waited until after the 2023-24 season.
Obviously, there is no way to predict how these moves are going to work out for the Bucks, but at least the franchise is trying. It is sparing no expense to build a team that can compete for a championship this season, as well as in the immediate future.
The Bucks are fighting. I don’t know what their strategy or style is, but they are certainly swinging wildly. It is probably better to have a clear plan in a fight, but there is no way to win without taking some swings. The Haslems, Edens and the front office have certainly taken some giant financial ones in recent months.
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