The Milwaukee Bucks will tip off their 2026-27 campaign against a new-look Washington on Wednesday, entering the opener with their own restructured young roster.
The Bucks, of course, traded Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat in the offseason before releasing guard Kevin Porter Jr. — who looked like he had emerged as a big piece of their operation last year — on Monday.
Against the Wizards, first-year head coach Taylor Jenkins will have a largely unproven group at his disposal, but one with bags of potential. Not expected to compete this season, the Bucks have plenty of talent to sift through to see who fits their long-term rebuild vision.
Exciting Backcourt
Tyler Herro is a known commodity, and he will join last year's breakout starlet, Ryan Rollins, to form an extremely dynamic backcourt after coming from Miami in the Giannis trade.
Both players are do-it-all guards; however, Rollins ran point for Milwaukee well in 2025-26, which should let Herro play more freely off the ball and use his perimeter shooting and the rest of his offensive repertoire.
Rollins can score too, though, meaning defenses won't necessarily be able to sell out to stop one or the other. Rollins averaged 17.3 points last season, while Herro averaged 20.5.
Rollins added 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per tilt. Will he have to give up some shooting volume to Herro? Perhaps. But the latter looks in good form going into the campaign after dropping 25 points (10-for-16 FG, 5-for-7 3PT) on the Indiana Pacers last Friday in the Bucks' last preseason outing.
They should be able to find a good balance as the team's two best offensive players.
Rollins will likely be backed up by Kasparas Jakucionis, who was also part of the Giannis trade and showed flashes of his playmaking ability in the preseason. Caris LeVert is currently listed as the third string and could be a potential midseason trade candidate.
Rookie Brayden Burries figures to get a lot of minutes behind Herro. The No. 10 overall pick in this year's Draft, the 6-foot-4 guard impressed during training camp and preseason, making the Bucks feel comfortable letting Porter Jr. go.
Burries averaged just over 16 points in his last three preseason games, also showing rebounding potential and the ability to be a secondary playmaker.
Shooter AJ Green appears to be the third-string two-guard.
Jury Is Out On The Frontcourt
The Bucks' forward positions may be their weakness going into the season.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. — another addition via the Giannis trade — and Kyle Kuzma are projected to start in the opener against the Wizards.
Jaquez Jr. still has some room to grow and had a fine campaign last year. Kuzma, however, at 31, doesn't really seem like a long-term option for a team looking to evaluate young talent and rebuild.
Ousmane Dieng can play at the three or the four, and it won't be surprising if the Bucks go that route sooner rather than later. He had a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 14.
Rookie No. 13 overall pick Nate Ament is also one to watch at both spots. He is currently nursing an injury and is listed as day-to-day; however, at 6-foot-10 and a gifted scorer, he presents a tremendous long-term proposition — in many ways, a like-for-like young Giannis replacement.
Ware Era
It's likely only a matter of time before Kel'el Ware displaces veteran Myles Turner as the starting center.
Ware was one of the key pieces the Heat offered, along with draft capital, that made the Antetokounmpo trade exciting for the Bucks.
Ware is a 7-footer who is a walking double-double and is continuing to work on stretching his game beyond the arc. With Turner shooting 31 percent from three in the preseason, the two are already close.
If Turner's struggles persist, Ware will not only offer a higher ceiling but also a higher floor.
Ware shot 39.5 percent from deep with the Heat last year, averaging 11.1 points and nine rebounds per game. He notched two double-doubles in five preseason games and will look to carry that momentum into the regular season.