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Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 15, 2025

Six guards the Bucks should target with the 47th pick

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Milwaukee could use some backcourt insurance for next season

The 2025 NBA draft is less than two weeks away. If you haven’t yet done your research on this year’s class, don’t worry— Brew Hoop is here to help you cram. For the last month, we’ve been covering every prospect the Bucks have worked out. Now, we’ll be breaking down players the team should be targeting with the 47th pick. While Milwaukee may try to move up in the draft or trade out of it entirely, history also says Jon Horst likes to have at least one second-rounder each year.

While uncovering a star in the depths of the draft is unlikely, there is still real value available. Ryan Rollins was the 44th pick in 2022. Jericho Sims was the 58th pick in 2021. Recent 47th picks include Antonio Reeves (2024), Vince Williams Jr. (2022), and Svi Mykhailiuk (2018). The goal of this series will be to identify 47th pick targets for the Bucks who have a chance at becoming rotation-caliber players or at least sticking in the league for multiple seasons. It will be split up into three parts, each one covering a different position. Let’s kick things off by talking about some guards.

Why should the Bucks draft a guard? Damian Lillard is slated to miss most of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from his Achilles injury. Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., and Ryan Rollins are all hitting free agency this summer. The state of Milwaukee’s guard room for next year is up in the air, and adding a guy at that position through the draft would provide some insurance in case Dame misses more time than expected and not all of the free agents return.

Here are six guard prospects the Bucks should be considering at 47:

Kam Jones (dream target)

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Height: 6’4”

School: Marquette

Year: Senior

ESPN big board rank: 47

Bucks workout participant? No

Jones is a dream target because most mocks have him going somewhere in the early second round or even late in the first. If he fell to 47, he could end up being a major steal for the Bucks. Jones made two all-conference teams in his college career and was a consensus All-American in 2024–25. His combination of on-ball prowess, off-ball comfort, and experience would make him a great option for Milwaukee in the backcourt.

Strengths

Pick-and-roll scoring and playmaking

Decision making

Catch-and-shoot ability

Finishing

Ball handling

Weaknesses

Reliant on screens

Overall athleticism

Pullup efficiency

Positional size (if he plays more SG than PG)

Fit with Bucks: Outside of Kevin Porter Jr., Milwaukee had zero reliable ball handlers or creators off their bench last season. Kam Jones shouldered a massive creation load as a senior—his usage rate was 28.9% (for reference, Damian Lillard’s was 27.8% this past season). If his limited isolation juice and lack of explosiveness doesn’t emerge as big problems, Jones will be able to lead bench units in the regular season with his ability to pressure the rim and playmake out of the pick-and-roll. Additionally, he could play next to Giannis and a healthy Dame because he’s a good shooter off the catch. In 2023–24, when he played big minutes next to Tyler Kolek (who is now on the Knicks) in the backcourt, Jones shot 40.6% from deep.

Chaz Lanier

Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Height: 6’5”

School: Tennessee

Year: Graduate

ESPN big board rank: 37

Bucks workout participant? No

Lanier spent his first four college seasons at North Florida before transferring up to Tennessee for his last dance. As a graduate, Lanier was one of the best scorers in the country. He averaged 20.7 PPG during the Volunteers’ Elite Eight run and dropped 29 points and six triples in their first round matchup vs Wofford. He was named to the All-SEC second team and Wooden All-American first team.

Strengths

Positional size (6’9” wingspan)

Catch-and-shoot ability

Pullup shooting

Three-level scoring

Ball handling

Weaknesses

Playmaking

Shot selection and decision making

Defensive engagement

Physicality

Fit with Bucks: If Gary Trent Jr. leaves in free agency, Lanier could replace some of his production. He’s a flamethrower of a shooter who buries easy spot-ups and difficult movement shots at an elite level. The Nashville native knows his strengths and is ready to be a pro. His strengths do not include on-ball creation, especially for others, so he wouldn’t be the backup ball handler the Bucks are looking for.

Tyrese Proctor

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Height: 6’5”

School: Duke

Year: Junior

ESPN big board rank: 43

Bucks workout participant? No

Proctor was once projected to be a first round pick or even a lottery guy, but he never made “the leap” in college that people expected. He did, however, have a rock-solid junior campaign for a dominant Duke squad. The Australian native averaged 12.4 PPG and shot 40.5% from deep for the season. In March Madness, he went 13/16 from three in Duke’s first two games.

Strengths

Passing and decision making

Catch-and-shoot ability

Pullup shooting

Burst and ability to play with pace

Weaknesses

Physicality

Shooting consistency

Defense

Fit with Bucks: Defining a clear role for Proctor is a bit difficult because he’s a tweener guard. His lack of strength hinders him significantly defensively so he’s not an ideal two guard. He’s not enough of a true playmaker to be a full-time point guard right away. On top of those things, he was only an above-average shooter in one of his three college seasons. If he pans out, Proctor would be another Ryan Rollins or maybe a Gary Trent Jr. variant if his shot is real.

Javon Small

William Purnell-Imagn Images

Height: 6’2”

School: West Virginia

Year: Senior

ESPN big board rank: 49

Bucks workout participant? No

Small has been one of the late risers in this year’s class— he’s quickly risen from a sleeper to a second-round lock. The 2024–25 All-Big 12 honoree had an electric senior season at West Virginia, averaging 18.6 PPG and 5.6 APG while contributing across the board.

Strengths

Athleticism

Downhill finishing

Physicality

Playmaking

Competitiveness

Point-of-attack defense

Shooting

Weaknesses

Positional size

Efficiency

Fit with Bucks: Milwaukee has been lacking in the hustle, energy, and athleticism departments for a couple years now. Small could be the jolt the team needs with his relentless playstyle and vertical pop. He is 6’1” barefoot, so his impact could be mitigated at the next level, but sometimes guys who have that dawg in them flat-out beat the odds. Just look at T.J. McConnell, who is currently balling out in the Finals. If everything goes right, Small could play an energizer role off the bench similar to that of McConnell and Kevin Porter Jr.

Hunter Sallis

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Height: 6’5”

School: Wake Forest

Year: Senior

ESPN big board rank: 58

Bucks workout participant? Yes

Sallis has become one of the favorite draft targets of Bucks fans online. The 6’5” guard was very impactful in his junior and senior seasons for Wake Forest, averaging 18+ PPG and making an all-conference team in both years. Like Javon Small, Sallis has climbed up draft boards in the past month and is firmly a second round prospect.

Strengths

Downhill finishing

Mid-range scoring

Defensive playmaking

Transition play

Weaknesses

Shooting consistency

Physicality

Playmaking

Fit with Bucks: Sallis is another guy cut from the Kevin Porter Jr. cloth. He provides an offensive spark and shakes up games with his ability to get downhill whenever he wants. Unfortunately, he isn’t in the same tier as KPJ or Javon Small as an overall scorer. Sallis hit 40.5% of his threes as a junior but shot below 28% in all three of his other seasons. He would need to grow as a shooter and also a playmaker to be the backup guard the Bucks need.

Max Shulga

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Height: 6’5”

School: VCU

Year: Graduate

ESPN big board rank: 81

Bucks workout participant? Yes

Shulga is a polished, experienced, and efficient combo guard. As a graduate, he averaged 15.0 PPG and 4.0 APG on his way to winning Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year. He was the leader of a VCU team that made their second NCAA tournament appearance of the 2020s so far.

Strengths

Catch-and-shoot ability

Pullup shooting

Playmaking

Mid-range shooting

Defensive playmaking

Getting to the rim

Weaknesses

On-ball defense

Physicality

Finishing

Athleticism

Fit with Bucks: Shulga has all the skill-based traits required to be a rotation piece for the Bucks (or any other team) early on. However, he’s lacking in the athleticism department. He’s not strong or quick enough to make an impact on defense and he struggles with physicality on offense. The Ukrainian’s day-one-contributor potential is high enough to make him a candidate at 47, but he would also be a great get as an undrafted free agent should he fall out of the draft.

Which of these prospects would you draft at 47? Who was left off this list? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for the wings/forwards article coming next!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/14/...s-guards-kam-jones-chaz-lanier-tyrese-proctor

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 15, 2025

Bucks Reacts Survey: Fans would hard-cap team to retain Gary Trent Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr.

Milwaukee could retain two key guards from their full midlevel exception

Earlier this week, we polled you about the Bucks’ two prominent (unrestricted) free agent guards: Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. Each finished the season as not only rotation mainstays but the starting backcourt. The lineup that featured them alongside Giannis, Bobby Portis, and AJ Green was instrumental in the Bucks’ eight-game win streak to close the season and one of their few positive units in the playoffs. Naturally, most fans seem to want them both back.

But at what cost, though? As explained the other day, the Bucks don’t have Bird or Early Bird rights on either to retain them without going over the cap, so for them to get a salary commensurate with their likely market value, the franchise has to use one of their cap exceptions. Those would be the $5.1m biannual exception or the midlevel exception of up to $14.1m. While that would probably be enough for either, going beyond $5.7m of that exception hard caps the team at the first apron. While they project to have plenty of room beneath that, is it worth it for either guard? Let’s see what you had to say.

It’s interesting that the number is a fair bit lower for KPJ, perhaps reflecting his domestic violence arrest, which is still under league investigation and could result in a suspension. But also because he would seem to be the heir apparent to start at point guard next year with Damian Lillard likely to miss most of the season, if not all. It’s not entirely clear what either’s market is, but KPJ declined his $2.5m player option, so he’s confident in getting higher than the minimum. $8–10m has been thrown around among pundits for GTJ’s next starting salary.

Important to note that the Bucks could spend over that $5.7m figure on both guys and use up the entirety of that $14.1m. $9m on Trent and $5m on Porter, say. Then they’d be hard capped at spending no more than $195.9m on the roster, but with those two figures, they’d have just over $35m to fill out five more roster spots and reach the mandated minimum of 14 players, not including Bobby Portis’ player option (but including Pat Connaughton’s). Their biannual exception would still be available, they could aggregate salaries in a trade, and they could take back more money in a trade than they send out.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/13/...gary-trent-jr-kevin-porter-jr-nba-free-agency

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 17, 2025

Bucks Free Agent Forecast: Gary Trent Jr.

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

How much of a raise will Trent get on the open market?

Welcome to the sixth article in our Bucks Free Agent Forecast series. If you haven’t been on the site recently, we’ve already done articles on Taurean Prince, Brook Lopez, Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis, and Ryan Rollins. In this one, we’ll look at arguably the biggest free agent the Milwaukee Bucks will look to re-sign, Gary Trent Jr.

Gary Trent Jr., 6’5” guard, 26 years old

What ended up turning into the best offseason move for the Bucks was their last move, signing Trent on July 17 to a veteran minimum deal. If you were to tell me that GTJ would wind up being the best of the new cast of characters after his first month of the season, I wouldn’t have believed it. There was a reason so early into his Bucks tenure (eight games into the season), that he was demoted to the bench in favor of second-year guard Andre Jackson Jr. Between the first five games of October and the entire month of November, Trent shot an abysmal 38.2% from the field and was averaging just 8.2 PPG.

