Bucks’ Pat Connaughton Exercising Option On Contract

Bucks guard Pat Connaughton is exercising the $5.7 million option on his contract to return in 2022-23, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Connaughton, 29, is 6-foot-5 and has spent the past four seasons of his career in Milwaukee, after three years with the Trail Blazers. This past season, he appeared in 65 games and averaged a career-high 9.9 points and 4.2 rebounds, shooting about 40 percent on 3-pointers.

He has proven capable of backing up both Khris Middleton at small forward and Grayson Allen and Wesley Matthews at shooting guard, and was a key reserve in the Bucks’ run to the championship in 2021.

The Bucks were eliminated by the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs this year. Connaughton averaged 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 12 postseason games.

That included 23 points in just 20 minutes of action against the Bulls in Game 5 of the first round (April 27).