A new era in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Bucks are starting fresh after trading franchise legend Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat and making two first-round selections in the 2026 NBA Draft, reshaping a roster that went 32-50 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The return from the Giannis deal brought Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, and Kasparas Jakucionis to Milwaukee, while the draft added Arizona guard Brayden Burries at No. 10 and Tennessee forward Nate Ament at No. 13.
New head coach Taylor Jenkins takes over after the departure of Doc Rivers and brings 250 wins in six seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, giving the Bucks a proven leader who knows how to develop young talent.
The Starting Five Has Real Talent
This roster has more pieces than most people think, led by Ryan Rollins who had a breakout year and put up 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 40.6 percent from three, making him the clear lead guard going forward.
Pair him with Herro, a 2025 All-Star who has averaged 20.5 points and 4.1 assists per game across his career, and Milwaukee suddenly has one of the better backcourts in the Eastern Conference.
On the wing, Jaquez averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists last season and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, so stepping into a full-time starting role should only help those numbers grow.
Myles Turner anchors the middle and brings floor spacing with 1.6 blocks per game and 38.3 percent shooting from deep, while Kyle Kuzma fills the four spot after averaging 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds as a veteran who can create his own shot.
Who Could Surprise
Jaquez is the name to watch because he has never had a full-time starting role at the NBA level, and now he will get every chance to prove himself as a key piece of the rebuild.
Rollins already showed he can be a building block for this franchise after nearly tripling his scoring average from the year before, and at just 23 years old there is still plenty of room to grow under Jenkins.
Burries is a two-way guard who shot 39.1 percent from three at Arizona and could push for rotation minutes right away, while Ament gives the Bucks a 6-foot-10 forward with real developmental upside who scored the third-most points ever by a Tennessee freshman.
Why This Team Could Be Better Than Expected
Nobody expects Milwaukee to contend right away, but writing them off as a bottom-tier team would be a mistake.
Jenkins led the Grizzlies to three straight playoff appearances from 2021 to 2023 and has a track record of getting the most out of young rosters, and this group has a nice blend of proven scorers in Herro, Rollins, and Kuzma alongside high-upside young players in Ware, Jakucionis, Burries, and Ament.
If Herro stays healthy after playing just 33 games last season and Jaquez takes the expected leap into a starting role, this team could catch a lot of people off guard heading into next season.