Trent seemed to flip the switch in the final calendar month of 2024, as he shot a scorching 50% from the three-point line and 45.3% from the field in the 12 games he played in (Milwaukee went 7-5 in those contests). That December seemed to get Trent back on track for the rest of the season, as from January 2 against the Brooklyn Nets to April 11 against the Detroit Pistons, he held averages of 12.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, shot 43.5% from the field and 41.8% from three (2.7 makes per game on 6.4 attempts). Despite remaining on the bench for only two games since his demotion in November, Trent was a key cog for the Bucks all season long and was part of the closing lineup for almost every game. After Lillard was diagnosed with blood clots and sat out the final 14 games of the regular season, Trent became part of a closing lineup that included Kevin Porter, Bobby Portis, Giannis, and AJ Green that helped the Bucks win seven straight games before they all sat out in game 82 against the Pistons.

Then came a rematch with the Indiana Pacers in the first round. After the Bucks fell behind 0-2 on Indiana’s home floor, Doc Rivers made the call to bench Taurean Prince—who had started most of the regular season—for Trent. Safe to say the move paid off big time in Game 3, with GTJ and Giannis combining for 74 points, thanks to the former Raptor shooting 11/16 from the field and 9/12 from the three-point line in the Bucks' 117-101 win. That was the end of the good vibes for the Bucks in the series, as Lillard tore his Achilles in Game 4 in a 129-103 loss to the Pacers, allowing Indiana to go up 3-1 in the series.

With their backs against the wall, Doc Rivers threw Bobby Portis and AJ Green into the starting lineup. Trent started well in the first quarter, dropping in six points as the Bucks went into the break up 30-13. But he went cold from there, combining for three points on 1/10 shooting between the second and third quarter, allowing Indy to come back and tie the game heading into the fourth quarter. He did come alive in the fourth and overtime, going for 24 points on 8/11 shooting from beyond the arc to give the Bucks a chance to win and force a Game 6. Yet, we all know what happened: the Pacers scored eight points in 34 seconds, with Trent dropping a pass between his legs that led to the game-winning layup from Haliburton over Giannis. It was such a crushing end to a season for Trent, who did everything he could in the fourth quarter and OT to get the Bucks to live another game, just for the ball to squirt between his legs, Bill Buckner style.

Role

If Trent does sign on the dotted line once again with the Bucks, he is the starting shooting guard day one. Whoever will be next to him in the backcourt is yet to be determined, with Ryan Rollins heading to restricted free agency and Porter left with a $2.5m player option he will reportedly decline. Outside of his starting role, GTJ will be relied upon to be a secondary scorer and ball handler in certain situations. He was also a decent pull-up mid-range shooter, hitting shots from ten feet to the three-point line at a 43.6% clip (20.5% of his shots came from this range—1.62 attempts per game). Trent would also take on the tougher defensive assignment for every team's guard (no more Taurean Prince guarding Tyrese Haliburton!), especially if they roll with KPJ as the starting point guard. There are other options the Bucks could look to at point guard (a reunion with Malcom Brogdon, perhaps?), but that’s for another time to discuss.

Potential Suitors

Almost any contender in the league who has access to their non-taxpayer mid-level exception will be circling the wagons on Trent. To clear a few teams out of the way, the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Phoenix Suns are all currently projected to be over the second luxury tax apron and will not have access to any sort of mid-level exception unless they cut salary dramatically. With the taxpayer mid-level exception likely to be short of what Trent would be worth in free agency at $5.7m, we can also cut out the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. These teams would hard-cap themselves at the first apron if they go beyond that $5.7m figure for GTJ, but then wouldn’t have the room to fill out a 14-man roster.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team that would make sense if you look at their three-point shooting stats, hitting threes at the fourth-worst rate in the league at 34.1%, just ahead of the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and the Magic. Yet, they have the 25-year-old pending restricted free agent Quentin Grimes to re-sign, which could eat up a lot of the Sixers' space beneath the first apron. That would put them in the same situation as New York and Denver, thus cutting them from the Trent sweepstakes.

Another Bucks rival could be looking to scoop up the sharp-shooting Trent, and it wouldn't be the first time that they’ve signed a former Bucks guard coming off a one-year deal. The Detroit Pistons, even with Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. on the team, attempted the ninth fewest threes in the league (35.4), made the 11th fewest per game (12.8), and finished 16th in the league in percentage (36.2%). Detroit could simply swap out THJ for GTJ and have a shooting guard rotation of two former Bucks if they opt to bring Beasley back.

Trent could also head back to the Western Conference, but instead of heading back to Portland, he could go down to Texas and play with the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs had the association’s 11th-worst three-point percentage and have plenty of space beneath the first apron to give Trent the full MLE of $14.1 million. They could still do it even if they made a trade with the Suns for Kevin Durant, with a trade of, say, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and a first-round pick, which would only add about $3.8m to the Spurs' salary. A team with a starting lineup of De’Aron Fox, GTJ, Keldon Johnson, KD, and Victor Wembanyama (if healthy) could make some noise and potentially give a higher seed fits in the first round, if they’re not a higher seed themselves. Suffice it to say that there will be plenty of teams, obvious or dark horse in our eyes, that will be in pursuit of Trent this off-season.

Potential Contract

There is no doubt that Trent has earned a big raise over his veteran minimum, which he signed with the Bucks in the middle of last July. The Bucks have access to the full MLE, so if another team throws the full amount at GTJ, the Bucks could do so as well. If Portis opts out, and factoring in reported opt-out from Porter and opt-in from Pat Connaughton, Milwaukee’s eight players under contract for 2025–26 would put them $44.4m under the first apron. As mentioned above, they’d become hard-capped there if they gave Trent any more than $5.7m of the MLE.

Now, the question is whether Gary even gets the full MLE is up in the air. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton said that he should comfortably get in a happy medium between that minimum deal and the $18.6m he made in his final year with the Raptors. If I were a guessing man (and I am), I would imagine Trent gets somewhere in the realm of $8–10 million per year, which is a substantial raise, while allowing whatever team he goes to to use more of the full MLE on other players, especially if he stays with the Bucks.

That range seems to be pretty on point, as Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Matt Moore of HP Basketball on Twitter reported that Bucks ownership would like to sign Trent in that exact range:

In a perfect world where Trent remains with the Bucks long term, I would hope he gets a three-year, $27m deal, setting him up to be the long-term shooting guard the Bucks have been looking for since dealing Grayson Allen in the Damian Lillard trade.

What are your thoughts on Gary Trent Jr. coming back to the Bucks? Do you think he would take a discount to stay in Milwaukee and his old Portland teammate in Lillard, or look for greener pastures on a title contender? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/17/24445717/nba-free-agency-milwaukee-bucks-gary-trent-jr

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 19, 2025

Site Announcement: Welcome Brew Hoop’s newest contributors!

We embiggened!

As you might have seen, Brew Hoop put out a call for new contributors a few weeks ago, and we’re thrilled to introduce a whole slate of new names from all around the world! Yes, we’re even more international now. Without further ado, here they are, in their own words!

Dawid Księżarczyk - @daveknot2309

Dzień dobry,

Before I let you know how excited I am to join the Brew Hoop team, I want to share that I’ve been following the Bucks since 2002—yes, I chose this life voluntarily. From Kukoc corner threes to Gadzuric fouling out in 11 minutes, I’ve seen things. I once ran a Bucks fan page from Poland (bucks.pl), which about 12 people read. And now, after two decades and many heartbreaks, I get to write here.

I’ll be your neighborhood nerd of weird lineups, deep-dive nostalgia, overlooked eras, the Monta Ellis years (yes, really), broken dreams, and pre-Giannis despair. Expect too many words and at least three obscure stats per post.

I’m thrilled (and honestly a bit emotional) to now be part of the team. Joining a community of die-hard Bucks fans, where Bucks mean something more than just a basketball team, is a huge deal for me.

Thanks for having me. I brought pierogi.

Finn Kuehl - @FinleyKuehl

What’s up Bucks fans! You may have seen my byline already as I’ve been writing for Brew Hoop since March. I’m an incoming sophomore studying journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a school that already has a strong presence within the BH team. I’ve been covering the NBA for my personal blog, benchmobblog.com, for over four years. Additionally, I spent time with SB Nation’s Pounding The Rock, LG Hoops, and Utility Sports in the past. I’m super passionate about the Bucks, the NBA, and basketball in general, and I’m super excited to be a part of the Brew Hoop community! Go Bucks!

Zac Day

Brew Hoopers, I’m thrilled to be on board! This site has been a staple of my life for years, so know that I’m invested. Considering how many stat-heads we have around here, what better way to introduce myself? Numbers lie, but these don’t. Here’s my “box score”:

2003 – the year I became obsessed with the NBA. Being Australian and living without internet made this hard.

66 – the issue number of my first SLAM magazine, and why I fell in love with writing (I still have the collection).

22 – Pontel DVDs I spent my teenage pocket money on so that I could watch my guys (Boris Diaw, Marquis Daniels, Chuck Hayes, etc.).

67 – losses I sat through during my first official year as a Bucks fan.

15 – years I’ve taught English literature and PE (or should I say “gym?”).

2 – trips to the US to watch live games (including our honeymoon—shout-out to my wife!). Giannis’ game-winner at MSG still replays vividly in my mind.

2 – kids in my arms, tears in our (okay, my) eyes, celebrating 2021—the perfect memory. Bucks in 6 forever!

If you have any questions, I’m all ears! Hopefully, my writing resonates, and I can add to the incredible product that is Brew Hoop.

Editor’s note: like Jack Trehearne, Zac also lives in Adelaide, South Australia. That means we have almost as many people Down Under (in the same city, even!) as we do in Milwaukee. Stay tuned for the grand opening of the Brew Hoop Adelaide Bureau.

Mia Thurow

Hi Bucks fans! My name is Mia, and I’m a student at Marquette University in Milwaukee studying journalism, sports communication, and Spanish. I’ve had the privilege of reporting on and working at NBA and NCAA basketball games, the Big East and NCAA Tournaments, and a number of other sports-related events. I’m very excited to get started at Brew Hoop and share my love of the Bucks with others through my writing. Bucks in Six!

Drew Gentile - @drew_gentile_

Hello Bucks fans! I am super excited to be joining Brew Hoop as a contributor to talk hoops with you all. I am entering my junior year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I am studying journalism with a certificate in sports communication. I have been writing for The Badger Herald student newspaper, covering UW sports and contributing to a UW men’s basketball podcast as part of my involvement in the Sports Media Club at UW, but this is my first opportunity to write about NBA basketball for publication. I received a warm welcome from the Brew Hoop team and can not wait to start writing about the Bucks amidst an important offseason!

Nate Lemin

Howdy Brew Hoop readers! Nate here: I’m a writer, editor, and lifelong Bucks fan from Appleton, WI. Now based in Arizona, I write about gear, adventure, fitness, and the outdoors. Basketball is my first love, and I am stoked to join the Brew Hoop team as a contributor. I can’t wait to get even more intertwined with my favorite team, and I look forward to connecting with readers this year. As ever: Bucks in 6!

Dan Simmons - @MadDanWrites

Hey Bucks fans! After stints as an insufferable Celtics fan and a long-suffering T-Wolves fan, I now live in Milwaukee and love the Bucks. I’m excited to live here for the Giannis era after a childhood in Minnesota worshipping another #34, Kirby Puckett. When not at Fiserv Forum or surfing basketball-reference.com, I’m either with my family in Shorewood or covering Wisconsin’s political circus for the New York Times. Catch up on my work at authory.com/dansimmons.

