Pat Connaughton has been with the Milwaukee Bucks since 2018-19, but his time there could come to an end this season.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, executives across the league consider Connaughton “as a potential trade candidate” to help the Bucks avoid becoming a second-apron luxury tax club, given their present position of around $6.5 million above that second apron.
Connaughton’s salary for season is $9.4 million, with a $9.4 million player option for 2025-26.
Milwaukee would have more flexibility for mid-level exception movements or trades involving multiple players if it did not become a second tier luxury tax team.
Despite his reputation as a key role player for the Bucks, Connaughton has not made a meaningful contribution this season. He has played in only 21 of the team’s 39 games, averaging 15.7 minutes a night. His 4.6 points per game would be the lowest of his career since his second season in the league in 2016-17, and he is shooting only 28.8 percent from long after making 34.5 percent of his triples the previous season. There is a personal link to Connaughton in Milwaukee because he helped lead the team to the championship in 2021 by appearing in 23 playoff games and hitting 38.9 percent from deep during that postseason run, but selling him would better position the Bucks going ahead. Given this reality, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him traded before the February 6 deadline.
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