The Bucks are Cavs’ biggest rival for the next 5 years

The Milwaukee Bucks are the defending NBA Champs. They won it a year ago in the championship series going up against the high-flying and surging Phoenix Suns. The Bucks were down 2-0 in that series and came back to win it going away. They won it too because they were the more experienced and veteran team that had been to the playoffs the previous five seasons. They finally got to the Finals and beat a very young Suns team.

Now we have our carefree and young Cleveland Cavaliers having one of those seasons, much like the Phoenix Suns did. The Cavs are in the Eastern Conference with the Bucks and are positioned to make the most of competing against the savvier veteran team for at least the next five years and thus making this a rivalry we’ll be talking about for decades after.

Where things are now for Cavs and Bucks

This season has been deemed a success for the Cavs as they’ve beaten the Bucks twice already. After the Cavs got run out of the gym in their first matchup, the Wine and Gold came back strong with a 119-90 win and then a 115-99 victory.

Both squads are stacked with talent. While the Cavs are led by Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, along with a supporting cast of Kevin Love, Isaac Okoro, and Lauri Markkanen the Bucks have an equal if not a more talented group. They’re led by the star of the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 7-footer who averages close to 30 points a game. Their point guard is Jrue Holiday and he’s averaging around 18 points and seven assists a game. Khris Middleton is the other reason for the team’s consistent efforts. He’s averaging a nice 20 points a game.

Both teams are vying for a higher playoff seeding. The Bucks have climbed all the way to number two in the conference with a 44-27 record. The Cavs are nursing a 41-31 record and trying to hold onto that sixth seed in the East. The Bucks are trying to catch the Miami Heat and Cavs are trying to stave off the Toronto Raptors.

The Bucks have one of the pricier payrolls this season as they are dishing out over $162 million in salaries, while the Cavs are more in the middle of the pack as they are dealing out $136 million a season. Much of the Cavs’ millions are tied up in the $31 million they’re giving Kevin Love. Jarrett Allen is getting paid the next most for the Cavs at $20 million. The Cavs’ newest acquisition is Caris LeVert and the Cavs are paying him $17 .5 million.

Milwaukee has their biggest salary wrapped up in their star Antetokounmpo, who is making $39 million this year. That balloons to $52 million by 2025. The Bucks also are paying Middleton $35 million now and Holiday $32 million.

The Cavs and Bucks finish the regular season on April 10th with a home game. Considering the closeness in the Eastern Conference standings that game could be for final positioning in the playoffs. So stay tuned!