Please join us in welcoming our new staff! We’re really looking forward to reading their work, which you’ll start seeing immediately.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/18/24447526/milwaukee-bucks-brew-hoop-new-writers-contributors

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 19, 2025

June 2025 Update: Bucks Roster, Salaries, Cap Space, Luxury Tax Bill, Available Draft Picks, and more

Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

A one-stop shop for all your salary sheet questions

You love NBA free agency and trades. I love NBA free agency and trades. We all do. Sickos like me love it so much that we delve into legal documents to figure out exactly what is permitted and what isn’t. But all of us want all the information about the team-building options available to our favorite franchises at our fingertips whenever we need them.

With that in mind, SB Nation has partnered with SalarySwish, and alongside their data we attempt to answer every single question you could possibly have about the Bucks’ financial situation. Questions about the first or second apron and the Bucks’ relationship to them? How few draft picks do they have available to trade? How much money is on the books after next summer? The answers are here, and it’s an updating, living, and breathing document with all relevant context as the Bucks move ahead. I recommend you bookmark this page to keep up with all the latest changes!

Now that the Bucks' season is over and they look forward to 2025–26, let’s take a glance at where they stand...

Bucks Roster, Salaries, Draft Picks, Cap Space & More

Here is a table with all of the Bucks’ salary information, courtesy of our friends at SalarySwish:

That’s a lot to swallow, so let’s dive into a few key pieces and what they mean, which could answer any questions that pop into your head while reading.

Do the Bucks have any cap room? If not, when will they?

No, not currently. The NBA’s salary cap for 2024–25 is approximately $140.6m, and with the Bucks’ present payroll of $183.2m, they’re way over the cap. While some option decisions could technically put them under the cap this offseason, they will want to retain the cap holds on their free agents in case they want to re-sign them, so they won’t have any functional cap room this summer. It’s more likely that they will next have cap room in the summer of 2026, when the only guaranteed players on the books are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma, plus Damian Lillard if he exercises his player option.

Are the Bucks paying the luxury tax? If so, how much is their bill?

Firstly, they are indeed over the NBA’s luxury tax line of $170.8m by about $11m. Since the Bucks have been in the tax since their 2021 championship season, they are subject to a repeater penalty, increasing their bill for every dollar spent over the line. That $11m overage works out to a $29.4m tax payment, making the 2024–25 roster cost a whopping $212.9m altogether when factoring in each player’s salary plus the Bucks’ overage penalties. In 2025–26, they may be a taxpayer again with $155.5m currently on the books and four roster spots to fill, and the tax threshold is projected at $187.9m.

Are the Bucks over the first or second apron above the luxury tax?

After the 2025 trade deadline, the Bucks were over the first apron. For 2024–25, the first apron is $178.1m, and the second apron is $188.9m. While their 15-man roster makes $183.2m, unlikely incentives (like the $2.7m built into Kyle Kuzma’s contract) and cap-tax variance credits (like the $1.4m they received for Bobby Portis’ 25-game suspension) are included when calculating any team’s “apron salary.” Thus, they finished about $7.8m over the first apron but about $3m under the second apron, where they were hard-capped. For 2025–26, they aren’t hard-capped anywhere and would only trigger one by making any roster move associated with either apron. You can read more about those moves here.

Can the Bucks use the mid-level exception or bi-annual exception? Do they have any trade exceptions?

The Bucks can use either of those exceptions this offseason: some of them would hard-cap them at the first apron (more on this below), and some at the second. They would be hard-capped at the first apron if they wanted to use anything more than $5.6m (the taxpayer portion) of the mid-level or their $5.2m bi-annual exception. If they use any portion of their mid-level exception, they would face a second apron hard cap. They have four trade exceptions, which all expire in February 2025, but the only truly useful one is the $7.2m exception generated in February’s trade with Washington and New York. Using this will also hard-cap them at the first apron.

Are the Bucks hard-capped?

They were in 2024–25 because they sent cash to New York for Delon Wright, which triggered a hard cap at the second apron (you can find out what those are here), so their apron salary (currently $185.9m) couldn’t cross $188.9m under any circumstances. For 2025–26, they haven’t made any moves yet that would hard cap them at either apron, but using any of their exceptions would, as would acquiring more salary in a trade than they’re sending away.

I heard the second apron restricts the Bucks from trading or aggregating multiple players. How does this work?

That’s mostly right, but by getting under it at the 2025 trade deadline, they can aggregate freely this offseason. Doing this hard-caps them at the second apron, so their team salary would have to be below the $188.9m second apron (or next year’s second apron figure, estimated at $207.8m) at the conclusion of the transaction. Milwaukee can trade two or more players if whatever salary they receive in return isn’t more expensive than the most expensive player they’re trading, because teams above the first apron cannot take back more salary than they send out. If they sent out Pat Connaughton and Chris Livingston this summer, for example, they could take back up to $9.4m (Connaughton’s salary) without needing to aggregate. Livingston wouldn’t be needed to salary-match.

Will the Bucks be beneath the first or second apron next year?

It seems guaranteed that Milwaukee will drop under the first apron in the summer of 2025. Current projections have the first apron at $195.9m and the second apron at $207.8m, while the Bucks currently have $155.5m guaranteed for six players in 2025–26. That includes Bobby Portis’ and Connaughton’s player options. If either opts out and leaves in free agency, the Bucks will have even more room to operate under the first apron this summer.

AJ Green, Jackson, and Livingston have team options that total $6.7m. If all of them are picked up, the Bucks would have $162.2m committed to nine guys and would need to fill at least four more roster spots. They would have the veteran’s minimum, full mid-level exception (projected to be $14.4m), and bi-annual exception to use in free agency, plus they could aggregate players in trades. Again, using the full MLE would hard-cap them at the first apron, as would taking back more than 100% of their outgoing salary in a trade. Aggregating salaries to match salaries would hard-cap them at the second apron.

What draft picks can the Bucks currently trade?

The Bucks can trade their own first-round pick in the 2031 NBA Draft, but no other firsts. While they do control first-round picks in the 2026, 2028, and 2030 drafts, meaning they will be able to draft a player in those years, the selections themselves are encumbered by pick swaps, so they cannot be traded, only re-swapped again as occurred in the Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma deal. The second-round picks the Bucks can currently trade are in 2025, 2026, and 2031. At the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Draft, they will also be able to trade their first and second-round picks in 2032.

If you found this page useful, please bookmark and/or share it, and if you have any questions or information you’d like to see included, let us know in the comments below!

Updated June 19, 2025.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/24100965/milwaukee-bucks-roster-salaries-cap-space-nba-draft-picks

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 20, 2025

Questions of tomorrow

An unlikely literary crossover

If the constant news cycle has taught us anything, it’s that next reigns supreme. What will next year bring? Which player(s) will boom? Which will bust? We fascinate ourselves with the unknown; live for what may be. Want it all. Now.

Shakespeare spoke to this notion some 400 years ago; his eponymous tragic hero, Macbeth, enthralled by prophecies’ promises. But it’s what happens later that we must heed. Castle seized upon, wife dead, his own death a nearing formality, he soliloquises about the meaninglessness of it all:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time,

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

After three first-round exits, an asset cupboard left bare, and Dame tearing his Achilles, it’s hard not to see parallels (especially if Giannis’ crown celebration is as entrenched in your memory as it is mine). Alas, it sure seems the Bucks’ candle is all but out. Inherent within this, of course, is the discarding of the present. Joy is fleeting, glory ephemeral. But if we live only for what’s next, we may find that nothing ever truly arrives.

It is for this reason that I implore you all to meditate on the moment. Take pause. Leave, for a short while, the stress of free agency, the will-he-or-won’t-he Giannis angst, the worry of 2025–26. Of next. In its place, inhale, hold the oxygen in your lungs, and breathe in the best of this last hour upon the stage. What do you see?

Me?

A distant field, cows grazing, cotton caressing leather. A Dairy Bird’s rising.

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

A trash can ablaze, a phoenix emerging, pouncing on errant passes, finishing above the rim.

Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images

A Flubber-laden physical specimen with ballet dancer’s feet, corralling guards and boards.

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

Will Green, Porter, and Sims continue their Bucks ascension? Will they grow into core pieces of tomorrow? If they’ve already brightened the present, does it even matter? Tomorrow will come and it will bring the highs and (more likely) the lows of Bucks fandom. For now, how long can you hold your breath?

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/20/...-kevin-porter-jr-jericho-sims-nba-free-agency

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 21, 2025

Jackson’s Mock Bucks Offseason

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

How would I save the Bucks 2025 season before even it even starts

With NBA free agency fast approaching on June 30th, a few of us here are taking a stab at an offseason plan if we were heading up the Bucks’ front office. We begin things with Jackson Gross...

We stand on the precipice of a monumental off-season for the Milwaukee Bucks. By some indications, the Bucks got their biggest domino to fall with Giannis Antetokounmpo likely staying with them amid an avalanche of rumors. While that was by far the most important piece to the offseason for GM Jon Horst, there is still much to be done to get this team back into a true contender. It will be an uphill battle, with Damian Lillard out most of the year due to that torn Achilles and minimal trade and financial resources at their disposal. While Horst is still reviewing his cap sheets and trade options, let me give him my road map to creating a contender in Milwaukee.

Step 1: Take advantage of the Celtics' financial woes

It’s been no secret that it will be a difficult season for the Boston Celtics next year. With Jayson Tatum likely out for the entire season after tearing his Achilles, and the reports that the Celtics will be looking to shed payroll, it’s the perfect time for the Bucks to swoop in and nab their long-term center. While there have been rumblings about the Celtics wanting to ship out Jrue Holiday for a first-round pick, I doubt they find a team looking to take on the aging Holiday with two years left on his deal, plus a potential for a third with a player option in 2027 for $37.2m. The only other player I could see them getting rid of that fits the bill for Milwaukee would be Kristaps Porzingis.

The Trade

Bucks receive: Kristaps Porzingis and Lonzo Ball

Celtics receive: Nikola Vucevic, Julian Phillips, and the Bucks’ 2031 first-round pick (lottery protected)

Bulls receive: Kyle Kuzma, Sam Hauser, Pat Connaughton, the Wizards’ 2025 second-round pick (no. 32 overall) from the Celtics, the Pistons’ 2025 second-round pick (no. 47 overall) from the Bucks, and one of four teams’ 2026 second-round pick from the Celtics.

On the Bucks’ side of things, this trade would hard cap them at the first apron since they are receiving more money than they’re sending out. While Porzingis has had numerous health issues, including a nasty post-viral syndrome stemming from an illness he had earlier in the season. It affected his performance in the postseason, as he only averaged 7.7 PPG and shot a rough 15.4% from beyond the arc. Yet when he is fully healthy, he is one of the best big men in the league and a career 36.6% three-point shooter, and averages 1.8 blocks per game. The question is: when is he healthy? He’s only played in 164 of 246 possible games (33% of games missed) in the last three years. He is a perfect fit next to Giannis, acting as a younger, quicker Brook Lopez. There’s a reason the Celtics needed to trade for him, and he was a key cog in the Celtics' 2024 Championship run.

