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Pat Connaughton Exercises $9.4 Million Option as Bucks Stay Below Salary Apron

The move leaves Milwaukee under the salary apron, preserving their $14.1 million midlevel exception.

Overview

  • Connaughton confirmed his $9.4 million player option by the June 17 deadline, locking in his contract for the 2025-26 season.
  • He averaged just 14.7 minutes across 41 games in 2024-25, marking his lowest per-game playing time since the 2016-17 season.
  • The 32-year-old originally joined Milwaukee as a free agent in 2018 and signed a three-year, $28 million extension in 2023.
  • Remaining below the first apron gives the Bucks the freedom to deploy their full $14.1 million midlevel exception this summer.
  • Connaughton is one of the few players left from Milwaukee’s 2021 championship roster and has spent seven seasons with the franchise.