The Milwaukee Bucks are in the middle of a real reset, and the money on the books suddenly matters a whole lot more. With the team shifting away from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the conversation is no longer about a championship push right now. It’s about which players fit the next version of this roster, who stays, who gets moved, and which contracts actually give Milwaukee some leverage.
That makes the best deals on the Bucks’ books worth a closer look. Some are about proven production.
Others are about cheap team control. A few are simply the kind of contracts that can age beautifully if the player keeps climbing.
Tyler Herro stands out immediately, even with the biggest salary on the list. He’s still viewed as a top-10 shooting guard in the NBA, and he’s in the final year of his deal.
That combination gives Milwaukee a valuable scorer and real flexibility. The Bucks can keep him beyond the season or use that expiring contract in another move, but either way, having a player of Herro’s level on that kind of deal carries serious value.
Ryan Rollins comes next, and his contract is the kind every front office loves to find. He’s set to make just $4 million in each of the next two seasons after a breakout year, which makes him one of the better values on the roster.
If he keeps developing and takes another step forward, Milwaukee could be looking at a top guard on a bargain. The only reason he doesn’t rank even higher is the player option next season, which means he’ll probably be in line for more money.
The next two spots belong to this year’s first-round picks, and that’s where the upside starts to get interesting.
Brayden Burries is under contract for four seasons, with team options in the final two years. That gives the Bucks both affordability and control over the long haul.
He’ll make just over $6.4 million this season, so he doesn’t need to turn into a star overnight for the deal to matter. If his game keeps growing, this contract could end up looking like a steal.
Nate Ament brings a similar kind of appeal, only with a little more long-term intrigue. His contract gives Milwaukee a high-upside young player at a very manageable price, including $5.5 million in 2026-27 and team options that let the Bucks control the back end of his rookie deal. If Ament becomes the player Milwaukee believes he can be, this could turn into one of the best bargains on the roster.
Then there’s Ware, who rounds out the group as another strong value piece for the Bucks. He’ll make less than $5 million in 2026-27, which is a strong number for a young center with his size, athleticism, and upside.
Milwaukee also holds a team option for the next season, giving the team control over two years. Ware has already flashed that upside at times, and he’s expected to be one of the Bucks’ best players this upcoming season.
For a team trying to rebuild the right way, that kind of contract matters.
In Other News...
Jaime Jaquez Jr. Could Give The Bucks A Breakout They Need
Jaime Jaquez Jr. arrives in Milwaukee with the kind of rsum that makes a team wonder how much more there is to unlock. After a strong third season with the Heat, when he averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists, Jaquez has already shown he can do more than just fit into a rotation. The Bucks are banking on the idea that a bigger role, more consistent minutes and better shooting could turn him into one of the leagues more obvious breakout bets.
Jaquezs appeal is straightforward: he has already produced at a high level, and the next step is figuring out how quickly his game translates in a new setting. If the Bucks give him the runway he needs, the conversation could shift from whether he can help to how far his ceiling reaches, including a run at Most Improved Player chatter. For Milwaukee, though, the real test will come in how the minutes are managed and whether the fit gives him enough room to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Brayden Burries Is Already Raising A Bigger Bucks Question
Brayden Burries Summer League showing gave the Bucks something they do not often get this time of year: a young guard who looked comfortable right away. He averaged 23.5 points and 4.3 assists while shooting 50 percent, a strong enough debut to make him more than just a developmental name on the back end of the roster. For a team that has spent plenty of time balancing short-term contention with long-term planning, that kind of start is hard to ignore.
The bigger issue is what Burries may force Milwaukee to sort through over the next season. Several of the teams guards, including Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr., are headed toward free agency or player options next offseason, which means the Bucks are already staring at a real backcourt decision. If Burries keeps trending up, his growth could become part of that conversation too, giving Milwaukee one more reason to think carefully about whether its future guard spending belongs on familiar names or on developing what it already has. [Read more 🡒]
Myles Turner Is Already Setting A Tone For The New Bucks
The Bucks offseason has already taken on a very different shape, and Myles Turner is helping set the tone for it. After the roster was shaken up by the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis trade to Miami and then bolstered by first-round picks Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, Milwaukee is trying to fast-track chemistry with a group that will need time to come together. Turner, the veteran center, took the lead by hosting a minicamp in Austin, Texas, giving the new-look locker room a chance to start building something before the real work begins.
For a team that suddenly has to blend established talent with two rookie additions and a wave of new faces, those kinds of early gatherings matter. The Bucks are not just trying to replace production, they are trying to establish a new identity, and Turners willingness to organize that first step says plenty about the role he may play beyond the paint. How far that chemistry carries once the season starts is still to be seen, but Milwaukee has at least made one thing clear: it wants the pieces talking, working, and connecting now, not later. [Read more 🡒]