You could say the same thing about the other piece coming into Milwaukee, point guard Lonzo Ball. The former number two overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers has had an up-and-down NBA career up to this point. Much maligned in his first couple of years with LA for not living up to sky-high expectations, he was shipped off to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade. Finally, he seemed to reach some of his true potential when he went to the Bulls in 2021. Then the injuries piled on, and he missed two and a half seasons before returning this past season. He would provide a lot of what the Bucks would need as a floor general and table setter, and is an incredible three-point shooter who’s effective without the ball. He’s also a strong on-ball defender, and if he can get back to 75–80% of where he was in 2021, he’ll be the best point of attack defender Milwaukee has had since they traded Jrue Holiday.

This is a tough pill for the Celtics to swallow, giving up one of the core members of banner number 18 in Porzingis and a solid contributor in Hauser, but they have to start cutting costs. They’d clear up $40m in future money, and next year or sooner, they could look to offload more if they decide to trade Derrick White or Jrue Holiday. For 2025, they get a solid stop-gap option in the middle with the reliable Vucevic, who has been a double-double machine for basically his entire career. While nowhere near the level of Hauser, Phillips has had some flashes this year with the Bulls, playing in 79 contests at an average of 14.2 MPG. With Tatum likely out all season long, Phillips will have an increased role, and with the Celtics’ coaching, could develop into a more consistent shooter in Beantown.

As for the Bulls, the dumping ground of this trade: with the rumors of them wanting to trade up if Rutgers star Ace Bailey slips in the draft, the Bulls could look to ship Kuzma, their first-round pick at 12, and their three newly acquired second-round picks to make a jump into the top six or seven picks. I polled a few Bulls fans I know, and while they said they were getting fleeced, it’s hard to get fleeced when you don’t have a direction. Finally getting rid of Vuc and giving way to the youth movement is what Chicago needs to do. They have all their draft picks through 2031; they just need to let Matas Buzelis, Coby White, and Josh Giddey grow together.

There is also a financial edge to this deal for the Bulls. If they can find a way to get off of Kuzma heading into 2026 free agency, plus give Giddey and White extensions worth about $25m each, the Bulls could have an estimated $65.9m in cap space. Players like Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, and Trae Young are currently set to hit the open market next summer.

Step 2: Bring a bunch of the band back together

SG/SF Gary Trent Jr.: Three years, $22.7m

The most obvious player they have to bring back is Gary Trent Jr. If you haven’t read my free agent forecast for him yet, I highly suggest you do. My in-depth reasons on why I want him back are there, so I’m gonna keep this part short to focus on the other players. Trent was a phenomenal addition in late free agency and was part of the best Bucks basketball last season, especially when Dame was out.

But Trent isn’t the only Bucks pending free agent I want to see back. Here are the other players I want to see return to Milwaukee next season...

C/PF Bobby Portis: Three years, $53.5m

By all indications these days, Bobby Portis is looking to get paid. In an appearance on the Run It Back Podcast, Portis gave his view of what could be his final big pay day in the NBA at 31 years old:

“Obviously, I would love to be back in Milwaukee. I’m not saying I don’t want to come back to the Bucks—I would love to—but I just want to be compensated fairly, man. I’ve taken a lot of team-friendly deals to be here. We’re at a point now where I feel like it’s time I get compensated—fairly—to my peers. That’s all I ask for.”

Click to expand...

To fulfill that wish, I gave Portis a happy medium between a big raise and something the Bucks can work with. In this universe, Milwaukee gives Bobby a three-year deal worth 53.5m, with the first year starting at $16.5m and ending at $19.2m in year three.

SF Taurean Prince: One year, veteran’s minimum

While he was misused after the Bucks traded for Kuzma, being forced to play shooting guard at times, I still want to see Prince return. He remains a capable defender, and he shot a career-best 43.9% from the three-point line on 4.2 attempts per game.

PG Ryan Rollins: Two years, $9.1m

With Ball now in the point guard rotation, the Bucks are left with a decision of who to pick for their final point guard spot: KPJ or Rollins. My choice between the two is undoubtedly Rollins. While I respect what Porter brings in terms of his passing and driving to the hoop, I would just prefer Rollins to be the backup point guard. First of all, he would be much easier to retain as a restricted free agent than Porter, who opted out and is unrestricted. The Bucks can also re-sign Rollins without dipping into their MLE. He would also be an excellent fit next to Ball in certain lineups and could run the bench unit. Rollins is a good enough three-point shooter (40.8% on 2.1 attempts per game) and can drive through the lane at times.

C Jericho Sims: Two years, veteran’s minimum

Sims showed some flashes with the Bucks a season ago; his athleticism was the driving force behind that. While not the tallest center at 6’10”, his ability to jump out of the gym makes him a great lob threat on offense, and he can switch out to the perimeter on defense. The counting stats won’t show his true value, with 2.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in his time with Milwaukee. Sims could be a valuable rotation player again, running in some lineups with Bobby Portis at the four and himself at the five in spurts.

Step 3: Fill out the roster

After all the trades, extensions, and re-signings, the Bucks are only left with $5.6m to work with for their final two roster spots. Here are the final two players I have joining the Bucks to complete their 15-man roster:

SF/SG Lindy Waters: One year, veteran’s minimum

This is just a quick veteran minimum for the 27-year-old Waters. He’s played 156 games in his NBA career, but has been sparingly used. He only played 18 games for the Pistons last season after being traded there from Golden State in the Jimmy Butler trade. He has three-point chops, shooting 36.6% in his career. Can’t ever have too many shooters on a team.

SG/SF Damion Lee: One year, veteran’s minimum

After that, the Bucks will have around $3.3m beneath the first apron to work with for their final roster spot, and they’ll use $2.2m of that on a vet minimum on Damion Lee. It’s been a hard road to recovery for Lee, who suffered a brutal knee injury before the 2023–24 season and only returned for 25 games of the 2024–25 season. Before that, he was one of the league’s best shooters, knocking down threes at a 39.8% clip during his last three seasons. I could see a world where Lee becomes that “Gary Trent Jr.” style free agent that Marques Johnson was talking about. A guy who would sign later in the offseason on a minimum contract and pay dividends. While I don’t know his true value as a defender, his size could be usable, and he’s another good shooting option for the Bucks to have.

Final Bucks rotation for 2025/26:

Final 2025–26 payroll: $194.7 (approximately $1.2m in room below the 1st apron)

My Final Thoughts

While this is unrealistic at the end of the day, I believe this would put the Bucks back in discussion for the top tier in the Eastern Conference next season. A new starting center, a three-and-D point guard, plus a tweaked wing core, this team has the chance to win 50 games. They’re faster, have more shooters, would fit the point-Giannis mold, and mesh with Lillard if and when he returns. Let’s just hope this reaches Jon Horst's desk so he can see the path.

How good (or bad) are my trades, free agent signings, and re-signings? What would you do differently? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/20/...s-porzingis-lonzo-ball-nba-free-agency-trades

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 21, 2025

Pat Connaughton opts in to final year of contract

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

No shocker here, as the long time Buck wants to stay in Milwaukee.

One of the last remaining members of the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks wants to stick around another year, as Pat Connaughton will reportedly do what was widely expected and opt into the final season of the three-year, $28.2m contract he signed in summer 2023. ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed today that he has exercised his $9.4m player option for 2025–26. He had until Tuesday to make a decision, per Spotrac. Marc Stein reported about two weeks ago that Connaughton would indeed do this, which is no surprise: if he opted out and hit free agency, he was likely looking at minimum-level deals.

Connaughton joins Giannis, Damian Lillard, Kyle Kuzma, and Tyler Smith as only the fifth Buck whose salary is locked in for next season; Bobby Portis and Kevin Porter Jr. have player option decisions to finalize by June 29th. No word yet on the former, but the latter will reportedly opt out of the just $2.5m he’s guaranteed for the upcoming campaign in hopes of something longer and more lucrative. AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr., and Chris Livingston’s salaries are not guaranteed for 2025–26, and Milwaukee must make decisions on whether or not to guarantee that trio between July 7th and July 15th.

As Jack pointed out when writing about the expectation of Connaughton opting in, which seemed all but guaranteed even this time last year, the Bucks could waive him by August 31st and spread that $9.4m over the next three years. That would amount to a $3.1m cap hit on Milwaukee’s books through the summer of 2028. Maybe this would give them some extra space below a tax apron this year, should they become hard-capped at one. However, it’s worth noting that next summer, the Bucks currently can create up to $19m in cap space as things stand now, so waiving-and-stretching wouldn’t really benefit them beyond the present.

His $9.4m expiring contract could be useful in a trade, though. If nothing else, Connaughton is more tradeable now than he was last season, and certainly more than last offseason. As Bucks fans well know, the 32-year-old is no longer providing anywhere near as much on the floor. Outside of his 43-point outburst in game 82 after Milwaukee’s seeding was wrapped up, this was his least productive season since leaving Portland after his second year. His 14.7 MPG was the lowest of his Bucks tenure, as was his 5.3 PPG and 32.1% shooting from deep.

While some teams might value his veteran qualities, he probably wouldn’t be in the rotation in many places, so he probably won’t fetch much on his own. Perhaps a bad contract where a player is under contract for longer than a year, but if the Bucks wanted to salary dump him somewhere with the cap space to absorb his deal, they’d need to attach at least a second-round pick. I anticipate GM Jon Horst will try to use him as a salary-matching piece in a larger, multiplayer deal before he tries to trade him for nothing in return but tax relief. If that fails, he probably would only be waived-and-stretched if they really need to create room under a hard cap.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/21/...ghton-exercises-player-option-nba-free-agency

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 22, 2025

Six wings the Bucks should target with the 47th pick

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Milwaukee could find an immediate contributor if they choose from this crop

The 2025 NBA draft is less than one week away. If you haven’t yet done your research on this year’s class, don’t worry—Brew Hoop is here to help you cram. For the last month, we’ve been covering every prospect the Bucks have worked out. Now, we’re breaking down players the team should be targeting with the 47th pick. While Milwaukee may try to move up in the draft or trade out of it entirely, history also says Jon Horst likes to have at least one second-rounder each year.

While uncovering a star in the depths of the draft is unlikely, there is still real value available. Ryan Rollins was the 44th pick in 2022. Jericho Sims was the 58th pick in 2021. Recent 47th picks include Antonio Reeves (2024), Vince Williams Jr. (2022), and Svi Mykhailiuk (2018). The goal of this series will be to identify 47th pick targets for the Bucks who have a chance at becoming rotation-caliber players or at least sticking in the league for multiple seasons. It will be split up into three parts, each one covering a different position. First, we talked about guards, and now we’re moving on to wings/forwards.

Why should the Bucks draft a wing? A team can never really have too many 6’6”-ish guys who can shoot and defend. Wings can be easily plugged into any ecosystem, meaning if Milwaukee picks the right guy, they could likely find a rotation role for him in the regular season, regardless of what the rest of the roster looks like. Also, Taurean Prince is a free agent, and Kyle Kuzma, Pat Connaughton, and Andre Jackson Jr. could be on the move via trade, so picking a wing would be good insurance in case the depth chart at that position thins out.

