The Bucks are heading into a season that will feel nothing like the last 13 years. With Giannis Antetokounmpo traded away this summer, Milwaukee got back a package of Heat players and a pile of draft capital, then used the 2026 NBA draft to bring in two rookies. One of them, 10th overall pick Brayden Burries, is the name worth circling first.
Burries comes into a crowded backcourt, and that’s the biggest reason his path could be slow at the start. Milwaukee is loaded with guards and ball-handlers, including Ryan Rollins, Gary Trent Jr. if he plays this season, AJ Green, Tyler Herro, Kevin Porter Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, Kam Jones and combo guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who handles the rock a lot. That kind of depth usually pushes a rookie down the pecking order, especially on a team that wants to show it can win without Giannis and is likely to lean on veterans early.
That doesn’t mean Burries lacks a clear NBA game. When he gets his chance, he should fit naturally with the guards and bigs around him.
Milwaukee added Kel’el Ware, an above-the-rim lob threat, and Burries could be the team’s second-best lob passer behind Jakucionis. He’s at his best attacking downhill, forcing help, and kicking the ball out.
Just as important, he can play without the ball and spot up, something he already had to do in college on a loaded Wildcats team.
The outlook for Burries is pretty straightforward: he probably opens the year outside the rotation. But if Milwaukee starts slowly, the front office could make trades and open the door for him to get real minutes later in the season. If that happens, the talent should show up on both ends.
The other rookie, Nate Ament, is a different kind of bet. His role figures to be mostly in the G-League this season.
There’s upside there, but his college production left questions, and his physical profile brings obvious concerns. He profiles as a jumbo wing shooter who didn’t shoot it especially well in college, and the athletic limitations show up in his ability to create separation.
The shot itself isn’t the biggest issue. His mechanics are clean and the touch is soft.
The bigger problem is everything around it: the lack of burst, the difficulty getting free off the dribble, and the general need to get much stronger. Defensively, he doesn’t look ready to hold up right away, and he doesn’t currently have the separation ability to make much noise either as a self-creator or a movement shooter.
Still, Ament does have one trait that stands out: he has a knack for drawing contact and getting to the foul line. For now, though, the fit is more about what he might become than what he can give Milwaukee immediately. This season is about growth, development and learning how to build his body and his game.
With all the depth on the roster, training camp is going to be a battle. There are plenty of questions to answer, and plenty for fans to watch unfold as Milwaukee enters a new era. It’s the kind of setup that brings out eternal optimism.
In Other News...
Bucks Risk Another Costly Summer Mistake With Jalen Duren
Jalen Durens decision to turn down a five-year, $200 million extension from Detroit has already put a big-money center back on the market, and Milwaukee has the kind of financial muscle that would let it jump into the conversation. For a Bucks team always looking to keep its title window open, a player with Durens age and physical tools will naturally draw interest, especially if the front office believes there is room to shape him into a long-term frontcourt piece.
But the Bucks would not be weighing this one in a vacuum. Their books already carry significant commitments, and a deal at that level would add another major layer of risk to a roster that has to balance present urgency with future flexibility. Durens playoff performance is part of the evaluation, too, which is where the hesitation begins to creep in for Milwaukee, because the price of chasing upside this summer could end up being another expensive mistake. [Read more 🡒]