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A rapidly rising salary cap creates interesting opportunities for NBA teams willing to act boldly in the NBA Draft and free agency. Extreme offseason options have never looked more attractive. Rookie scale contracts are locked in at fixed amounts through the CBA, which means draft picks offer even better cost control that usual. Maybe it's time to package non-core assets like John Henson, Tyler Ennis, Miles Plumlee and draft picks to pursue a premium prospect who could be added at a serious bargain rate.
On the other end of the spectrum, the risk associated with signing a max-level free agent (Greg Monroe? Brook Lopez?) is reduced due to the ballooning salary cap. An overpay in Year 1 of a new deal could easily turn into a solid, trade-friendly asset by Year 3 as cap growth outpaces the scale of the current max contracts. Re-signing Khris Middleton is the first priority in free agency, but maybe it's time to ignore the short-term sticker shock and add another young piece to the core.
We lay out an argument for bold action in the NBA Draft and free agency during our latest Brew Hoop podcast episode. Take a listen and let us know what you think the Bucks should do this summer.