[1] During the off-season, the Bucks acquired Danny Manning and re-acquired Dale Ellis from the Orlando Magic,[2][3][4][5] and signed free agents Darvin Ham and J.R.
[9] However, they struggled in February posting a 3–9 record as Ellis was traded to the Charlotte Hornets,[10][11][12] and Haywoode Workman was released to free agency, and signed with the Toronto Raptors.
[13] With less than a month to go, the Bucks playoff chances appeared bleak as they had a 32–37 record in late March.
[14] However, down the stretch, they won 10 of their final 13 games to sneak into the playoffs as the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference, finishing fifth in the Central Division with a 42–40 record.
[27][28][29][30][31] Following the season, Manning signed as a free agent with the Utah Jazz,[32][33][34][35] while in a three-team trade, Vinny Del Negro was traded to the Golden State Warriors, and Reid and second-year forward Robert Traylor were both dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers.