The Bucks are positioning themselves to keep Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Malcolm Brogdon.
An important step: Waiving George Hill, who has just $1 million of his $18 million salary next season guaranteed.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Milwaukee guard George Hill will be waived and become a free agent, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Hill had a terrific finish to the season and will be a sought-after combo guard on the market. Bucks are working to find space to re-sign Hill, too.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 28, 2019
This was always going to happen. Whatever team had Hill when this season ended – Milwaukee trade for him from the Cavaliers in December – was going to waive him. There’s just no way he’s worth $18 million.
But Hill played excellently in the playoffs, and that will get the 33-year-old plenty of interest in free agency. The Bucks could even try to re-sign him with their room exception, which projects to be worth about $5 million.
First, the priority appears to be using cap space to re-sign Lopez then Bird Rights to keep Middleton and Brogdon. That alone could get expensive. Keeping Hill rather than signing a minimum player would push Milwaukee even deeper toward/into the luxury tax. We’ll see how much ownership is willing to pay.