After finishing with a 41-41 record last season, earning them the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, it’s safe to say that the Milwaukee Bucks are a team on the rise. The future of the franchise was already looking promising after they made a deal to acquire Michael Carter-Williams in a three-team trade. However, the Bucks were not done and have been extremely active this offseason.

The biggest move Milwaukee made this summer was signing power forward/center Greg Monroe. This is a big-time addition for a Bucks team that needed some help in the paint, as Larry Sanders has proven to not be a reliable member of the team. Last season with the Pistons, Monroe averaged 15.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG. He’s a double-double machine and figures to really take the Bucks to the next level.

While Monroe was the blockbuster move, Milwaukee made some more key additions to round out their roster. One of the more underrated acquisitions of the offseason was the signing of Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez gives the Bucks the backup point guard they need. He brings a lot of energy and is also liable to provide a scoring spark off the bench.

The Bucks also drafted shooting guard Rashad Vaughn out of UNLV in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. Vaughn is a terrific shooter and provides another option on the perimeter, along with Khris Middleton, who recently re-signed with Milwaukee for five more years.

The Bucks already had a strong core of players before the offseason, with Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Carter-Williams. Now, with the moves they made this summer, the Bucks are slowly becoming a contender in the East. Not to say they’ll be real contenders next season, but they are coming.

Free Agency Grade: A+

Brandon Austin is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BMoreThanGreat, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.