Training camp is giving the Milwaukee Bucks a chance to take a longer look at the kind of depth that can matter once the season gets rolling, and the two latest invites point straight to the center spot. John Butler Jr. and Jake Stephens are both headed in to audition, and both arrive with the size Milwaukee can use.
That makes sense given how the roster is built. The Bucks do not appear to need help in the backcourt, where they are already stacked with guards.
The forward group also has enough names for the team to sort through. The real question mark sits in the middle, where the Bucks could use another reliable body behind the current options.
Right now, Milwaukee has Myles Turner, Kel'el Ware, and Jericho Sims in the mix, and that trio gives the team some variety. Still, adding one more big man would help protect against the kind of absence that can leave a team scrambling. If the Bucks are evaluating what to do with their final two-way roster spot, a center is the clearest path.
Butler and Stephens give them two very different looks. That matters, because Milwaukee’s current group at the position already leans on contrast and specialization. The team seems to be chasing that same idea with these camp invites.
Butler is the taller of the two at 7-feet, but he weighs just 220 lbs. He brings a thin frame, yet still has the tools to bother shooters and protect the rim.
Stephens is built much differently. At 6-foot-11 and 270 lbs, he brings a heavier presence and can lean on his physicality in ways Butler simply cannot.
Their backgrounds are different too. Butler played one year of college ball before going undrafted and spending time in the G League.
Stephens took a longer road, spending five years in college before playing in the G League and overseas. Now both are in the same spot, with a two-way opportunity on the line and training camp set to decide who sticks.
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