The Milwaukee Bucks have already lived through the shock of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and now the next question is staring them right in the face: who fills the hole at power forward?
For the moment, Milwaukee’s options at the four are Kyle Kuzma, Ousmane Dieng, Pete Nance, Nate Ament and Bogoljub Markovic. That group gives the Bucks bodies, but not a clean answer.
Some are stopgaps, some are development bets, and some sit somewhere in between. None of them looks like a sure thing from day one next season.
Kuzma is the most proven name in the mix and seems likely to open the season in the starting role. Even so, he does not profile as the long-term fix at the position. Milwaukee has shifted toward youth in the wake of Giannis’ departure, and Kuzma is on an expiring contract, which makes it sound unlikely that he’ll still be with the Bucks next season.
Nance brings another layer of uncertainty. His deal is non-guaranteed, and with a roster trim coming, he may not even survive to opening night.
Dieng at least flashed some potential last season, so there’s a path there if he takes a real step forward. Ament and Markovic are more future-facing pieces, but they need time before anyone can reasonably expect them to carry the job.
Some may even list Ament as a small forward, which only adds to the uncertainty at the position.
That leaves Milwaukee in a different place than it is at guard and center, where the long-term picture is much clearer. At power forward, the Bucks still have work to do.
They did at least explore bigger swings over the summer. Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga both surfaced in murmurs as possible answers, and either one would have brought intrigue to this retooling. Milwaukee ultimately passed, though, and the front office appears content to see what develops inside the building before going outside it.
The Bucks also have a major tool in their pocket: a $25.5 million trade exception. That gives them a real chance to chase a solution during the season if the right player becomes available.
And in every season, players do become available. Milwaukee’s answer at power forward could end up being someone who decides they want a fresh start.
For now, the Bucks are in a reasonable place to wait. If one of their current options grabs the job, that solves the issue. If not, Milwaukee will need to widen the search and keep pushing until it finds the right fit.
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Jaquez also gives Milwaukee something practical at small forward, which matters just as much as the stylistic comparison. The gap, of course, is in the areas that made Middleton such a rare piece for the Bucks, especially his defensive impact and perimeter shooting. Even so, if the goal is to find someone who can occupy that role without forcing the rest of the offense to change shape, Jaquez looks like one of the more natural candidates to keep an eye on as the Bucks move forward. [Read more 🡒]