What will the Milwaukee Bucks starting lineup look like this upcoming season?
The Milwaukee Bucks made the biggest move of the offseason, trading franchise legend and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.
Giannis was traded alongside veteran Bobby Portis in exchange for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, and Kasparas Jakučionis, alongside Miami’s No. 13 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round swap, and a 2033 second-round pick.
The Bucks used the 13th overall pick in the 2026 draft to select Nate Ament, a forward out of Tennessee. The Bucks had the 10th pick in the draft, which they used to select guard Brayden Burries.
Alongside trading Giannis and bringing back four players, Milwaukee re-signed Ousmane Dieng, who had a strong close to the season after he was acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 2026-27 Starting Lineup
The starting lineup on opening night probably won't be the same starting lineup a month into the season, but as things stand, here is how it could shake out:
PG - Ryan Rollins
SG - Tyler Herro
SF - Ousmane Dieng
PF - Kyle Kuzma
C - Myles Turner
Rollins and Herro are entrenched as the starting guards. Rollins started 67 of 74 games last season and was one of the most improved players of the year, with his scoring average jumping from 6.2 in 2024-25 to 17.3 last season.
Herro is unlikely to come off the bench in favor of Buries, who has high upside, but is not an established NBA player like Herro is.
Jaquez Jr could easily start at small forward over Dieng, but Jaquez Jr is a proven bench option who finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting last year. Dieng gets the spot for the sake of consistency.
Kuzma and Turner start best on their salary status, but Dieng could easily slide down to power forward and Ament will be waiting in the wings to challenge Kuzma. The same goes for Ware challenging Turner for the starting spot.
More Changes?
This is the starting lineup as of July 6, but the offseason is far from over. Turner and Kuzma were still in trade rumors as the Bucks continue to try to get younger. Even if both remain on the team, Milwaukee is likely going to prioritize the development of Ware, Dieng, Buries, and Ament over players who aren't long-term solutions.
Though the Bucks have made a significant change by trading Giannis, they have added more depth and youth to the team, which should benefit the team in the future.
