Brayden Burries made the most of his time at NBA Summer League, and that’s exactly why the Milwaukee Bucks now have a real decision to make.
The rookie was at his best when he had the ball in his hands, attacking, creating, and showing off a scoring and playmaking package that wasn’t always on display in college. One anonymous Bucks assistant told Spotrac’s Keith Smith, “This was really fun, because we got to the put the ball his hands a lot.
He showed scoring and playmaking that you didn’t always get to see in college... Not sure how much that’ll happen in the season, because we’ve got a lot of other ballhandlers and creators.
But seeing that he can do it is really, really exciting.”
That last part is the catch. Milwaukee’s backcourt is crowded, and Burries is walking into a room full of guards who all want minutes.
Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Caris LeVert are all in the mix, with LeVert the possible exception when it comes to expectations for playing time. Burries is the youngest of the group, which makes him the most likely to get squeezed.
He can still impact games without dominating the ball. Burries has shown he can work as an off-ball threat, and that helped him in college.
But Summer League made the upside obvious: he averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and two steals per game. When he’s featured, he looks like a player worth building around.
That’s why Milwaukee’s roster crunch matters so much. The Bucks currently have 17 players on standard contracts and need to get down to 15 before the regular season. The cleanest path is in the backcourt, and if they move one or two guards, Burries climbs the depth chart almost immediately.
There’s also the bigger development question. If Milwaukee buries him behind its veteran guard depth, it could slow down the process of finding out just how good he can be. He may still succeed either way, but the path gets longer if the touches aren’t there early.
The Bucks do have rumored interest in Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga via sign-and-trade, and that could create another opening to shuffle the guard group. If not, another team might be willing to send assets for someone like AJ Green or Kevin Porter Jr. However it happens, changes are coming.
For now, Milwaukee has a lot of guards and one very important rookie to think about. Burries’ development should be near the top of the list, even if that means clearing space somewhere else.
In Other News...
Bucks Could Hold The Key To A Surprising Nuggets Trade
A trade exception sitting on Milwaukees books has suddenly become one of the more interesting pieces of cap machinery in the league. The Bucks still have the $25.4 million exception from the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and that kind of flexibility can matter when another team needs to move money fast. In this case, Denvers salary situation has put the Nuggets in a spot where they may need to clear room and stay away from the second apron, which is the sort of pressure point that can create an unexpected deal partner.
For Milwaukee, the appeal is obvious: take on a useful veteran on an expiring deal and potentially get paid to do it with draft compensation attached. For Denver, the calculus is about preserving roster flexibility and keeping the door open for younger pieces such as Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, even if it means attaching a second-round pick or two to make the numbers work. It is the kind of trade framework that does not always lead to a finished deal, but it does put the Bucks in the middle of a conversation that could shape both teams next move. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks May Be Getting Squeezed Out Of A Crucial Offseason Target
A shifting offseason market is starting to complicate Milwaukees plans on the wing, with Jonathan Kuminga suddenly looking like a tougher prize to land. LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers has helped set off a chain reaction around the league, and Clevelands need at small forward could push the Cavaliers deeper into the mix for a player the Bucks have had in their sights as they try to keep building out the roster.
Milwaukee is not short on alternatives, at least on paper, with Peyton Watson and Bennedict Mathurin also mentioned as possible targets. Watson adds another layer of difficulty because he is a restricted free agent, which means Denver can match any offer, so the Bucks may have to decide whether to keep pressing on Kuminga or pivot before the market closes around them. [Read more 🡒]