Brayden Burries may not be the loudest name in this rookie class, but he’s got a real shot to force his way onto the All-Rookie First Team if the Milwaukee Bucks handle his first season the right way.
The top four spots in one early projection are easy enough to circle: Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. Peterson, Dybantsa, and Boozer carry plenty of buzz, while Wilson is expected to make an immediate impact for the Bulls. For the fifth slot, Burries is the pick.
That call is tied as much to opportunity as talent. Milwaukee is no longer the same win-now team it was before trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that changes everything for a rookie trying to carve out a role. The Bucks now have to learn what this next version of the roster looks like, and that puts players like Burries and Nate Ament under the microscope.
Burries arrived as the No. 10 pick after one season at Arizona, where he put up 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three. The appeal is obvious: efficient scoring, real perimeter shooting, and enough versatility to help teammates instead of needing the ball on every trip.
At 6-foot-4 and around 215 pounds, Burries also has the kind of body that should hold up right away in the league. He doesn’t look like a rookie who needs months just to survive physically. The Bucks should be able to throw him into the rotation early and let the learning happen in real time.
The expectation here isn’t some eye-popping stat line. Burries doesn’t have to chase 20 points a night to stay in the All-Rookie mix.
If he can settle in around 15-17 points per game, hit threes, and defend, that’s enough to put him firmly in the conversation. There will be rough nights, missed shots, and the usual rookie growing pains, but there should also be flashes that remind everyone why he was drafted in the top 10.
That’s why patience matters so much for Milwaukee. A bad 2-for-9 night in November shouldn’t send Burries to the back of the rotation. The Bucks need to keep playing him and find out whether he can grow into one of the key pieces of the next core.
There’s also a precedent for this kind of path. Jaime Jaquez, Burries’ new teammate, went 18th in the 2023 NBA draft and still made First Team All-Rookie. The right role can matter as much as the pre-draft hype.
Burries has already made clear that First Team All-Rookie is one of his goals, and the talent is there for him to chase it. He may not be the best rookie in the class - this group is too deep for that - but if Milwaukee gives him the runway he should get, he has a legitimate chance to finish his first season on the All-Rookie First Team.
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