The Milwaukee Bucks may not look like a team built to win big right away after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but there’s still a real point guard mix worth watching heading into the 2026-2027 season.
That group starts with Ryan Rollins, who turned a quiet role into a full breakout. Two years ago, he was bouncing between short stops with the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards before landing with Milwaukee and doing the dirty work when called upon. He posted 6.2 points per game while shooting 48.7% from the field and 40.8% from 3-point range, then followed that with a much bigger 2025-26 season once injuries opened the door.
Rollins took advantage in a major way. He finished at 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, hitting 47.2% of his shots overall and 40.6% from deep.
He started 67 of 74 games and became one of Milwaukee’s most reliable players on both ends. With Antetokounmpo gone and newcomers like Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionis in the mix, Rollins’ role should only grow.
He’s set to keep the starting job as a guard who can run the offense, score off the dribble and handle tough defensive assignments.
Kevin Porter Jr. gives Milwaukee another option, though his fit looks a little different. Before a torn meniscus and arthroscopic surgery for Synovitis in his right knee knocked him out for most of the year, he was the Bucks’ second-leading scorer.
In 38 games, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting 46.5% from the field. His 3-point efficiency lagged, but he was dangerous when attacking downhill.
On 2-pointers alone, he shot 52%, powered by his quick drives and ability to finish at the rim. The conversation around whether he or Rollins should start next season is already there, but Porter Jr. looks better suited to leading the second unit because of how much he needs the ball to create.
He also enters the final year of his contract after exercising his $5.39 million player option this offseason.
Then there’s Kasparas Jakučionis, the young guard with the most long-term intrigue. He came to Milwaukee in the Antetokounmpo deal after the Heat were reluctant to include him, and he arrived with real promise attached.
Miami drafted him 20th overall out of Illinois in the 2025 NBA Draft, and he got into 53 games as a rookie, starting 12. He averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 42.3% from 3-point range.
The numbers weren’t flashy, but his playmaking, defense and shooting stood out, especially in an Erik Spoelstra system where minutes have to be earned. At 20 years old and 6-foot-5, Jakučionis has the kind of size and upside that can matter for a rebuilding team, even if minutes are going to be tough to find with so many guards in Milwaukee.
The Bucks have options at the position. Now they have to figure out how to use them.
In Other News...
Bucks Fans Already Feel The Pressure On Nate Ament's Rookie Year
With Giannis Antetokounmpo gone, the Bucks are looking for signs of a new core, and rookie forward Nate Ament has quickly become part of that conversation. Milwaukee has been here before with young, high-upside forwards, and the memory of Tyler Smith is a reminder that projection alone does not move a rebuild forward. For a team trying to find its next long-term piece, Ament is less a luxury than a test case.
The pressure now shifts to how the Bucks and their coaching staff handle his rookie season, because development is the whole point of bringing him into the picture. Milwaukee will spend the year trying to shape Ament into someone who can matter beyond the immediate future, while also learning whether he can provide the kind of impact this version of the roster needs. In a reset like this, every step forward matters, and every missed step is harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Pressure Could Turn Giannis Trade Into A Bucks Win
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade already has a way of looking bigger than the swap itself, because the package Miami sent to Milwaukee came loaded with multiple future unprotected first-round picks and young talent. Early projections from FanDuel Sportsbook and ESPN have the Heat landing around the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, which only adds to the sense that the immediate payoff in Miami could be uneven.
For the Bucks, that matters. If the Heat settle in more as a middle-tier playoff team than a true powerhouse, Milwaukee can start imagining a return that looks stronger over time, especially with those future picks in hand. The whole deal now hangs on whether Miami can turn the star power into a top-end Eastern Conference run, or whether the Bucks end up looking smart for betting on the long game. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Face A Tough Kel'el Ware Decision At Center
Myles Turner is expected to stay put in Milwaukee even as the Bucks lean younger around him, a choice that keeps the center spot anchored for now while the front office sorts out the long view. With limited trade interest in Turner, the Bucks appear set to let Kel'el Ware keep developing behind him, giving the rookie a chance to absorb the position from one of the leagues more established big men.
Wares path, though, may be as much about patience as it is opportunity. Learning in Turners shadow could help his growth, but it also means fewer chances to prove himself in game action, which is the kind of balancing act that can shape a teams plans quickly. If Ware takes a real step forward and Turners market changes, Milwaukee could revisit the equation later, leaving the center picture open without forcing a decision before it is ready. [Read more 🡒]