The Milwaukee Bucks still have one two-way spot sitting open, and there’s a real chance they leave it that way for a while longer. With training camp approaching, that might look like indecision from the outside. Inside the logic of the roster, though, patience could be the smarter play.
The idea is simple: wait until camp and the preseason shake out, then see who gets pushed out. Around the league, teams are already handing out camp deals, and the Bucks joined that group by signing John Butler Jr.
Those players will get a look over the next few weeks, but not everyone will survive the numbers game. Once full-time roster spots tighten up, some useful names could end up back on the market and searching for another opportunity.
That’s where Milwaukee could strike. The more intriguing options this late in the offseason are mostly already spoken for, but a player like Dillon Jones or Alex Toohey would become a lot more interesting if the Philadelphia 76ers or Golden State Warriors moved on from them. If either one becomes available, a two-way deal would give the Bucks a low-risk chance to add a young player with real upside right before the season.
Milwaukee has also earned some trust in this area. The Bucks have had their share of issues over the years, but uncovering two-way talent hasn’t been one of them. AJ Green, Ryan Rollins, and last season’s surprise breakout performer Cormac Ryan all came through that lane, and the next player they target could have a similar path.
The timing could work especially well for this version of the roster. With the Bucks now built largely around youth, a two-way addition has a better chance to matter sooner.
If they do make a move, a forward would make the most sense. The guard room is covered, but the team could use help at small forward or power forward as insurance at one of the thinner spots on the roster.
So for now, Milwaukee waits. If the right player doesn’t shake loose right away, there’s no reason for the Bucks to force it. They can let the market settle, then pounce when a better fit finally appears.
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Bucks Are Quietly Betting Big On Jaime Jaquez Jr
Milwaukee spent part of the summer kicking around ways to reshape its wing and forward rotation, including a look at Peyton Watson and a conceptual sign-and-trade framework involving Jaime Jaquez Jr. But the Bucks never moved past the discussion stage on Watson, leaving Jaquez as the more tangible part of the conversation as the team tries to find dependable two-way help around its core.
Now Jaquez enters the season with a real opportunity to matter in Milwaukees plans, with a significant role available and a chance to rebound from uneven stretches. The Bucks will be watching closely because his fit and production could shape a bigger decision down the line, especially with free agency looming next summer and his future tied to what he shows once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Could Get An Unexpected Shot At Former Lakers First Rounder
Dalton Knechts second NBA season has not gone the way the Lakers hoped after taking him in the first round, and the combination of a tighter roster and a reduced role has started to create real uncertainty around his future in Los Angeles. For a player who arrived with some buzz as a scoring wing, the early promise has been harder to sustain, and the Lakers now have to sort through their numbers with the season moving along.
That is where Milwaukee can keep an eye on the situation. The Bucks still have one open two-way contract spot, and they have shown they can turn that type of roster flier into something more useful. If Knecht becomes available, he would fit the profile of a late offseason addition worth considering, especially for a team that has made a habit of finding value in the margins. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Face A Tough AJ Green Decision To Unlock Gary Trent Jr
The Bucks backcourt has become crowded enough that every rotation decision now carries a little more weight, especially with Gary Trent Jr.s contract making his role a central part of the equation. Milwaukee brought in Trent to be part of the answer on the perimeter, but the team still has to sort out how to give him the kind of run that lets him settle in and produce consistently.
AJ Green sits at the heart of that dilemma. He is one of the better shooters on the roster and the sort of reliable role player contenders usually like to keep, but that same appeal also makes him one of the easier pieces to move if Milwaukee wants to clear a path for Trent. The Bucks would be weighing short-term rotation stability against the possibility of reshaping the backcourt, with outside interest likely to make that decision even more complicated. [Read more 🡒]