The Bucks are still paying for the urgency that defined the Giannis Antetokounmpo years, and that bill is showing up everywhere.
Milwaukee spent the last few seasons trying to squeeze every last drop out of that title window, and the front office made one aggressive move after another to keep the run alive. Some of those decisions were understandable in the moment.
Others have turned into anchors. Either way, they’re making it harder for the Bucks to lean into what comes next.
The clearest example is the Damian Lillard trade. There were plenty of reasons the Bucks never quite hit their ceiling with him in the mix, but the move was still made with a championship chase in mind. Now Milwaukee is still carrying roughly $20 million per season through 2029-30 after stretching and waiving his contract.
That was part of the chain reaction that brought Myles Turner in on a four-year, $108 million deal. It has not started well. Turner is off to a rough opening stretch and is currently sitting at career lows in points, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.
Khris Middleton was another casualty of the push to keep the window open. He had been a strong fit next to Giannis, but was dealt for Kyle Kuzma to create cap flexibility. Kuzma’s start has been uneven too, with career lows in points and 3-point percentage.
Then there’s Gary Trent Jr., whose four-year, $64 million extension from this summer is still under review by the NBA for possible cap circumvention. He had a down year last season and has played only 13 minutes so far this season, which makes that money even harder to justify and even harder to move. The league is looking into whether the Bucks promised him that deal ahead of time to keep a useful role player in the Giannis era.
Milwaukee is also still paying for Doc Rivers after moving on from him last offseason. He had been brought in after the team decided Adrian Griffin wasn’t the right coach to lead a contender.
All of it traces back to the same mindset: do whatever it takes to keep the Giannis era alive. The problem is that those choices are now cluttering the path forward.
And there are signs the next wave is already pushing for space.
Brayden Burries has been one of the early standouts, forcing his way into the starting lineup after a 21-point, 11-rebound game against the Raptors. That performance appears to have put Ryan Rollins on the bench.
Nate Ament has flashed enough on the wing to bump Ousmane Dieng out of the rotation for now. Kel’el Ware is giving Milwaukee 9.6 points and 7.7 rebounds off the bench, though the production has been inconsistent. If Turner and Kuzma keep struggling, they could end up coming off the bench themselves.
Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have both started the season strongly and have accounted for a big chunk of the Bucks’ scoring. Both look locked into the starting group for the foreseeable future.
That leaves Taylor Jenkins with a crowded rotation and a tough call. Most nights, 11 players are getting meaningful minutes, and it isn’t really helping anyone.
The roster could look different by season’s end, and the Bucks are expected to draw interest on a few players. They’ll also be looking to move some of those pricey veteran contracts. For now, though, the cost of trying to preserve the old era is still getting in the way of fully stepping into the new one.
In Other News...
Giannis To Milwaukee Suddenly Feels Back In Play
The Giannis Antetokounmpo conversation has a way of never really leaving Milwaukee, and DeMarcus Cousins helped stir it back up on FanDuel TV by floating the idea that the two-time MVP could wind up back with the Bucks after the season. For a fan base that has watched every twist in his career with a little extra attention, the timing matters. Giannis has not signed an extension with the Miami Heat, and with his long-term future still unsettled, any hint of movement is enough to get people talking again.
Miamis uneven stretch only adds to the intrigue, especially with the way the league has recently watched Damian Lillard return to Portland after a trade. The situations are hardly identical, but they serve as a reminder that star-player storylines can take unexpected turns once the dust settles. For Milwaukee, the idea is more than just idle speculation. It is a reminder that Giannis remains the rare kind of player whose next decision can reshape the entire league, including the city he once called home. [Read more 🡒]
Brayden Burries Is Giving The Bucks A Rookie Edge They Needed
Brayden Burries has given the Bucks a useful jolt in his first run as a starter, and the early returns have been hard to ignore. Over three starts, he has averaged 8.3 rebounds per game, production that stands out even more because it ranks second among starting guards across the NBA. For a Milwaukee team looking for more edge and extra possessions, that kind of activity from a rookie guard has been a welcome development.
Burries has been especially valuable on the offensive glass, where he is averaging four offensive rebounds per game, the highest mark among starting guards. He has also chipped in as a scorer and playmaker, adding points and assists while showing the kind of all-around promise that can make a young player useful right away. The bigger question now is how much of this early stretch can hold as his role grows and opponents start adjusting to him. [Read more 🡒]