Here are six wing/forward prospects the Bucks should be considering at 47:

Noah Penda (dream target)

Photo by Laurent Coust/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Height: 6’8”

Pre-draft team: Le Mans (France)

Age: 20

ESPN big board rank: 28

Bucks workout participant? No

Penda is considered by many to be a firs- round lock, and some people even view him as a lottery talent. However, he hasn’t received much real, mainstream buzz recently, and there could be a world where he slips down all the way to Bucks range. Getting him at 47 would be a major steal, making this a dream target.

Strengths

Positional size

Connective passing

Defensive versatility

Off-ball defense

Offensive rebounding

Cutting

Weaknesses

Shooting consistency

On-ball creation

Free throw shooting

Fit with Bucks: Penda is a strong, versatile four man who could play a number of roles for the Bucks. He’d be the ideal power forward in a lineup with Giannis at the five because he’s comfortable playing on the perimeter on both ends and can help out on the glass. Picture a quicker Grant Williams with a better handle, and that’s what Milwaukee would be getting in Penda. The Frenchman just needs to refine his shooting to really pop.

John Tonje

Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Height: 6’6”

School: Wisconsin

Year: Graduate

ESPN big board rank: 42

Bucks workout participant? No

This is a pick that a lot of Wisconsin-based Bucks fans would be ecstatic about. Tonje was a breakout superstar for the Badgers last season, averaging 19.6 points and making the All-American Second Team. After six years in college, The Madison Hammer is polished and ready to be a pro.

Strengths

Catch-and-shoot ability

Pullup shooting

Finishing

Drawing fouls

Athleticism

Weaknesses

Age

Defensive consistency

Playmaking

Fit with Bucks: It’s easy to project Tonje being Milwaukee’s version of Aaron Wiggins, who is currently making big contributions for a Finals team. He’s a flamethrower from behind the arc who also excels at carving out driving lanes and getting to the free-throw line. He shot 38.8% from deep and 90.9% from the charity stripe at Wisconsin. Tonje isn’t a standout defender or passer, but he’s not a liability in those categories either.

Sion James

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Height: 6’6”

School: Duke

Year: Graduate

ESPN big board rank: 46

Bucks workout participant? No

James is a well-rounded dribble-pass-shoot wing who was an important member of Duke’s 2025 Final Four squad. As the fourth option on that team, he averaged 8.6 points on 52/41/81 shooting splits and also earned ACC All-Defensive honors. As a senior at Tulane in 2023–24, James had much more responsibility than he did at Duke. He played 37 minutes a night and averaged 14.0 PPG on 51.4% from the field.

Strengths

Defensive versatility

Catch-and-shoot ability

Passing

Defensive playmaking

Finishing

Weaknesses

Low-volume shooter

Fit with Bucks: Oftentimes, high-usage college players who can buy into smaller roles in the NBA find a lot of success. For example, AJ Green’s career usage rate in college was 29.9%, but that’s fallen to 13.7% with the Bucks. Sion James already showed he can scale down and still be effective when he transferred from Tulane to Duke. The Georgia native was practically built in a lab to be the ideal role-playing wing and could fit in smoothly with the Bucks or any other team.

Koby Brea

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Height: 6’7”

School: Kentucky

Year: Graduate

ESPN big board rank: 48

Bucks workout participant? No

Throughout his five-year college career, Koby Brea was primarily known for one thing: shooting. As a senior at Dayton, he led the entire NCAA by shooting 49.8% from three on six attempts a game. His 43.5% success rate from downtown led the SEC this past season. Brea won two A-10 Sixth Man of the Year awards during his time at Dayton.

Strengths

Catch-and-shoot ability

Movement shooting

Pullup shooting

Decision making

Positional size

Weaknesses

Defense

Athleticism

Two-point scoring

Fit with Bucks: Brea knows his strengths and sticks to them. His all-world shooting would suit him well for a microwave role off the bench, similar to the one AJ Green played as a rookie. The sharpshooter could replace some of Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince’s value if they leave in free agency.

Jamir Watkins

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Height: 6’6”

School: Florida State

Year: Graduate

ESPN big board rank: 39

Bucks workout participant? No

Watkins was a projected second-round pick for the 2024 NBA draft, but he ended up returning to school for one more season. Here we are, a year later, and his stock hasn’t risen very much. Watkins averaged 18.4 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 42.7% from the field as a graduate at Florida State. He was named to the 2024–25 All-ACC second team alongside projected top-ten pick (and Wisconsin native) Kon Knueppel.

Strengths

Athleticism

Finishing

On-ball defense

Defensive playmaking

Motor

Shooting range

Cutting

Weaknesses

Scoring efficiency

Shooting consistency

Decision-making

Fit with Bucks: Watkins would give the Bucks a big boost athletically and defensively. He could provide similar value to Andre Jackson Jr. in those departments while also being a much more confident and aggressive scorer than AJax is. Watkins will need time to work on his processing and his jumper, but that’s fine because he already has stuff that you can’t teach.

TJ Bamba

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Height: 6’5”

School: Oregon

Year: Graduate

ESPN big board rank: Not ranked

Bucks workout participant? Yes

You may have noticed that none of the guys we’ve discussed so far have worked out for the Bucks. So, in lieu of Micah Peavy, Brice Williams, and others, let’s talk about one guy who the team has directly shown interest in: TJ Bamba. As a graduate, Bamba averaged 10.5 ppg, 3.0 APG, and 1.8 SPG and made a Big Ten All-Defensive team. His best college season came with Washington State in 2022–23, where he posted 15.8 PPG and 3.7 RPG per game.

Strengths

On-ball defense

Off-ball defense

Physicality

Connective passing

Athleticism

Weaknesses

Shooting consistency

Scoring efficiency

Rebounding

Shot blocking

Fit with Bucks: Bamba’s viability as an NBA player is contingent on one thing: his jumpshot. For his college career, he shot 35.4% from three. He even had a season where he hit 37.2% on 4.8 attempts. However, in his graduate campaign with Oregon, he shot an abysmal 25.3% from outside. If he can bring that number back up to league average, then Bamba could be a quality energy guy off the bench for the Bucks. The team could really use more defenders of his caliber.

Which of these prospects would you draft at 47? Who was left off this list? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for the big man edition coming next!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/19/...argets-wings-noah-penda-john-tonje-sion-james

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 23, 2025

Bucks Free Agent Forecast: Jericho Sims

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

How much should Milwaukee be willing to spend to keep their young big man?

With the offseason fast approaching, Brew Hoop is forecasting the market for each of Milwaukee’s upcoming free agents. So far, we’ve covered Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince, Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis, Ryan Rollins, and Gary Trent Jr. Today, I’ll round out the series by talking about Jericho Sims.

Jericho Sims, 6’10” center, 26 years old

Sims was one of multiple 2025 trade deadline acquisitions for the Bucks, and he was probably the least anticipated. In 3.5 years with the Knicks, the team that drafted him, the young big man averaged 2.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks in 13.4 minutes per game. Many New York fans considered him a bad player. However, his age, athleticism, and defensive prowess were intriguing for the Milwaukee faithful, who had been starved of seeing such traits on the roster. There was hope that Sims could make an impact as a backup, and he rewarded the believers.

In 14 games with the Bucks, Sims averaged 2.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 15.0 minutes. He took 1.8 field goals a night and converted on 68.0% of them. Those numbers are relatively paltry, but don’t get it twisted—he was a positive contributor. A thumb injury in March cut his regular season short, but he earned a rotation spot in the playoffs, playing 11.6 minutes per game while appearing in all five first-round contests. His ability to move his feet and execute multiple schemes defensively felt like a breath of fresh air after watching exclusively Brook Lopez-anchored drop coverage for six years. Sims is also able to soar to catch lobs and block shots in a way that very few Giannis-era Bucks have been capable of. With the big fella on the court, the Bucks allowed 2.2 fewer points defensively (71st percentile) and reduced the offensive rebounding rate of their opponents by 3.9% (95th percentile) according to Cleaning the Glass. Sims has his warts, namely his ball skills and decision-making, but he provides real value.

Role

As discussed, Sims played 15 minutes a night for the Bucks this past regular season and 12 in the postseason. That’s about what his role should look like going forward. His defense and athleticism are too necessary for Milwaukee to leave him out of the rotation, but his offensive limitations put a serious cap on how much he can play. Basically, he’s the stereotypical energy backup center.

Things get murky, though, when looking at Milwaukee’s center situation. Brook Lopez may be on his way out, Bobby Portis isn’t really a starting-caliber player, and Giannis doesn’t want to play the five full-time. If Sims returns, he may be slated to take on some serious responsibility in the frontcourt. Jericho Sims: NBA starter feels unlikely, but he could see 20–25 MPG early on in the 2025-26 season.

If Sims signs with someone other than the Bucks, he’d probably play the 10–15 MPG role he’s best suited for, unless he goes to a weaker team like Brooklyn, who has more playing time to hand out. Drew Timme played 28.2 MPG for them last year, and Sims is a substantially better player than he is.

Potential Suitors

Sims is the type of plug-and-play big that could play spot minutes anywhere. There should be several teams in the market for a new backup center this summer, including:

Celtics: Luke Kornet and Al Horford are both unrestricted free agents.

Kings: Sacramento doesn’t have any reliable rim protection.

Lakers: It’s been well-documented how badly the Lakers need center help. Jaxson Hayes, Alex Len, and Christian Koloko are free agents. Luka Doncic could make Sims look quite good.

Nets: Day’Ron Sharpe is a restricted free agent, Nic Claxton may be on the move, and the team has the cap space to overpay for Sims if they so please.

Nuggets: The Nuggets have been searching for a backup center for what seems like forever. DeAndre Jordan is an unrestricted free agent. They do have DaRon Holmes coming back from injury, but he hasn’t played an NBA game yet, so it remains to be seen how much he can be relied upon next year.

The Bucks will be able to pay Sims whatever they want (we’ll get to that in a minute), but it would be surprising to see him command any more than five or so million, making him an affordable target for most franchises. All of the teams above could use the taxpayer portion of their midlevel exception (up to $5.7m) on Sims and stay beneath the second apron—where using any part of the TPMLE hard-caps teams—except for Boston, who is so far over the second apron that they couldn’t offer Sims more than the minimum.

Potential Contract

Because Sims hasn’t changed teams via free agency in over three years, the Bucks have Bird rights on him this summer. That means they can offer him any contract up to his max without worrying about the salary cap, the aprons, or any exceptions. Therefore, unless a team with major cap space (Brooklyn or Detroit) wants to offer Sims a big bag, he should be back in the Cream City.

As mentioned, Sims will probably end up making somewhere around $5m. Anything more than a minimum may seem like an overpay relative to his numbers, but he’s more valuable than the average reserve center available on the market. After all, he’s 26 years old and just gave the Bucks good minutes in the playoffs. However, he’s not productive or young enough to deserve closer to $10m. Milwaukee would be better off finding a cheaper backup in free agency or the draft if that’s what he wants. For what it’s worth, 69% of you Brew Hoop readers believe the Bucks should resign Sims at any cost.

