The Milwaukee Bucks’ next starting five may not look anything like the group that opens next season on paper today. With rumors swirling, it would be a surprise if all five starters are already on the roster, and the Bucks are expected to make at least a move or two over the next several months as they continue their post-Giannis Antetokounmpo retool.
One possibility starts with Ryan Rollins and Tyler Herro in the backcourt, then adds Ousmane Dieng, Jonathan Kuminga and Myles Turner. Kuminga has been tied to Milwaukee in sign-and-trade chatter, even if that buzz has quieted lately, and the 23-year-old would fill a need while fitting into a young group. After stops with Golden State and Atlanta, this could become the biggest chance of his career so far.
The trickiest part of that alignment is Dieng at small forward. He still has plenty of upside, but plenty of people would question whether he’s ready to be a starter. Even so, with Kuminga offering limited perimeter shooting, Dieng’s own outside touch makes more sense there than pairing Kuminga with other shaky shooters such as Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Kyle Kuzma.
A different version looks more complete: Rollins, Herro, Jaquez, Watson and Turner. That’s the one that would probably get Bucks fans most excited.
Jake Fischer reported that Milwaukee is viewed as the likeliest team to try to pry Watson from the Denver Nuggets in a sign-and-trade, and the 23-year-old could have room to blossom as the Bucks’ new starting power forward. He flashed real potential in Denver, and this setup would give Milwaukee a mix of shooting, defense, playmaking and energy across the board.
In that group, Watson’s perimeter threat helps balance out Jaquez, who is not a shooter from outside. Dieng would slide to the bench in that version, while Watson would be the player to make the whole thing click. He also appears to be Milwaukee’s top target to make that lineup a reality.
Then there’s the one that would probably draw the most raised eyebrows: Rollins, Herro, Mathurin, Kuzma and Turner. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Bucks have done homework on restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin, which is an interesting wrinkle given how crowded Milwaukee’s backcourt already is.
Mathurin is widely seen as a shooting guard, but his career usage says something a little different. Basketball Reference shows that 59 percent of his minutes have come at small forward, compared with 31 percent at shooting guard. That leaves open the possibility that Milwaukee could envision him in a frontcourt-adjacent role, even if the idea of a Rollins-Herro-Mathurin trio would still be a surprise.
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Jimmy Haslam Still Sounds Stunned By The Giannis Trade
Jimmy Haslam has had one of the most eventful summers of any owner in sports, and not just because of the Browns. The co-owner of Clevelands NFL team and the Bucks was part of two headline-grabbing deals, with Myles Garrett going to the Rams and Giannis Antetokounmpo landing with the Heat in separate trades that reshaped both franchises.
Haslam said the moves still left him in disbelief, and he even mentioned that his father was surprised by how it all unfolded. For Milwaukee, the Giannis deal remains the kind of franchise-altering moment that takes time to sink in, especially when it involves a player who defined an era and was sent out for a package of players and future draft picks. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Suddenly Have A Rare Rebuild Opening They Could Exploit
Giannis Antetokounmpos departure has left Milwaukee in a position it has not faced in years: a clean financial slate with real room to maneuver. The Bucks suddenly have the kind of flexibility that can change the direction of a franchise, from a full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to enough cap breathing room to explore trades they could not have entertained before.
What makes the opening so unusual is that it is not just about replacing production, it is about reshaping the roster on the fly. Milwaukee can take on contracts other teams want to move, attach value in the form of draft assets, and use its newly available tools to build the next version of the team, with the front office reportedly open to leaning into that opportunity. [Read more 🡒]