Bucks Trying to Improve -- on a Budget

LAS VEGAS -- Under the NBA transaction radar was Milwaukee's signing of second-round pick Jodie Meeks to a three-year deal this week, a money-saving deal for an organization looking to improve and remain economical at the same time.

The Bucks have just six players signed beyond the 2009-10 season and that includes Michael Redd's $18.3 million player option for 2010-11. If he doesn't exercise that option, he could become part of the esteemed free-agent class of 2010. General manager John Hammond is attempting to replace the departed Charlie Villanueva, waiting for teams to offer restricted free agent Ramon Sessions a contract and hoping that Andrew Bogut returns healthy from back surgery.

Milwaukee is one of those fiscally challenged teams trying to survive in today's economy, a situation so bad that Charlotte and Miami passed on summer league teams while New Jersey and Philadelphia shared a squad in Orlando.

So signing promising players to long-term deals that eventually will fall below market value is what Hammond has to do. It's a move widely used in baseball, when teams sign prospects to long-term deals before they are eligible for salary arbitration.

Meeks' deal is hardly the talk of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but Hammond has secured two talented young players -- along with first-round pick Brandon Jennings -- for the future.

"Has the financial landscape changed a little bit? I think it has," he said Saturday. "But I think it's due to the overall economy. For a team like ourselves, we made a couple of moves and I think a lot of people say ... 'A team like Milwaukee is doing it for salary flexibility' and we're not. We're doing it for roster flexibility. That's the most important thing for us. If we don't do things like this, we're not going to have options to change our roster when we need to and when we want to."

Milwaukee is a classic example of a small market team playing in an aging arena that's not likely to attract -- or pursue -- premium free agents. The Bucks haven't reached the playoffs in four seasons and weren't willing to pay $7 million per season to retain the versatile Villanueva, who signed a five-year, $35 million deal with the Detroit Pistons.

"It's going to be hard to replace a guy like Charlie Villanueva, what he did for us this season," Hammond said. "Once again, we had some financial constraints that we were dealing with. We knew the kind of market we have and obviously when he signed a contract with Detroit that was beyond the mid-level, a team with room had to be able to sign him. You do the best you can to replace a player like that but it won't be easy. Teams like ourselves, the mid-level can present some opportunities for you."

Hammond will hold on tightly to his mid-level exception, especially since it appears there will be some worthy free agents waiting for deals late into the summer. Similar to major league baseball's free agency earlier this year, many available players likely will have to wait until the fall to sign even below-market deals. That's when teams such as Milwaukee will use their $5.8 million exception to sign a quality player who may have earned more in previous years.

Patience is a virtue in today's NBA economic landscape. There are still numerous available free agents even though the players were free to sign contracts July 8. The Bucks are looking for a swingman to replace Villanueva, though second-year player Joe Alexander will have an expanded role, and a starting center.

"It could happen if you have that patience to wait and see, something good could fall into your lap," he said. "Obviously we have holes in our roster. We're not a championship caliber team right now but our goal is to become a good team consistently with a good financial structure. And if we can do that, we can move from good to great when the time presents itself."

But will it be any time soon?