How much would you pay Jericho Sims to keep him with the Bucks? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/19/24447502/nba-free-agency-milwaukee-bucks-jericho-sims

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 24, 2025

Bucks “aggressively” looking into free agent and trade markets

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ESPN Insiders say Bucks will look to complement Giannis this offseason

Welcome to day one of the NBA offseason. We have a new champion in the Oklahoma City Thunder, but we’ve already had two massive trades with the Houston Rockets, acquiring Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns and the Orlando Magic getting Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. With so much going on, you might have missed this important nugget that ESPN Insider Bobby Marks dropped about the Milwaukee Bucks back on June 18:

“It would be easy for the Bucks to put Antetokounmpo on the trade market, especially in light of Lillard’s Achilles injury and consecutive losses in the first round. However, sources confirmed to ESPN that Milwaukee will be aggressively exploring options in free agency and trades to complement Antetokounmpo.”

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Ignoring the horrendous trade proposals in this same article, this is yet another indication that Giannis will stay with the Bucks for the foreseeable future.

They do have some options available to them, like the $14.1m full mid-level exception and a $5.1m biannual exception which could help bring back back two of their seven pending free agents, Gary Trent Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr., since Milwaukee has only Non-Bird rights on them. That means they could only offer those two small raises on their near-minimum salaries from 2024–25 unless they used one of those exceptions. The MLE can also be used to acquire a player via trade.

Speaking of trades, their best salary-matching pieces appear to be Kyle Kuzma and Pat Connaughton, who reportedly has exercised his 2025–26 player option. Thanks to the Khris Middleton trade, Milwaukee has a $7.2m trade exception at their disposal (more on that tomorrow). Young pieces like AJ Green and Andre Jackson Jr. could appeal to trade partners as well. If they wanted to go big, they could dangle their 2031 first-round pick, and if they wait until after the draft this Wednesday, they could trade their 2032 pick too, possibly as a pick swap if it’s traded alongside 2031. They’ll also have a 2032 second round pick to dangle after the draft ends.

Be sure to keep an eye out for all our coverage this offseason, starting with Jackson’s and Finn’s mock off-seasons, the draft this Wednesday, and the start of free agency, which begins next Monday evening.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/23/...rade-market-giannis-damian-lillard-kyle-kuzma

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 26, 2025

2025 NBA Draft Thread: Selection and trade tracker

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Keep up with and discuss each pick and trade here!

It’s time for the 2025 NBA Draft, and while the Bucks won’t make their first pick tonight (unless something wild happens), we’re still here keeping tabs on everything for you. Below you’ll find the order and results, which we’ll update after each selection is made. Feel free to discuss them in the comments below.

Courtesy of our friends at FanDuel, the Bucks’ 2026 championship odds are +7000 entering the draft. That’s 17th place behind the Pacers and Pistons (+5000), the freaking Sixers (+3400), Mavericks (+3200), and Spurs (+3000), three nonplayoff teams from 2025! Just below them are the Hawks at +11000. Will the 47th pick change those odds at all? Stay tuned to find out!

Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, Duke

San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Charlotte Hornets: Kon Knueppel, Duke

Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson, Texas

New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma

Brooklyn Nets: Egor Demin, BYU

Toronto Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

Phoenix Suns (via Rockets): Khaman Maluach, Duke

Memphis Grizzlies (from Blazers): Cedric Coward, Washington State

Chicago Bulls: Noa Essengue, France

New Orleans Pelicans (from Kings via Hawks): Derik Queen, Maryland

San Antonio Spurs (from Hawks): Carter Bryant, Arizona

Oklahoma City Thunder (from Heat): Thomas Sorber, Georgetown

Portland Trail Blazers (from Magic via Grizzlies): Yang Hansen, China

Minnesota Timberwolves (from Pistons): Joan Beringer, France

Utah Jazz (from Grizzlies via Wizards): Walter Clayton Jr., Florida

Brooklyn Nets (from Bucks): Nolan Traoré, France

Miami Heat (from Warriors): Kasparas Jakučionis, Illinois

Washington Wizards (from Timberwolves): Will Riley, Illinois

Brooklyn Nets (from Lakers via Hawks): Drake Powell, North Carolina

Atlanta Hawks (from Pacers via Pelicans): Asa Newell, Georgia

Sacramento Kings (from Clippers via Thunder): Nique Clifford, Colorado State

Orlando Magic (from Nuggets): Jace Richardson, Michigan State

Brooklyn Nets (from Knicks): Ben Saraf, Israel

Brooklyn Nets (from Rockets): Danny Wolf, Michigan

Boston Celtics: Hugo González, Spain

Charlotte Hornets (from Cavaliers via Hornets): Liam McNeeley, UConn

Los Angeles Clippers (from Thunder): Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State

Minnesota Timberwolves (from Jazz):

Boston Celtics (from Wizards):

Charlotte Hornets:

Charlotte Hornets (from Pelicans):

Philadelphia 76ers:

Brooklyn Nets:

Detroit Pistons (from Raptors):

Indiana Pacers (from Spurs):

Toronto Raptors (from Trail Blazers):

New Orleans Pelicans (from Suns via Wizards):

Golden State Warriors (from Heat):

Sacramento Kings (from Bulls):

Utah Jazz (from Mavericks):

Oklahoma City Thunder (from Hawks):

Chicago Bulls (from Kings):

Orlando Magic:

Milwaukee Bucks (from Pistons):

Memphis Grizzlies (from Warriors):

Cleveland Cavaliers (from Bucks):

New York Knicks (from Grizzlies):

Los Angeles Clippers (from Timberwolves):

Phoenix Suns (from Nuggets):

Utah Jazz (from Clippers):

Indiana Pacers:

Los Angeles Lakers:

Memphis Grizzlies (from Rockets):

Orlando Magic (from Celtics):

Cleveland Cavaliers:

Phoenix Suns (from Thunder via Rockets):

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/25/24455823/2025-nba-draft-order-trade-tracker-milwaukee-bucks

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 27, 2025

Bucks sign All-American guard Mark Sears to a two-way contract

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Don't worry—Milwaukee will have a rookie actually rostered for the 2025-26 season

The NBA draft may officially be over, but teams are far from done making moves—the Bucks included. In the midst of a swarm of undrafted free agent signings that started right after the second round ended, Milwaukee added Mark Sears from Alabama on a two-way contract. This is not a surprising move, as we know the Bucks had interest in Sears—they worked him out back in May.

So, who is Mark Sears? He’s a floor general, a winner, a hooper, and a two-time All-American. The 6’0” point guard spent five years in college and got better in each one. He averaged 19.6 PPG as a sophomore at Ohio before transferring to Alabama. In his senior and graduate campaigns with the Crimson Tide, he earned his two All-American nominations and spearheaded deep NCAA tournament runs. One thing is certain about this guy: he’s a pro.

Sears’ game is centered around his truly elite playmaking feel. His career 3.9 assists per game does not tell the full story. The lefty is as trustworthy as it gets as a lead ball handler. His cadence and demeanor are never shaken, and pressure does not affect his decision-making. The Alabama native’s ability to run an offense is accentuated by his reliability as a shooter off the catch and the dribble. Sears’ poised scoring ability from three and the mid-range gives off Jalen Brunson vibes if you squint your eyes the right way.

Of course, as a 23-year-old guy who’s barely taller than the average 14-year-old high school center, Sears’ journey to success in the NBA will be a difficult one. However, his experience and established skillset make him the type of guy worth swinging on with a two-way contract for the Bucks.

Sears fills Milwaukee’s last vacant two-way contract slot, with Pete Nance and Jamaree Bouyea occupying the others. Stanley Umude, who was signed to one for the 2024–25 season and is currently in Greece with Giannis, will seemingly not be returning. His two-way deal only covered one season.

More in-depth words on Sears (and Bogoljub Markovič) will be coming soon!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/26/...ks-sign-mark-sears-two-way-contract-nba-draft

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 28, 2025

Bucks sign Terrence Edwards Jr. and Wade Taylor IV to Summer League deals

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Experienced college stars get their chance to prove themselves

Last night, the Bucks drafted Bogoljub Markovič and signed Mark Sears to a two-way contract. Since then, the team has added two players to join Markovič and Sears in Vegas for Summer League action. Terrence Edwards Jr. from Louisville signed a Summer League deal late last night, per John Chepkevich of DraftExpress.net, and Wade Taylor IV of Texas A&M signed a deal this evening, the school announced.

Edwards just wrapped up a productive five-season collegiate career at Louisville after spending his first four years at James Madison. The 6’6” wing averaged 16.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 2.7 APG in his lone season at Louisville. The skill that will best translate for Edwards is his ability to get downhill. As a driver, he puts a lot of pressure on the rim, using pump fakes and a quick first step to create separation. Around the hoop, he has an effective floater, crafty footwork, and the ability to finish with both hands. During the 2022–23 season with James Madison, he shot 45.8% from three, but this past season, when he had significantly more attempts, he shot just 33%. To allow himself to get downhill where he thrives, he will need to show consistency from long range at the next level. Defensively, Edwards is serviceable on the ball, but did not create many turnovers, averaging less than one steal in three of his five college seasons. Creating chaos on the defensive end is something Edwards could do to improve his stock, but not what he hangs his hat on.

Taylor played four college seasons, all with Texas A&M. In his senior season, the 6-foot guard averaged 15.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 4.3 APG. A backcourt pairing of Taylor and Sears in the Summer League should be extremely entertaining for Bucks fans. Taylor is a microwave scorer who shot more threes than twos per game in each of his collegiate seasons. Efficiency was often a struggle for Taylor , who shot 36.6% from the field in his career and 32.3% from three. However, some of the efficiency struggles can be attributed to often being Texas A&M’s lone form of shot creation. Being surrounded by more offensive talent in Summer League should help Taylor get some easier looks and score more efficiently. He will need to shoot the ball extremely well to overcome his size to have a chance in the NBA, but anyone who has watched him play knows he could have a scoring explosion any given night.

The Bucks will spend the coming weeks finding players to fill out the Summer League roster, but for now, Edwards and Taylor have their opportunity to show they belong in the NBA, and should be an exciting duo to help Bucks fans get through the offseason.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/28/...lor-iv-nba-summer-league-louisville-texas-a-m

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 29, 2025

What are the Bucks getting in Bogoljub Markovič and Mark Sears?

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Diving deeper into Milwaukee’s second-round pick and undrafted free agent signing

What’s up, folks? As the dust settles on draft week, some of us at Brew Hoop wanted to team up and discuss in further detail the games of the two new Milwaukee Bucks, Bogoljub Markovič and Mark Sears. Let your thoughts be known in the comments!

Bogoljub Markovič

Hailing from Užice, Serbia, Bogoljub (BOH-go-lyoob) Markovič has basketball in his blood. In a post-draft interview with an NBA correspondent, he said “since I was nine I have played basketball… in the first grade when the teacher asked ‘what do you want to do in your life?’, I just said ‘NBA’ without any thought in it… so since I was nine I wanted to come here and to be in the NBA”. Now at age 19, his dream has come true, and he’ll have the chance to represent his home country, an up-and-coming basketball powerhouse, on the sport’s biggest stage.

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Markovič began his professional career in 2023 at age 18 by signing with Mega Basket, the Serbian professional team he still plays for today. The club has an illustrious history with a long list of successful alumni. Nikola Jokić, Ivica Zubac, Goga Bitadze, Vasilije Micić, Boban Marjanović, and more all suited up for Mega before embarking on their NBA careers. International prospects from unfamiliar leagues are sometimes glossed over, but Markovič needs to be taken more seriously. His team builds great basketball players.

