With Milwaukee trying to sort out the next wave of rotation pieces, the conversation around its young talent is starting to get sharper. There are different kinds of upside on the roster, but the clearest long-term bet is Brayden Burries.
Burries stands out because his value isn’t built on one flashy skill. He brings strong point-of-attack defense, switchable perimeter versatility, and a solid two-way feel for forcing turnovers and making team-first plays with the ball.
He can shoot, attack closeouts, and chip in scoring both on and off the ball. Put it all together and he looks like the kind of connective piece every team wants: a floor-spacing, two-way foundation with enough scoring touch to matter.
Of the Bucks’ prospects, he is the safest projection to become a great player one day.
Nate Ament sits in a different bucket. He’s the most polarizing prospect in the group, and before Milwaukee picked up an extra first-rounder in the Giannis trade, the thought of him being the team’s only first-round selection was harder to swallow.
The talent and intangibles were there, but the inefficiencies made him a risky choice to be the centerpiece of a rebuild. Once the Bucks landed No. 13 from Miami and also took Brayden Burries at 10, the picture changed.
Ament no longer has to carry that load right away, and that should give him room to keep refining his game. The hope is that his skill level and talent can grow without demanding too much too soon, and he already appears to be improving his efficiency.
Kel'el Ware, though, is the most fascinating name in the mix because the same player can be both the most promising and the most frustrating. Since going 15th overall, he has shown rare big-man versatility in his first two NBA seasons, with the ability to finish above the rim and knock down shots from deep.
The issue has been consistency in his motor, the kind of thing that bothered Erik Spoelstra in Miami. The question now is whether Taylor Jenkins sees the same problem, and whether Milwaukee’s situation gives Ware more breathing room than he had with the Heat.
The Bucks are not built for immediate contention, so there’s time for him to grow. Still, if he keeps putting up big stat lines, they’ll need to make sure he doesn’t build bad habits along the way.
Even with that uncertainty, Ware’s upside is obvious. His work with Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason and a strong early preseason stretch suggest he may already be starting to understand what it takes to tap into that potential.
The rest of the group has its own appeal, too. Kasparas Jakucionis and Ryan Rollins can both run good offense, while Ware offers the biggest physical ceiling and Ament brings tall shot-making and ball-handling ability. But if the question is who gives Milwaukee the best blend of safety, versatility, and long-term winning impact, Burries is the answer.
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 Preseason Just Put Two Backcourt Jobs Under Real Pressure
The Bucks used their five-game preseason to sort through a lot more than just game rust, cycling through different lineup combinations while finishing 2-3 and getting a clearer look at how the roster fits together. Tyler Herro provided the most consistent scoring punch, and Myles Turner showed why his defensive presence matters even when the offense is still catching up. Kyle Kuzma still looks set to open at power forward, but the more interesting competition has started to settle into the backcourt.
Rookie Brayden Burries was one of the biggest bright spots, giving Milwaukee a reason to think he might force his way into the rotation sooner than expected. Kevin Porter Jr., meanwhile, left the preseason with far more questions than answers after a rough showing, and his place on the roster is suddenly worth watching. For a team trying to piece together the right guard mix around its core, the final preseason tuneup may have clarified just how little room there is for anyone to coast. [Read more 🡒]