The Milwaukee Bucks were part of a big transaction ahead of the trade deadline. Milwaukee sent out Khris Middleton in a deal that brought in Kyle Kuzma from the Washington Wizards. While that move did help the team to get under the second apron, Bucks co-owner Wes Edens said that wasn’t the motivation.
“The moves we made at the deadline were basketball moves,” Edens said. “And the financial was a part of it, in the consideration of the second apron, but I think that (general manager) Jon Horst and his organization did and recommended what they thought would be best for the basketball team and I think that they did a great job.”
When asked if there was a mandate from ownership to get the team under the second apron, Edens was firm in his answer.
“No. No. Not at all. None of that,” Edens said.
Edens previously said that the financial penalties and restrictions on roster building are a new thing that teams are dealing with under the current CBA.
“For the first time, they’ve included both financial penalties and sporting penalties and so you do not want to be in the second apron if you can avoid it,” Edens said. “We have come out of our pockets to put the best team we can on the field and spent a lot of money doing so and have a championship to show for it and a lot of wins. But we always want more.”