For years, the Milwaukee Bucks kept trying to solve the same problem at backup point guard, and the answers never really stuck. Names cycled through the roster, some with promise, some with short bursts of usefulness, but none of them gave the team the kind of steady security every contender wants behind the lead guard spot. Now that issue finally looks calmer - just not with Giannis Antetokounmpo still in Milwaukee.
The search really turned into a season-by-season headache starting in 2020-21, when the Bucks were at their most competitive and still couldn’t settle the position. Since then, they’ve kept bringing in guards to back up Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, only to watch most of them move on quickly.
D.J. Augustin was traded mid-season.
Jeff Teague had one good game. George Hill’s second stint fell off hard compared with his first.
Jevon Carter gave them solid minutes but wanted more. Cam Payne was traded mid-season for Patrick Beverley, who was also only around for a short stretch.
Delon Wright and Cole Anthony both arrived with real upside, then were sent elsewhere within months.
That constant turnover is what makes this current setup look so different. There’s no guarantee Taylor Jenkins will settle on one opening-night rotation, but he does have real options to sort through. Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis all bring youth and upside, and two-way signee Kam Jones adds another name to the mix as a pure point guard and a second-round pick from just over a year ago.
Each one has something to offer. Rollins looks ready for a bigger role after emerging as a two-way stalwart.
Porter brings scoring from all three levels and is coming off a career year as a passer. Jakucionis may have the highest ceiling of the group, with tools that could make him special.
Jones, if he earns minutes, has enough scoring and playmaking to matter.
However the minutes shake out, the Bucks are positioned to run out a point guard rotation with actual depth for the first time in a long while. The tradeoff is that the team now has a problem at power forward, which is a new wrinkle they haven’t had to navigate in some time.
In Other News...
Bucks Suddenly Have A Frontcourt Question That Could Define This Rebuild
The Bucks post-Giannis reset has pushed a new frontcourt conversation into the spotlight, and it starts with how Milwaukee sorts out the center spot. After the trade to Miami, the team brought in Kelel Ware as a young piece for the future while keeping Myles Turner and Jericho Sims on the roster, giving the rebuild a mix of size, experience and upside to sort through as it moves forward.
Turner is still under contract despite a disappointing previous season, and the early focus is on getting him more comfortable in Milwaukees system and chemistry with the group. Ware is expected to bring depth and developmental potential off the bench, while Sims is back after exercising his player option following a solid season, leaving the Bucks with options but also a question that could shape how the next phase takes form. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Forward Rotation Just Sent A Message Fans Cant Ignore
The Bucks spent part of the summer doing due diligence on the forward market, and Peyton Watson was on that radar before the conversation with Denver went any further. Milwaukee had preliminary talks with the Nuggets about Watson but never got to the point of making an official offer, and the young forward eventually landed in Cleveland instead. For a team still sorting out how it wants to round out its rotation, it was a reminder that the front office is keeping an eye on options even if nothing materializes right away.
For now, Milwaukee is leaning on its current group of forwards, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kyle Kuzma among the names expected to carry much of the load. The message is pretty clear: the Bucks are willing to wait if the right move is not there today, but they also know the position could use help down the line. That makes the trade market worth watching, because the search for another forward does not feel finished just because one target is off the board. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Forward Rotation Leaves Ousmane Dieng Waiting On One Key Break
The Bucks brought Ousmane Dieng back on a three-year deal, a move that gives them a young frontcourt piece with some runway while they sort out the rest of the rotation. For now, though, the path is fairly straightforward: Kyle Kuzma is expected to open the season as Milwaukees starting power forward, which leaves Dieng in line for a reserve role unless he turns heads in training camp.
Diengs real opportunity may come later. Milwaukee is at least leaving the door open to a midseason Kuzma trade, and if that happens, the minutes picture could change quickly for Dieng. Until then, hes in the familiar position of waiting for one break to turn a bench role into something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]