How can the veterans step up?
It’s been a busy offseason for the Milwaukee Bucks as they changed the direction of the franchise by trading superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.
In dealing Giannis, the team officially closed the window on remaining competitive for at least this upcoming season, opting to enter a partial rebuild with younger players.
In trading Giannis and veteran Bobby Portis, Milwaukee injected plenty of youth into the lineup as they acquired Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakučionis.
Herro is the veteran of the group at only 26 years old.
Along with four players still in their 20s, Milwaukee picked up a number of first-round picks, including the 13th overall pick in the 2026 draft, which they used to select forward Nate Ament. The Bucks already had the 10th overall pick, which was used to select guard Brayden Burries.
With a young squad, Milwaukee will need veterans to lead.
Pressure On Kyle Kuzma And Myles Turner
Kuzma and Turner were brought into Milwaukee with designs to play playoff basketball. Milwaukee acquired Kuzma in exchange for Khris Middleton, a beloved player in Milwaukee, at the 2025 deadline, and then signed Turner to pair up with Giannis in the 2025 offseason.
Neither has worked out as expected, and now both players are tasked with trying to balance leading a team that won’t be competitive with increasing their value in hopes of landing on another team that can be competitive.
Kuzma and Turner can get their individual numbers. Kuzma proved as much in Washington. But this season shouldn’t be about individual numbers for him. He needs to fit in on a team that will be looking to highlight Herro, Jaquez Jr, Ryan Rollins, and Burries.
Turner needs a bounce-back season after failing to make any kind of impact last year. The Bucks signed him to a lucrative deal, and the return on investment isn’t looking good right now.
The Best Thing For Them
Just fit in and be professional.
The Bucks are going to be the sum of their parts this season, and the veterans are just part of the team. Kuzma and Turner need to put the team and the young players first, trusting new head coach Taylor Jenkins as he navigates the next chapter of Milwaukee basketball.
If they are able to do that, they’ll make a positive impact on the young players and the organization. If they decide to be out for their own numbers of hopes of upping their own individual value, it could be detrimental to the organization.
