This season, the Milwaukee Bucks are entering a new phase in the franchise after trading star player and former Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. After a 32-50 season in 2025-2026, the Bucks were a lottery team for the first time in 10 years and drafted two rookies to kick-start their rebuild. 

The Bucks drafted guard Brayden Burries from Arizona and forward Nate Ament from Tennessee. The team also got back multiple players from the Miami Heat in the Giannis deal, including Tyler Herro and young forward Kel'el Ware. 

This is a team with a lot of turnover on the roster from last season, and since this is the first year of their rebuild, many believe the Bucks will have a hard time finding their footing this next season. 

Former Bucks guard Brandon Jennings recently took to X and shared his optimism about the state of the franchise and how far they could go in 2026-2027. He believes this team will make the playoffs this year, considering who they added to their roster and how the Eastern Conference stacks up against them. 

While the Bucks are not seen by many as a team that can go far this season, their roster does have a lot of upside. Milwaukee has multiple players who are coming off career years and can build on them in 2026. 

Ryan Rollins has spent the last two full seasons with Milwaukee, and this past season, he developed as the team's starting point guard. Rollins was productive, as he averaged 17.3 points per game. 

Kel'el Ware is also a player who has a chance to break out for Milwaukee in a new situation. Ware is one of the most talented young forwards in the NBA and is coming off his second season in the NBA, in which he averaged a near double-double. 

If you couple that with big rookie performances from either Brayden Burries or Nate Ament this upcoming season, the Bucks could be a surprising team in the NBA. 

Veteran players like Tyler Herro and Myles Turner can also be productive for Milwaukee next season as well. The issue the Bucks may run into next season is their lack of a number one option. 

Milwaukee is hopeful that Tyler Herro can step up and be the team's leader on offense, but if he cannot fulfill that role, the Bucks could have a hard time winning big games. The franchise may go through growing pains next season, but there is hope that their roster can surprise many next season.