1995–96 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1995–96 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 28th season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association.^[1] The Bucks received the eleventh overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected power forward Gary Trent out of Ohio University, but soon traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for rookie shooting guard, and first-round draft pick Shawn Respert out of Michigan State University.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team re-signed free agent and former Bucks All-Star forward Terry Cummings,^[5][6][7] and acquired former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth from the Washington Bullets.^[8][9] Early into the regular season, they traded Todd Day and Alton Lister to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Sherman Douglas,^[10][11][12] and dealt Eric Murdock and second-year forward Eric Mobley to the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for Benoit Benjamin.^[13][14][15]

With the addition of Cummings, along with developing superstars Vin Baker and second-year forward Glenn Robinson, the Bucks were considered a team with playoff potential. However, the team continued to underachieve holding an 18–27 record at the All-Star break.^[16] After holding a 21–35 record as of March 2, 1996, and with Duckworth only playing just eight games due to a knee injury sustained during the preseason,^[17][9] the team suffered a dreadful 15-game losing streak in March.^[18] The Bucks finished in seventh place in the Central Division with a disappointing 25–57 record,^[19] and missed the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.^[1]

Baker averaged 21.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, while Robinson averaged 20.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, and Douglas provided the team with 11.5 points and 5.8 assists per game in 69 games after the trade. In addition, Johnny Newman contributed 10.8 points per game, while Cummings provided with 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and Benjamin averaged 7.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Marty Conlon averaged 5.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, Lee Mayberry provided with 5.1 points and 3.7 assists per game, and Respert contributed 4.9 points per game.^[20]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Baker was selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team.^[21][22][23] The Bucks finished 22nd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 647,088 at the Bradley Center during the regular season.^[20][24]

Following the season, head coach Mike Dunleavy was fired after coaching the Bucks for four seasons.^[25][26] Meanwhile, Cummings signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics midway through the following season,^[27][28][29] Duckworth signed with the Los Angeles Clippers,^[30][31] Mayberry signed with the Vancouver Grizzlies,^[32][33] Conlon signed with the Boston Celtics,^[34] and Benjamin signed with the Toronto Raptors.^[35]

For the season, the Bucks revealed new dark green alternate road uniforms, which featured a buck in purple and silver colors on the front of their jerseys, a black, silver and purple trim, and dark green-to-purple fade gradient side panels with a silver outline on the bottom of their shorts; the shorts also featured the team's primary logo on the left leg, and the jersey number on the right leg.^[36] The team's new alternate uniforms would remain in use until 1999.