The Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up a five-game preseason with a 2-3 record, and the results left plenty of room for interpretation. With different lineup combinations cycling through the slate, the bigger picture is still fuzzy. But the individual performances told a clearer story, and a few early conclusions are starting to take shape.
Tyler Herro made a strong case to be Milwaukee’s lead scorer, even if the preseason wasn’t spotless. The skepticism around him as a first option is understandable, but his production kept pushing back against it.
He led the Bucks at 16.8 points per game over the five contests and did it efficiently, hitting 51.1 percent from the field and 56.5 percent from three. He closed with 25 points in the finale and looked like the kind of scorer who can carry a big offensive load this season.
The one area that still needs work is his passing, since he averaged fewer than three assists per game. The scoring, though, was as advertised.
The early buzz around Kel'el Ware also sparked a hot take: that Milwaukee should move Myles Turner right away. That’s too quick.
Ware’s strong start got people talking, and he does look like the future at center, but he also showed he’s still raw in later games. Turner, meanwhile, didn’t have a great scoring preseason - 9.5 points per game on 37.9 percent shooting - but he still provided value.
He blocked 2.8 shots per game and grabbed 6.3 rebounds a night, which matters. Keeping him around for now gives Ware a chance to develop with a veteran center in the room.
If there was one player who turned heads more than anyone else, it was Brayden Burries. His stock was already high, and the preseason only raised it further.
He averaged 14 points per game, second on the team behind Herro, and led Milwaukee with 2.5 steals per game. He also came through in the clutch, helping the Bucks pull out a win over the OKC Thunder.
Taylor Jenkins has already said Burries and Nate Ament will need to earn their roles, and Burries has absolutely done that. Even before his first NBA game, he looks like one of the best players on the roster and should be part of the rotation right away.
That surge could come at the expense of Kevin Porter Jr. Porter posted a tough preseason, averaging eight points on 30 percent shooting, along with three assists and two turnovers per game.
He also logged the 11th-most minutes on the team, and with the roster squeeze getting tighter, he may be drifting toward the edge of the picture. Jake Fischer reported that the Bucks have discussed a Porter trade with other teams, so a move to clear space for Burries in the backcourt would not be a surprise.
Kyle Kuzma also appears set to keep his place in the starting five. He began and ended the preseason as Milwaukee’s starting power forward, and nobody else made enough noise to push him out.
Unless the Bucks find a trade partner in the midst of the roster congestion, he’s likely headed into the season in that role. Kuzma averaged eight points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and a steal across three games, and the most encouraging part was the 50 percent mark from three.
If he can give Milwaukee steady two-way play while others handle more of the scoring, that’s a workable fit.
In Other News...
Former Pacers Pick Is Suddenly Making A Case In Milwaukee
As the Pacers wrap up their preseason against Milwaukee, it is hard to miss how many familiar faces are waiting on the other side. The Bucks have four former Indiana players on the roster, and among them, Kam Jones has become one of the more intriguing names to watch after earning steady attention for the work he has put in since summer.
Assistant coach Jenkins has been especially vocal about Jones progress, pointing to growth on offense and noticeable improvement on defense during camp and the preseason. Jones backed that up with 23 points in a recent game against the Bulls, and with his second NBA season underway, he is trying to turn that momentum into a real role in Milwaukee rather than just another strong stretch in October. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Just Made A Cut That Could Complicate Their Final Roster
The Bucks trimmed a bit of their camp roster by requesting waivers on forwards Pete Nance and Johni Broome, along with center Jake Stephens, part of the usual late-summer shuffle as teams sort out the bottom of the bench. Broome and Stephens were on Exhibit 10 contracts and were always expected to be moved on from, but Nances situation stands out because he was on a two-year non-guaranteed deal and had a little more significance in Milwaukees evaluation process.
Marcus Garrett was also waived after signing an Exhibit 10 contract, and now the more interesting question is what comes next for Nance if he clears waivers. The Bucks could bring him back on a two-way deal, but there is some concern another team might decide to claim him first, leaving Milwaukee with 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts and more roster work still to do before the regular season deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Draft Miss Looks A Lot Bigger After Ajay Mitchell Admission
When Milwaukee went into the 2024 NBA Draft, Ajay Mitchell was one of the late-first-round names tied to the Bucks as a possible fit. Instead, the Bucks came away with Brayden Burries and Nate Ament in the first round, while Mitchell slid to Oklahoma City at No. 38 and quietly turned into the kind of value pick teams spend years trying to find.
Mitchells rise since then has only sharpened the hindsight for Milwaukee. After productive rookie and sophomore seasons with the Thunder, including a real playoff role, the missed opportunity looks a lot more significant now than it did on draft night, especially for a Bucks team that could have used another young guard entering the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]