The right excitement level for the Bucks' 2026-27 season

Regardless of how you team finished last season, there's always going to be some level of excitement for the upcoming season.

Of course, some teams are going to have more excitement than others as the ultimate goal is to win a championship, but for even teams near the bottom of the power rankings, there's excitement to see the highly drafted rookies they took back in June.

However, that optimism starts to shrivel when the best player on the team is no longer there and the direction for this upcoming season is unknown.

That's the reality for the Milwaukee Bucks this year once they decided to move on from Giannis Antetokounmpo and trade him to the Miami Heat, beginning a new era for the Bucks. It's hard to be excited for a season after trading away arguably the greatest player in franchise history, and have essentially been written off around the league heading into next season.

Milwaukee is in unfamiliar territory for the first time in a while facing an intimidating road ahead of them, but that's also what makes this year exciting for Bucks fans.

The eventual downfall of Antetokounmpo's time was a tragic one for the city of Milwaukee and there's no denying that. It's never going to be easy to let go of a player who did so much, but if felt like it was only a matter of time of when he was leaving given how his last few seasons ended with the Bucks.

Apr 7, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) controls the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) defends during the third quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now that the trade has finally been executed, it's time to move on and look at what's currently in front of them. Milwaukee acquired Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakučionis from the trade, while adding rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament from the NBA Draft.

Though potential free agency additions have quieted down, with all of these new pieces, the Bucks might not know what to expect, but there's still something to look forward to.

It's ok to leave the past in the past, and a fresh slate of talented players who've showed promise during their time in Miami, is plenty to be excited about. Herro is coming off a year where he averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game despite an injury riddled year. He'll most likely be the first option for the Bucks and it's a chance to see what he can actually do with offense going through him.

Jaquez Jr. came off a career year himself after posting 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, and even finished second in Sixth Man of the Year. With a potentially increased role in Milwaukee, it'll be interesting to see how he can take that next step forward on a new team.

Then the young players in Ware and Jakučionis are going to get a chance to play significant roles for the Bucks. Ware saw plenty of playing time as the backup center for the Heat in his sophomore season and was a rebound shy of averaging a double-double, with 11.1 points and 9 rebounds per game, while shooting 39.5% from the 3-point line on three attempts a game.

Jakučionis rookie season wasn't the most exciting, but showed flashes throughout the year and shot 42.3% from the 3-point line. There's also the addition of Burries who's done nothing but impress this summer, and Ament who has immense potential with his characteristics.

You add those guys along with Ryan Rollins, who exploded on the scene last season with 17.3 points per game, and Ousmane Dieng who was extremely productive in his short time in Milwaukee and you have a solid core of players.

The current Milwaukee Bucks roster breakdown:

Guards:
Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Tyler Herro, AJ Green, Brayden Burries, Kasparas Jakucionis, Caris LeVert

Forwards:
Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Ousmane Dieng, Nate Ament, Bogoljub Markovic

Centers:
Myles Turner, Kel’el… pic.twitter.com/3najapiEp3
— SleeperBucks (@SleeperBucksNBA) July 8, 2026

On top of all of that, and maybe the most important addition to the Bucks organization, they hired Taylor Jenkins as their head coach, who had an successful tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies as their coach for six seasons.

It's important for Milwaukee fans to be realistic during this time because the Eastern Conference is going to be a gauntlet, and there is a good chance that the Bucks could end at the bottom of the league.

But the pieces are there, and it's a good opportunity to see how this team can come together and even make a possible push for the postseason.

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