The 3 most important outcomes for the Bucks early in the season

For much of a decade, the objective for the Bucks was fairly obvious: keep Giannis Antetokounmpo healthy and supported, and enter the playoffs in position to compete for a championship.

That decade is over.

Antetokounmpo, of course, is now in Miami, getting a fresh start with the Heat, and the Bucks are in the midst of a rebuild -- of their roster and their cap sheet, which is still saddled with some of the remains of that era, including contracts that were acquired for the type of team Milwaukee no longer is.

So, with too many teams in the Eastern Conference currently more talented at the top of their lineups than the Bucks, and with Milwaukee's growth currently somewhat stifled by draft picks dealt away during their all-in-with-Antetokounmpo efforts, it's necessary to see the bigger picture.

Here is how the Bucks get wins even when they're not winning much:

1. Assess (and increase value of) young-ish vets

Tyler Herro — USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

There's a fine line when a team has players who are due for contract extensions. You want them to play well, but maybe not too well, so it either gets too expensive to keep them or their highly-motivated efforts fool you into paying too much. That's the case when it comes to two of the players that the Bucks acquired from the Heat: Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. Both are good players; Herro has been a Sixth Man of the Year and Jaquez Jr. has been second. Both can help plenty of teams. Both are in their mid-20s. But both might ultimately fit better elsewhere at the cost they can command. Still, early in the season, it's best if the Bucks get solid play from both, doing what each does best (Herro's shooting and floater, Jaquez Jr.'s straight line attacks, with some occasional spins). And then maybe one or both can be flipped to replenish the pick stash going forward.

2. Showcase the older veterans... but not too much

Are Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma more advanced and accomplished than many of those on the roster? Yes. But that's not what matters. What matters is what they can bring in return. Turner has started in an NBA Finals; Kuzma has won a championship as a third option. Both still have something left, though Turner largely struggled when Giannis (with whom he was supposed to pair) didn't play last season, and Kuzma lost some time to Ousmane Dieng as the playoffs got out of reach. Both should get roles early in the season, especially Turner -- since unlike Kuzma, the center still has years on his contract beyond this season. But it can't come too much at the expense of Dieng, Kel'el Ware, Nate Ament and younger others. This is the balance for new coach Taylor Jenkins, and ideally he can change course by December/January, when either they've made themselves attractive to other teams, or the experiment ends and the shift to young players happens anyway.

3. Find paths for two guards

Kasparas Jakucionis — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are age layers in the Bucks' backcourt as well as the frontcourt, and while there's no clear player who needs to be cleared out (even as Gary Trent Jr.'s bloated contract sticks out), Jenkins faces a challenge here also. Herro, Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr., on their own, have the makings of a competent guard trio, all in their 20s. But the future is Bucks 2026 first round pick Brayden Burries and perhaps Heat 2025 first round pick Kasparas Jakucionis, who showed promise as he snuck into the back of Miami's rotation last season. You can't play five or six guards consistently, but you also need to give Burries and Jakucionis enough reps to make mistakes in order to improve. This is where the losses might actually help, early; too many victories might fool a coach into keeping the least experienced players shelved for too long. Thankfully, Jenkins has been through a process like this in Memphis -- one that was successful until a variety of factors created a ceiling -- so he should largely be trusted to find the right balance.

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