The Bucks may not have to treat Jonathan Kuminga like a make-or-break target this offseason. Nate Ament is already in the building, and he gives Milwaukee a younger, cheaper path to a similar kind of forward upside if the Kuminga chase falls short.
That doesn’t mean Ament is a finished product. Far from it.
But the appeal is obvious: he has the kind of size, skill and athletic pop that can let him grow into a real two-way presence on the wing or at power forward. At his best, Kuminga brings that same kind of versatility, with the ability to create his own shot when a possession breaks down.
That’s exactly why he makes sense for a Bucks roster still trying to patch holes.
Ament showed flashes of that same promise in his lone college season at the University of Tennessee. He measured 6'10", which gives him even more length than Kuminga’s 6'7" frame.
And it’s not just the body type. Ament has the ball skills to manufacture offense for himself and the explosiveness to be a problem when he gets downhill and attacks the rim.
Milwaukee should be thinking long term with him no matter what happens with Kuminga. As the 13th overall pick in the draft and a return from trading Giannis, Ament comes with real expectations. The Bucks need to give him minutes and make his development a priority, even if the roster on opening night is crowded with wing options.
If Kuminga does arrive, though, that could actually help Ament instead of blocking him. Ament will still be 19 when the season begins, and he’s not likely to walk into a full-time starting job right away.
Kuminga, now four years older and entering his sixth season, could be exactly the kind of veteran presence Ament needs. He’s been through the highs and lows of a career that has included public disagreements and uneven playing time in Golden State, and that experience could be valuable for a young player trying to find his footing.
In that sense, Milwaukee doesn’t necessarily have to choose between the two. Kuminga could help Ament learn how to handle the league’s pressure and uncertainty, while Ament continues building toward a bigger role. Down the line, the Bucks could even end up with both in the same frontcourt mix, a pairing that would give them a lot of size, athleticism and versatility to work with.
In Other News...
Former Bucks Wing Just Took A Turn Milwaukee Fans Saw Coming
Amir Coffeys time in Milwaukee never really got off the ground, and the Bucks moved on quickly after a brief look at what he could offer on the wing. He appeared in 30 games for the team, played a limited role, and was eventually shipped to Phoenix as Milwaukee kept reshaping the back end of its roster.
Coffeys next stop says plenty about how his market has shifted since then, and it also underscores how far the Bucks have come in addressing that part of the roster. Milwaukee has added more options on the wing through other moves, so the departure of a player who never found much traction here no longer looks like much of a hole. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Just Revealed What Finally Pushed The Giannis Trade Through
The Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo deal with Miami was never just about one headline name coming back. General manager Jon Horst said the package that brought Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kelel Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis to Milwaukee was intentional, and that all four players were part of what made the trade work. For a Bucks team retooling around a franchise-altering move, that kind of insistence matters, because it shows the front office did not see this as a simple star swap but as a broader attempt to restock the roster with pieces that fit different timelines.
Jakucionis, in particular, drew Horsts praise as a competitive, hard-working young guard with real point guard traits and shooting ability. That kind of language usually says as much about how a team views its future backcourt as it does about one players immediate role, and it hints at why Milwaukee was willing to hold firm in negotiations. The Bucks still have plenty to sort out after landing Giannis replacement era on paper, but the way Horst framed the return suggests the front office believes there is more here than just a collection of names. [Read more 🡒]