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With Giannis Antetokounmpo finally putting pen to paper and committing his future to the Milwaukee Bucks by signing a five-year supermax extension, the Milwaukee Bucks will now be looking to mount a successful title challenge in the upcoming 2020-21 NBA season. Over the past two seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks have won two thirds of their total games in the regular season, but haven’t been able to recreate the same kind of success in the playoffs.
In this article, we look at the five highest paid players for the Milwaukee Bucks, which includes two of the Bucks’ new signings.
Milwaukee Bucks highest-paid players for the 2020-21 NBA season
Last time around, the Milwaukee Bucks lost against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals. With the signing of Jrue holiday and some other acquisitions, the Bucks will be looking to go on a more serious run and compete for the championship.
#1 Khris Middleton
In what may come as a surprise, the highest paid player for the Milwaukee Bucks in the upcoming season is two-time NBA All-Star Khris Middleton. Middleton arrived at Milwaukee back in July 2013 along with 2 other players in a trade involving the Detroit Pistons and Brandon Jennings, and he recorded a career high of 20.9 ppg in the 2019-20 NBA season.
Following the 2018-19 season, Khris Middleton signed a contract extension worth $178 million, which will see him earn around $40.3 million during the 2023-24 season, During the upcoming season, Middleton will earn around $33 million, and is set to drop down to the second position when Giannis Antetokounmpo’s supermax extension kicks in next year.
#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo
For the 2020-21 season, Giannis will earn around $27.5 million, which places him second this list. However, once his supermax extension kicks in, Giannis will become the highest paid Milwaukee Bucks player comfortably, earning about $39.3 million. While his contract is the biggest in NBA history, the Bucks will be glad to have tied down the Greek Freak for five of the best years of his career.
The two-time NBA MVP winner averaged a career high of 29.5 ppg last season and will be looking to lead his team to a successful title challenge this time around. Giannis Antetokounmpo might become the first player ever to earn more than $50 million in a season, which will happen in the 2025-26 NBA season assuming that he decides to stay for the final year of his supermax contract.
#3 Jrue Holiday
New signee Jrue Holiday has become the third-highest earner on the Milwaukee Bucks roster. For the 2020-21 NBA season, Holiday will earn $26 million, which will increase to $27 million should he decide to extend his current deal. Holiday comes with a huge reputation and is known for his all-round abilities.
Apart from being a consistent scorer, Holiday is widely known as being one of the best defenders in the league. Last season, Holiday averaged18.1 ppg for the New Orleans Pelicans in the regular season. With Holiday’s presence, the Milwaukee Bucks look set to finally deliver on the promise that they have tend to show during the regular season.
#4 Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez is coming off a strong season for the Milwaukee Bucks where he averaged 2.4 blocks and 0.7 steals per game. On the offensive front, Lopez averaged 12 points per game and 1.5 assists. Following the 2018-19 NBA season, Lopez had signed a four-year contract extension worth $52 million with the Milwaukee Bucks.
For the 2020-21 NBA season, Brook Lopez will earn around $12.6 million, making him the fourth-highest earner in the Milwaukee Bucks roster. This is set to increase to $13.3 million for the 2021-22 season and $13.9 million for the 2022-23 season. Lopez will be looking forward to a season that promises to be the best in recent times for the Milwaukee Bucks.
#5 D.J. Augustin
Veteran point guard D.J. Augustin started the NBA offseason as a free agent but is now the fifth-highest earner in the Milwaukee Bucks roster. The Milwaukee Bucks are his ninth NBA team in an NBA career that began at the Charlotte Bobcats. D.J. Augustin recorded 10.5 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game despite starting only 13 of the 57 games he played in.
His three-year contract with the Bucks means that he will earn around $6.6 million during the upcoming NBA season. This will increase to $7 and $7.3 million for the 2021-22 and the 2022-23 NBA seasons, respectively.
