Surprise Bucks Guard Predicted to Be Team’s Biggest ‘Wild Card’

Bucks President Peter Feigin with an illuminated Deer logo sign outside the new Fiserv Forum June 27, 2018. | Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Can the Milwaukee Bucks, well, buck expectations this season and advanced deep into the playoffs for the first time since their 2021 championship run — with an almost totally different roster?

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A lot of Milwaukee's chances to shock the world could hinge on an under-the-radar young point guard, opines Danny Chau of The Ringer.

"Perhaps the most intriguing wild card on the roster is fourth-year breakout candidate Ryan Rollins, who earned the trust of Doc Rivers against all odds last season," Chau writes.

Chau cites Rollins' defensive upside as a key reason for his optimism.

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"Standing at 6-foot-3 with an astounding 6-foot-10 wingspan, Rollins will mostly impact the defense, but he flirted with a 50-40-80 season in his first year as an NBA rotation player," Chau notes. "These are the margins the Bucks will have to grind in the lower rungs."

In 56 games last season (19 starts), the 23-year-old Rollins averaged 6.2 points on .487/.408/.800 shooting splits, 1.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.8 steals a night. He had only suited up in 25 total contests through his first two pro seasons on the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, and Bucks from 2022-24.

If Rollins pops, that could definitely elevate Milwaukee from its current floor.

Milwaukee At A Crossroads

Rollins is one of many Bucks from the 2024-25 vintage who have been brought back in free agency this summer.

The most prominent (and priciest) returning name is floor-spacing reserve power forward/center Bobby Portis Jr., who declined his 2025-26 player option to sign a three-season, $43.6 million deal. He'll have a player option again, in 2027-28.

Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst also re-signed guard Kevin Porter Jr., a deadline trade acquisition who offers some creativity off the bounce, to a two-year, $10.5 million deal.

Rollins, shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. (who could have earned more), forward Taurean Prince, and center Jericho Sims were all brought back on veteran's minimum deals.

Guard Andre Jackson Jr. saw his non-guaranteed deal transitioned to a partially guaranteed contract, and will see the agreement become fully ratified if he's still rostered on the opening day of the 2025-26 season.

Horst also traded away veteran shooting guard Pat Connaughton and used the No. 47 pick in June's 2025 NBA Draft to selection Mega Basket power forward/center Bogoljub Markovic. Markovic will spend 2025-26 developing some more seasoning with Mega Basket.

For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.