The Milwaukee Bucks have already started filling out their training camp picture, and the first name on the board was John Butler Jr. More invites should follow in the coming weeks, especially for younger players who merit a longer look.
One candidate who fits that bill is B.J. Boston Jr.
Boston was part of Milwaukee’s Summer League group, and while his minutes came and went, he made the most of the chances he got. He looked like one of the more settled players on the roster, bringing four years of NBA experience to the floor and posting 9.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and an assist per game while knocking down 42.9 percent of his 3s.
Those numbers won’t jump off the page, but they were enough to keep him in the conversation. Bringing Boston in would be a low-risk way for Milwaukee to see whether there’s more there, especially with the early chemistry he already built alongside other Bucks Summer Leaguers such as Kasparas Jakucionis, Brayden Burries, Kam Jones, and more.
At 24, Boston also fits the direction Milwaukee seems to be leaning. He’s young enough to still be part of a developmental track, but experienced enough to give the Bucks a player who already understands the NBA pace.
If the Bucks do hand him a camp invite and he manages to stick, the path from there is less straightforward. Boston would not be eligible for a two-way deal the way Butler is, since he has too much NBA experience. A standard contract also does not appear realistic right now, with Milwaukee crowded in the backcourt and already carrying an overloaded roster.
That leaves the Wisconsin Herd as the most obvious landing spot. Boston could stay in-state, get a bigger role, and put more tape out there for teams to evaluate as he tries to work his way back. If he performs well enough, another NBA team could eventually come calling with a roster spot.
It would not be an easy climb, but it is a live one. Terrence Davis did something similar after becoming a standout with the Herd before the Sacramento Kings brought him up to the NBA.
None of this is set in stone, of course. The Bucks’ view of Boston is still unknown. But based on what he showed in Summer League, making room for him at camp would make a lot of sense.
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The buzz around Burries comes with the usual Summer League caveats, of course, especially since his free-throw shooting was not as sharp as it was in college. Still, the bigger question for Milwaukee is harder to brush aside: if that confidence and scoring translate once the games start counting, where does Burries fit in a rotation that already has decisions to make? The preseason chatter may be about his upside, but the regular season will decide whether this becomes a feel-good summer note or something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]
