1996–97 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1996–97 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 29th season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association. The Bucks received the fourth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected point guard Stephon Marbury out of Georgia Tech University, but soon traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for rookie shooting guard, and top draft pick Ray Allen from the University of Connecticut. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Armen Gilliam, acquired Andrew Lang from the Timberwolves, acquired Elliot Perry from the Phoenix Suns, and hired Chris Ford as their new head coach.

Under Ford, and with the addition of Allen, Gilliam, Perry and Lang, the Bucks won five of their first six games of the regular season, and got off to a 15–11 start to the season. However, the team soon fell below .500 in winning percentage, and held a 21–26 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded second-year guard Shawn Respert to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Acie Earl. The Bucks struggled posting an eight-game losing streak between February and March, and finished in seventh place in the Central Division with a 33–49 record, missing the NBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

Vin Baker averaged 21.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Glenn Robinson averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and Allen provided the team with 13.4 points per game, led them with 117 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In addition, Sherman Douglas provided with 9.7 points and 5.4 assists per game, while off the bench, Johnny Newman contributed 8.7 points per game, Gilliam averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, Perry contributed 6.9 points, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and Lang, the team's starting center, averaged 5.3 points and rebounds per game each, but only played 52 games due to an Achilles injury.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Baker was selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, while Allen was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team, and also participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. The Bucks finished 22nd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 634,999 at the Bradley Center during the regular season.

Following the season, Baker was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in an off-season three-team trade, and after four seasons with the Bucks, while Newman was dealt to the Denver Nuggets, Douglas, who was involved in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets, and Earl was released to free agency.