This offseason will one of the critical ones in recent memory for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 2025-26 season was a deeply disappointing one for the franchise between their 32-50 finish, missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade and constantly contending with rumors around Giannis Antetokounmpo's growing discontent with the team and his several injuries.

The Bucks have already begun the rehabilitation of their franchise by hiring Taylor Jenkins to be the new head coach of the team. Following this, it would be reasonable to expect that the Bucks would be gearing up for an aggressive offseason with an attractive free agent market and the possibility of enhancing the team through trades.

When it comes to the trade market, the Bucks should be willing to part with a large swatch of their roster in order to introduce some new blood into the organization, but there's one player who should be off-limits in trade talks: Ryan Rollins. 

The 23-year-old guard is in his third season with the Bucks, joining the team in 2023 after stints with both the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards and finally received the opportunities he's been waiting for. 

He started in 67 of the 74 games he played in 2025-26 and as a result experienced a breakout season. He averaged 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, all career-highs by wide margins, and emerged as the Bucks' leading scorer and assister among qualified players.

As much as the Bucks need to enhance their roster, they still need to retain some core pieces to build around as well. The roster is severely thin in that regard, with Antetokounmpo and Rollins standing out as the only true mainstays the team could build around. 

Investing in Rollins' youth and emerging talent can pay dividends in the long run, especially with the addition of Jenkins, who has been lauded for his talent at developing young players. 

Rollins is only just getting started and considering his comfort level and growing confidence as a trusted option in the Bucks' starting lineup, continuing to reward that growth with more opportunities and a roster build around him would be a step toward the future for Milwaukee.

Retaining Rollins' youth is also crucial because he could be the face of the franchise in an Antetokounmpo-less future. The Greek star has made it clear he wants to play for a contender and that puts the Bucks on the clock to put together a team that entices him to stay.

Even still, there's no guarantee that Antetokounmpo won't request a trade next season should things go awry again or leave the Bucks outright when his contract falls to a player option for the 2027-28 season. 

Keeping Rollins aboard is a way for the Bucks to ensure that even if they part ways with their franchise star at some point, they won't be fully left out in the cold.