The Milwaukee Bucks are heading into a very different kind of season now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone. What’s left is a younger roster, a rebuilding vibe, and a starting group that should have plenty of growing pains baked in. Even so, there are a few players in this projected lineup who could turn in strong individual seasons.
Ryan Rollins feels like the most intriguing piece of the bunch. He’s expected to open the year at point guard, and after the season he just put together, that opportunity matters.
Rollins averaged 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds while shooting better than 40 percent from three. For a 24-year-old guard, that’s real production, not noise.
If he takes another step, he could even work himself into the Most Improved Player conversation. He should also fit cleanly alongside Tyler Herro, since Herro figures to handle more of the ball.
Rollins has already shown he can operate away from the ball and still be effective, and his value goes beyond scoring. He’s a good shooter, a developing playmaker, and a defender who can take on the tougher matchups each night.
Milwaukee may have found something there, and another jump would not be a surprise.
Herro, meanwhile, is the player who may define the offense. The Bucks are going to ask him to score, create, and probably take on a heavier shot load than he has before.
He’s already shown he can put points on the board, and he has the résumé of a former All-Star. The question has always been consistency outside that one All-Star season, along with health.
If he stays on the floor, there’s reason to expect big scoring totals and some of the best numbers of his career. He should be the focal point.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is another projected starter who could benefit from a new setting. His first season with the Miami Heat showed real promise, his second season disappointed, and then he bounced back enough to remind people why Miami valued him so highly.
With Milwaukee, he’ll have a chance to expand his role as a secondary ball-handler who can attack the paint and do a little of everything in the starting unit. The one issue is the same one everybody already knows: the three-point shot.
If that becomes respectable, the rest of his game opens up in a big way because defenders won’t be able to cheat off him. He’s still young enough to make that kind of leap, and a fresh situation could help.
He looks like a player who could become one of Milwaukee’s better long-term returns from the Giannis trade.
Kyle Kuzma is a different case entirely. He can help this team right now with scoring and rebounding, and as a former NBA champ and veteran, he still has value.
But he does not look like part of Milwaukee’s long-term picture. He’s 31, on an expiring contract, and the Bucks now have younger players to sort through and evaluate.
Those timelines may not line up for long. For this season, though, Kuzma can still ease some of the pressure on the younger pieces.
That’s enough to justify a C+ grade, even if the fit feels temporary.
Then there’s Myles Turner, who may end up becoming one of the more interesting names on the roster as the season goes along. Milwaukee has a center decision to make, and Turner is part of that conversation.
He brings rim protection, stretch-five spacing, and the kind of veteran presence that helps a young starting unit stay organized. Offensively, he makes sense next to Herro and Rollins because he can space the floor without needing a huge shot volume.
But if the Bucks are truly looking ahead, at some point they need to see what they have in Kel’el Ware. Turner shouldn’t block that development forever, which is why his name could surface in trade talk.
For now, though, he should give Milwaukee the steady veteran production he’s known for, and that kind of consistency will matter on a team built for a different timeline.
In Other News...
Bucks Trade Hopes Could Finally Change If Denver Gets Desperate
The Bucks have been trying to find a market for Myles Turner, but his contract has made that an uphill sell so far. For a team looking to keep moving pieces and clean up the roster, the problem has been less about Turners talent than the kind of financial commitment he brings, and that has left Milwaukee waiting for the right front office to come around.
Denver could be the kind of team that changes the equation if it gets serious about its cap situation. The Nuggets are operating above the second apron, and one possible path would be a swap built around Aaron Gordon if they decide Turner helps them while also giving them a cleaner financial picture. It remains only a possibility for now, but it is the sort of scenario Bucks observers will watch closely because it connects Milwaukees trade search with a contenders pressure to make the math work. [Read more 🡒]
Kel'el Ware Could Fix A Bucks Problem That Hurt All Season
Milwaukee spent much of last season looking for a cleaner answer on the glass, especially when possessions broke down and opponents kept extending trips. That is why Kel'el Ware stands out as such an interesting fit. His size and rebounding ability give the Bucks a chance to add a real second-chance threat, the kind of presence that can turn missed shots into points instead of empty possessions.
Jericho Sims adds another layer to that conversation with the kind of rebounding motor and finishing touch that can make life easier around the rim. If Sims and Ware mesh the way the Bucks hope, Wares putback chances should become more productive and the offense could get a noticeable lift. It is the sort of frontcourt pairing that does not need to solve everything, but it could go a long way toward fixing a problem that hurt all season. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Herro Could Have One Big Bucks Problem Late In Games
Tyler Herros offensive value has long been easy to see, but the late-game picture for the Bucks gets murkier when the possession flips the other way. In tight games, every matchup is magnified, and Milwaukee has to weigh whether Herros scoring punch is worth the defensive tradeoff when opponents are hunting stops and trying to force the issue on the perimeter.
The Bucks can always lean on different defensive looks and closing combinations if they want more stability in those moments, which puts real pressure on Herro to hold up better on that end. If he does, his role can grow with the stakes. If he doesnt, his minutes in the most important stretches may stay in question, and that could shape how Milwaukee views his place moving forward. [Read more 🡒]