The Milwaukee Bucks spent the summer getting mentioned in the same breath as a long list of headline names, but the moves never came. That stings in the moment, especially with a player like Jalen Duren floating around as the kind of addition that could have changed the feel of the offseason. Still, there’s a reason Milwaukee can look ahead with a little more optimism: the flexibility they preserved could matter a lot next summer.
That future payday is starting to show up in early projections. Spotrac’s Keith Smith recently ranked the eight teams expected to have the most spending power in the 2027 offseason, and the Bucks landed sixth with a projected $46.5 million in cap space.
Only the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies are expected to have more. For a team that struck out on the big swings this summer, that kind of room can be the real prize.
Of course, Milwaukee won’t enter that offseason with a blank slate. There’s plenty of internal business to handle first, and the list is not a short one.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyler Herro are both set to test the market, while Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. may also hit free agency. Kyle Kuzma and Caris LeVert are also playing for their futures.
That gives the Bucks a lot to sort through before they even start chasing outside help.
The order of operations matters here. Milwaukee has to decide who belongs in the long-term picture before it can start shopping for the right fit from elsewhere. Once that picture clears up, the front office can turn to the market and look for players who actually complement what’s already in place.
If the young players take steps forward, the more established names elevate their games, and the Bucks use that cap space wisely, there’s a path back toward the playoff mix sooner rather than later. The summer misses don’t erase the opportunity ahead. They may end up being the setup for it.
And yes, names like Jalen Duren, Jonathan Kuminga, Bennedict Mathurin, and Peyton Watson would have made for intriguing additions. Missing out on them is not ideal. But if Milwaukee turns that cap room into the right kind of roster help next summer, this quiet offseason could wind up looking a lot smarter in hindsight.
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