The newest Buck’s game embodies the modern evolution of big men. Markovič stands at 6’11” but has the offensive versatility of a wing. He’s a confident shooter with a quick, clean release that most guys of his size can’t replicate. Per RealGM, the brace-faced baller averaged 13.9 PPG and shot 38.8% from beyond the arc during the 2024–25 season. His willingness to screen and even stronger willingness to shoot make him a terrific pick-and-pop threat.

Markovič is exceptionally skilled with the ball relative to other near-seven-footers. He’ll grab defensive rebounds and take the ball coast-to-coast on his own. He’s comfortable using pump fakes to destabilize defenders and create driving advantages. Perhaps most notably, he’s a very talented passer, a trait shared by many of the great European bigs. His 2.6 APG this past season underscores his remarkable heads-up play. Markovič is always scanning for open teammates when he gets a catch on the short roll or in the paint. “Special” is probably pushing it as a description of our guy’s offensive prowess, but he has the potential to be truly outstanding on that end.

To get the chance to showcase his offensive abilities, however, Markovič will need to refine his physical profile and defensive utility. He’s a big dude, but he’s currently at a strength deficit relative to other centers in his Serbian league. NBA players will only prove to be stronger competition, literally and figuratively. On the defensive end, Markovič isn’t built to be a primary rim protector, and Mega Basket often brought him up to hedge screens on the perimeter rather than drop back. However, his foot speed is sketchy, and he’s often slow to recover to his man after jumping ball handlers. He did average 0.9 BPG in 2024–25, but he’ll need to add muscle to become a competent defensive center in the NBA and reach his high-end outcome.

Overall, considering his offensive toolkit and room for improvement defensively, it’s easy to see why the Bucks are fans of Markovič. And fans they are, as they’ve been keeping tabs on him for years and actually brought him in for a workout last summer. On picking him 47th, Milwaukee’s Assistant GM Milt Newton said, “he was a player that we had ranked higher. Did not think that he was going to be there (at 47), and we were surprised when he was, so we were really ecstatic about that”. Newton spoke extensively about Markovič’s feel, mobility, and potential during his post-draft press conference, and the team’s evident belief in him is encouraging.

Of course, the elephant in the room here is the rumor that Markovič is going to be stashed away in Europe next year. We know he’ll be in Vegas, but nothing else has been confirmed. “He could be with us next year; we’re going to work with his agent, with him,” Newton said. It would be a bummer to see this pick become another stash-who-never-comes-to-the-NBA situation, but all we can do for now is hope the Bucks believe in Bogi as much as we do.

(Note: Markovič has said he goes by Bogi, but we at Brew Hoop have taken to calling him Bogo due to Bogdan “Bogey” Bogdanovic’s negative association with Milwaukee. I will be confirming his nickname with him at Summer League.)

Player comparisons: Chet Holmgren, Kyle Filipowski, Quinten Post, and Chris Boucher

All four of these guys are slim combo bigs with shooting chops and an unclear defensive role. Post and Boucher are realistic floor-to-median outcomes for Markovič, although he’s a better passer than both guys. Becoming a good enough player to rival Chet Holmgren probably isn’t in the cards for our guy. Still, the two play similarly in a vacuum with their ability to put the ball on the deck and their usefulness in multiple defensive coverages.

Welcome to Milwaukee, Bogo!

Mark Sears

After a five-year college career—three at the University of Ohio and two at the University of Alabama—Mark Sears begins his pro career in the Cream City on a two-way after going undrafted. Our Finley Kuehl wrote a great article about a set of guys the Bucks had worked out that captures the essence of Sears’ game and college résumé, but I’ll (Jack) try to add some icing to the cake in this one. Finley mentioned this, but to get the basics out of the way, Mark is a small guard at 5’11” barefoot with a 6’2” wingspan. Today’s game is centred around mismatch-hunting, and that small stature automatically puts him behind the eight-ball. Having said that, it also isn’t unheard of for small guards to have success in the league; Jose Alvarado, Davion Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, and Aaron Holiday are all just an inch taller than Sears. Also, one thing Mark does have is some decent bulk; he weighs in at 86 kilograms (189 pounds), heavier than two of those four players.

As far as his actual game goes, I’m a big fan of Sears and loved watching him play at Alabama. Generally, I don’t like watching full games of college basketball because 1. there is just such a skill deficit, and 2. the game is way slower. However, I had no problem tuning into Crimson Tide games because they played with a very NBA-adjacent game plan based on analytics. That is to say that they deprioritised mid-range shots and prioritised layups/dunks and threes; ‘Bama shot the sixth-most threes in the country. To do this, they deployed a jitterbug pick-and-roll creator in Mark, a rolling big (generally), and three shooters. Although he did turn the ball over a bit too much (1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio in his final college season), Sears was able to handle this responsibility gracefully and serve as the conductor of the ninth-best offence in D1.

Now, Mark is not going to play with that level of usage in the NBA. He’ll need to succeed as a catch-and-shoot player. The good news is that he shot 37.6% from three over his five college seasons. Additionally, his ability to be the focal point of an offence will still come in handy in the NBA; after all, it’s not like having that skill in your toolkit is a bad thing. Obviously, he’ll need to become elite at getting into guys defensively and sliding his feet. It could be a long road, and the odds are relatively small that he sticks as an NBA player. But look, I think there’s value in being “the guy” and having to lead a team. He tantalised on the college level and was among the most fun players to watch. This dude just has some real “it factor” about him that feels risky to bet against. “I have that dawg in me… I’m not going to back down easy,” Sears told our Van Fayaz at the combine when asked about succeeding as a small guard.

At the press availability following the draft, Bucks Assistant General Manager Milt Newton had the following to say about the two-time All-American:

“[Sears] is a hell of a guard; really strong, can defend. You know, there’s been a lot of guys that weren’t drafted that were draftable; he happens to be one of them.”

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Newton also agreed with a reporter’s premise that there might be more of a place for smaller guards in the NBA than there has been:

“Oh, definitely [if you can] shoot the ball. Shooting is always in high demand, but I would say for smaller guards, you have to do what you have to do to stand out. So, if you defend 94 feet and make it tough for the opposing point guard to run their offense, that’s something that’s in high demand as well. So, whatever your size is, you have to utilise that to the best of your ability; when you do that, teams will notice.”

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Player comparisons: Jalen Brunson, T.J. McConnell, and (current) Mike Conley.

To get it out of the way early, we are not saying Mark Sears is on the trajectory to be Jalen Brunson (or any of these players!). However, there are certain similarities between Brunson’s and Sears’ games. Obviously, they are both small and left-handed, duh. But the main similarity I noticed was the low centre of gravity both play with; their ability to mash defenders into screens, snake pick-and-rolls, and get into the teeth of the defence is similar. As for the T.J. McConnell and Mike Conley comps, Sears ultimately profiles as a lead ball-handler off the bench. But unlike McConnell, at least, Sears can play off the ball due to his shooting ability (meaning he could fit in lineups with Giannis, theoretically). But for the most part, he profiles as a backup point guard who can create in the same type of role Kevin Porter Jr. had last season.

Welcome to the team, Mark!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/29/...rs-alabama-crimson-tide-kk-mega-basket-serbia

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 30, 2025

Bobby Portis to re-sign with Bucks

Milwaukee gets their guy back on a team-friendly deal, per Shams

The Mayor of Milwaukee is back for another term. Just before the clock on the player/team option deadline struck zero, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that Bobby Portis declined his player option and will be signing a three-year, $44m extension with the Bucks. This comes after Jake Fischer reported the team was “well-placed to return the fan favorite” and that the new deal would “almost certainly entail Portis declining his player option”.

After Minnesota’s Naz Reid inked a five-year, $125m contract, the writing seemed to be on the wall for Portis to receive something similar. Nobody besides Brooklyn could have given him that type of money on the open market, but the Bucks possess his Bird rights and could have given him anything up to his max without restriction. However, the $14.7m average annual value of his new deal only slightly exceeds that of the mid-level exception, which is realistically the most he would have received had he entered unrestricted free agency. This is a pretty team-friendly agreement that would be very tradable (if needed) and won’t restrict Milwaukee from using any of their exceptions to bring in other free agents. It’s worth noting that Bobby probably didn’t purposely take a paycut here; he likely just realized a higher raise wasn’t out there for him. The motive there doesn’t really matter, though, because the Bucks got their guy back.

Portis averaged 13.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and a career-high 2.1 APG per game last season on 46.6% shooting from the field. He would have been in contention for a third-straight Sixth Man of the Year finalist finish had he not faced a 25-game suspension in the spring. While Bucks fans love Bobby, they’re also very critical of him, especially when the postseason rolls around. His shot selection and defensive lapses can be quite frustrating. However, it felt like the veteran big man really took a step in the right direction in this year’s playoffs. He worked hard to defend on the perimeter in hedge/switch situations, and his scoring was really important at different points against Indiana. He scored 28 points in Game 2 of that series, one bucket short of his playoff career-high. While some were against bringing him back, Portis has proved he cares about this team and about winning. He is easily worth $14–15m annually and he can help this team succeed moving forward if he’s utilized correctly.

With Bobby Buckets back in the fold, Milwaukee can now focus on dealing with their other free agents: Brook Lopez, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, Jericho Sims, and Taurean Prince. Bobby’s new deal may be a sign that Lopez won’t return, but we won’t find out for sure until later this week. Until then, throw a little something on the grill in celebration of our mayor, Bobby Portis.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/29/...s-nba-free-agency-bobby-portis-shams-charania

Milwaukee Bucks · Jun 30, 2025

Bucks connected to Nickeil-Alexander Walker, plus two Milwaukee staples may be saying their goodbyes

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

The Bucks could be seriously shuffling up their roster in free agency

The start of NBA free agency is less than ten minutes away, and rumors are flying everywhere. Multiple reports involving the Bucks have come out of the whirlwind today that fans should know before the market opens up.

First, Jon Krawczynski, a senior writer at The Athletic covering the Minnesota Timberwolves, said that Milwaukee is “among a number of teams to watch” on the market for Wolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Minnesota has left themselves very little room under the second apron after inking new deals with Julius Randle and Naz Reid, meaning they can’t really afford to bring back Alexander-Walker without becoming seriously strapped up financially. The 26-year-old former 17th overall pick has emerged as a steady three-and-D wing in the past two seasons and played a key part in Minnesota’s back-to-back Conference Finals runs. He would be an awesome fit in Milwaukee’s starting lineup or off the bench. The Bucks would likely have to use almost all of their $14m mid-level exception to bring in Alexander-Walker, as Van Fayaz detailed here. Giving NAW that figure would all but eliminate their chances of retaining Gary Trent Jr.

Turning to Milwaukee’s own free agents, Brook Lopez may be on his way to Los Angeles this week. Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka remains “zeroed in” on Splash Mountain, even after Deandre Ayton’s buyout, according to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. They desperately need a center, and Lopez would be a valuable presence on their backline with his rim protection and floor-spacing capabilities. Brook reportedly didn’t enjoy his first stint in Hollywood back in 2016–17, so the team may have to overpay using their entire MLE to lure him back. That would put them in a serious financial squeeze, but when LeBron and Luka are on your roster, you have to do whatever it takes to win.

