The Milwaukee Bucks are heading to Las Vegas with two fresh faces added to their Summer League group, and both players are finally set to make their Bucks debuts.
Milwaukee will face the Miami Heat on Friday to open its Las Vegas run, a matchup that carries a strange twist given the trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to South Beach. That deal brought the Bucks multiple assets, and Las Vegas will be the first chance to see two of them in action.
Nate Ament and Kasparas Jakučionis were both held out of the California Classic in Sacramento because the trade was not official until July 6. Milwaukee played three games there from July 4 to July 6 without the pair, but now both are available as the Bucks shift to Vegas.
Ament, the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, came to Milwaukee after Miami traded away its pick. He joins fellow rookie Brayden Burries, who was taken by the Bucks with their own No. 10 selection.
At Tennessee, Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game as the Volunteers’ second-leading scorer. The questions around him centered on efficiency - he shot 39.9% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range - but his size and skill package are what make him such an intriguing Summer League watch.
Listed at 6-foot-10, Ament plays with guard-like comfort. He can handle the ball, bring it up the floor, shoot over defenders and attack downhill to draw fouls.
He also hit 79% of his free throws at Tennessee on 7.1 attempts per game. Defensively, he brings versatility, with the ability to guard multiple spots and help as a weak-side shot blocker.
At 19, he’s still early in the process, which makes Vegas a useful first look at what he can become.
Jakučionis is also set for his first appearance with Milwaukee. The 6-foot-5 guard from Illinois was originally drafted by Miami with the No. 20 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and in 53 games he showed enough to hint at real upside. He averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 42.3% from 3-point range.
His Summer League path has already had some ups and downs. Last year in Salt Lake City, he struggled early, but he bounced back in Las Vegas against the Atlanta Hawks with 24 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jakučionis brings high-level shooting from deep along with strong court vision and playmaking.
He also made clear that the move to Milwaukee was not what he expected, but he’s embracing it. "Like I said, the first day was tough because it was the first time in my basketball career that something like this happened to me, being traded without it being my decision," Jakučionis said.
"But I don't think it's a bad thing. It's a young organization with a lot of young players, so I think it will be a good situation for me."
While he sat out the California Classic, Jakučionis has stayed active by playing for Lithuania in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. Now he’ll try to carry that momentum into Summer League and make a strong first impression in a Bucks uniform.
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