Bucks fans have been preparing to potentially lose Lopez for weeks, as rumors about him signing elsewhere have been around all offseason. However, it would still hurt to see the long-time man in the middle don another jersey, even with Bobby Portis’ return softening the blow. It’s worth noting here, though, that Chris Haynes said on NBA TV today that “all signs” are pointing to Ayton landing with the Lakers, not Lopez. The former first overall pick doesn’t clear waivers until Wednesday evening, so we’ll have to wait to find out which report will be correct.

Another one of Milwaukee’s tenured vets may also be on the move. Per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Bucks are “actively working” to trade Pat Connaughton and have “a couple potential avenues” to get a deal done. Connaughton recently exercised his final year player option worth $9.4m, but it seems like he shouldn’t get comfortable in Cream City. Stein and Fischer didn’t mention any particular teams as suitors for the 10-year vet, but his now-expiring contract is more trade-friendly than in the past, and could be used to bring in a really solid rotation piece if the Bucks attach another asset.

Quick hits

The Utah Jazz bought out former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, per Shams. Milwaukee could target Clarkson with their MLE to help improve their lack of on-ball creation.

Utah also released third-year wing Johnny Juzang, per Shams. The 24-year-old would be a viable (and cheap) option if the Bucks want more shooting off their bench, as would Caleb Houstan, who had his team option declined by the Orlando Magic. Both players are eligible for a two-way contract.

The Phoenix Suns waived Cody Martin today, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix. His contract was set to guarantee, and the Suns are looking to shed salary and avoid the second apron. Martin is a solid connective wing and perimeter defender who Milwaukee could target using their $5.1m biannual exception or a portion of their midlevel exception.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/30/...opez-pat-connaughton-nickeil-alexander-walker

Milwaukee Bucks · Jul 1, 2025

Pat Connaughton traded to Hornets, Bucks receive Vasilije Micic

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Round and round the transaction wheel goes!

The ending of an era for the Milwaukee Bucks continues apace as some of the few remaining members of the title-winning team depart. Now, it’s Pat Connaughton’s turn. He has been traded to the Charlotte Hornets alongside Milwaukee’s 2031 and 2032 second-round picks in exchange for Vasilije Micic (per ESPN’s Shams Charania).

Pat is a member of that special group of role players acquired early in GM Jon Horst’s tenure at the helm who ultimately came (extremely) good for the Bucks when it mattered most. Having begun his career with the Trail Blazers, he arrived in Milwaukee as an upside bet on a solid role player. That gamble turned out extremely well for the Bucks.

Connaughton appeared in 440 regular season games as a Buck (and 73 playoff games) over the course of seven seasons, ingratiating himself as a sort of do-it-all guard extraordinaire. His patented fly-by defense in the early seasons was complimented by reliable distance shooting, a calm head in hectic circumstances, and a knack for hustle/connective plays that are hard to measure, but often prove the difference between winning and losing at the highest levels.

As a crowning achievement, he averaged 30.0 minutes a game during Milwaukee’s Finals victory over the Phoenix Suns, registering 9.2 points (.475/.441/.500), 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in a masterclass of a glue guy performance when it counted most.

He has seen a drop in his role and playing time as he entered his 30s, going down to just 14.7 minutes in 41 games last year under Doc Rivers. With the (expected) picking up of his $9.4 million player option the other day and the overall need to slash payroll somewhere, Connaughton was an obvious trade target. Thus, his run with Milwaukee comes to a close in this deal which will see the Bucks sending a pair of future second-round picks to sweeten things for Charlotte.

In exchange, the Bucks will get back Vasilije Micic, a 31 year-old Serbian guard. Micic has been on the move a bunch the past few days, having gone from the Phoenix Suns to the Hornets in the Mark Williams deal. He is set to earn $8.1 million on a team option that was picked up back on June 29th—although rumblings indicate that Micic is likely to go back to Europe this summer which would require a buyout agreement with the Bucks. An agreement there would free up more space for Milwaukee and a roster spot to boot.

Wishing Pat all the best. The Bucks don't win that title without him. It is a serious credit to him as a player that he raised his game to that level when called upon.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/7/1/2...-connaughton-charlotte-hornets-vasilije-micic

Milwaukee Bucks · Jul 2, 2025

The shot that etched Pat Connaughton’s place in Milwaukee history

An anecdotal send-off for an all-time Bucks role player

July 11th, 2021. That’s the day when Pat Connaughton cemented his place in Milwaukee Bucks history and knocked down a shot that will be etched into my brain forever.

Take a moment and think back to Game 3 of the 2021 Finals. The Bucks were back in Milwaukee after dropping two games in Phoenix, facing the crunch of a potential 0-3 deficit. It was perhaps the single biggest game the team had ever played up to that point. Rally towels inscribed with the slogan “History in the Making” lined every seat in Fiserv Forum. Tens of thousands of fans converged on the stadium that night, hoping to witness that history, and I was one of them.

In the summer of 2021, I was 15 years old heading into my sophomore year of high school (sorry if that makes you feel old). I was new to the writing scene, having started my personal blog and written my first article just several months prior, but I was just as passionate about the NBA and the Bucks as I am right now. When my team made their storybook run all the way to the Finals, my dad and I knew we had to get to a game. We absolutely picked the right one to attend.

The Bucks came out in Game 3 and played like champions. They scraped together run after run, cooling off Phoenix every time they picked up steam. A massive 21-6 charge in the third quarter from the Bucks had the roof of Fiserv about to blow. Me, my dad, and some 16,000 other fans were going crazy in the stands. It was at the end of that fateful period where Pat Connaughton had his magic moment.

Cam Payne missed a driving layup while being guarded by Connaughton with about 20 seconds left. Giannis collected the rebound and slowed things down so the Bucks could get the final shot. He brought the ball to the top of the key, and Pat ran to set him a screen with seven seconds remaining. Then, our role-playing hero popped behind the arc, caught a pass as his defender tripped on his own feet, and squared up to knock down what I’ll always remember as his version of “The Shot”.

I can still feel the elation that followed whenever I replay that shot in my head. I probably high-fived five or six fellow Bucks faithful that were sitting in nearby seats. On the broadcast, Mike Breen delivered his iconic “BANG” call, but then he let his microphone breathe, and you can hear even in the above clip just how loud it got in Fiserv Forum. Yes, I was sitting in an upper-level seat, but at that moment, 15-year-old me felt like I was on the court celebrating with the team. The game wasn’t over, let alone the series, but watching that shot felt like being on top of the world.

So, whenever I think of Pat Connaughton, I’ll think about all the times he got hit in the face, all of his wild fly-by closeouts, his incredible post-championship 2021-22 campaign, and much, much more. However, before anything, I’ll always remember “The Shot” I got to witness in person. That one play sums up what Connaughton meant to Milwaukee during his seven years in the city. He’s a true champion, and Bucks history can’t be told without him.

On behalf of every Bucks fan, thank you, Pat. You deserve nothing but the best in Charlotte and beyond.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/7/2/24459903/milwaukee-bucks-pat-connaughton-legacy-trade

Milwaukee Bucks · Jul 3, 2025

Bucks waive Chris Livingston

NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2023 draft pick’s tenure in Milwaukee comes to a close

Bucks GM Jon Horst made his big splash in free agency yesterday, signing Myles Turner and waiving Damian Lillard, but he is continuing to alter his roster. Per Michael Scotto, the team is waiving Chris Livingston.

Livingston had a non-guaranteed contract worth $2.2m, but the salary would have become guaranteed on July 15 had he remained on the roster. Waiving Livingston will save the Bucks a little money when they don’t have to pay him guaranteed money later this month, but more importantly, it opens a roster spot. Without Livingston, the Bucks roster stands at 13, and there are now two available spaces to sign free agents to minimum contracts.

The Kentucky product is still just 21 years old as he prepares for his third NBA season. He did not see the floor much in his two seasons with Milwaukee, appearing in just 42 games total. He was, however, productive in his G League action with the Wisconsin Herd. Unfortunately for Livingston, there were no minutes for a second-round pick who is still a raw prospect on a Bucks team fighting for a playoff spot. Hopefully, he can get an opportunity with a team currently focusing on developing young talent.

Albeit a minor move for the Bucks financially, an additional roster spot opens the door for another free-agency signing as the team continues to navigate a critical offseason.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/7/2/24460765/nba-free-agency-milwaukee-bucks-waive-chris-livingston

News Bucks Team Notes

Starter

Kam Jones (dream target) ​

Chaz Lanier​

Tyrese Proctor​

Javon Small​

Hunter Sallis​

Max Shulga​

Starter

Starter

Role​

Potential Suitors​

Potential Contract​

Starter

Dawid Księżarczyk - @daveknot2309​

Finn Kuehl - @FinleyKuehl​

Zac Day​

Mia Thurow​

Drew Gentile - @drew_gentile_​

Nate Lemin​

Dan Simmons - @MadDanWrites​

Starter

Bucks Roster, Salaries, Draft Picks, Cap Space & More​

Do the Bucks have any cap room? If not, when will they?​

Are the Bucks paying the luxury tax? If so, how much is their bill?​

Are the Bucks over the first or second apron above the luxury tax?​

Can the Bucks use the mid-level exception or bi-annual exception? Do they have any trade exceptions?​

Are the Bucks hard-capped?​

I heard the second apron restricts the Bucks from trading or aggregating multiple players. How does this work?​

Will the Bucks be beneath the first or second apron next year?​

What draft picks can the Bucks currently trade?​

Starter

Starter

Step 1: Take advantage of the Celtics' financial woes​

The Trade​

Step 2: Bring a bunch of the band back together​

Step 3: Fill out the roster​

Final Bucks rotation for 2025/26:​

My Final Thoughts​

Starter

Starter

Noah Penda (dream target)​

John Tonje​

Sion James​

Koby Brea​

Jamir Watkins​

TJ Bamba​

Starter

Role​

Potential Suitors​

Potential Contract​

Starter

Starter

Starter

Starter

Starter

Bogoljub Markovič​

Mark Sears​

Starter

Starter

Quick hits​

Starter

Starter

Starter

Kam Jones (dream target)

Chaz Lanier

Tyrese Proctor

Javon Small

Hunter Sallis

Max Shulga

Role

Potential Suitors

Potential Contract

Dawid Księżarczyk - @daveknot2309

Finn Kuehl - @FinleyKuehl

Zac Day

Mia Thurow

Drew Gentile - @drew_gentile_

Nate Lemin

Dan Simmons - @MadDanWrites

Bucks Roster, Salaries, Draft Picks, Cap Space & More

Do the Bucks have any cap room? If not, when will they?

Are the Bucks paying the luxury tax? If so, how much is their bill?

Are the Bucks over the first or second apron above the luxury tax?

Can the Bucks use the mid-level exception or bi-annual exception? Do they have any trade exceptions?

Are the Bucks hard-capped?

I heard the second apron restricts the Bucks from trading or aggregating multiple players. How does this work?

Will the Bucks be beneath the first or second apron next year?

What draft picks can the Bucks currently trade?

Step 1: Take advantage of the Celtics' financial woes

The Trade

Step 2: Bring a bunch of the band back together

Step 3: Fill out the roster

Final Bucks rotation for 2025/26:

My Final Thoughts

Noah Penda (dream target)

John Tonje

Sion James

Koby Brea

Jamir Watkins

TJ Bamba

Role

Potential Suitors

Potential Contract

Bogoljub Markovič

Mark Sears

Quick hits