Important Piston Linked to Bucks in Pre-Free Agency Buzz

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The 2025-2026 NBA season could be a down year for the Detroit Pistons’ division rival, the Milwaukee Bucks. While all signs are pointing to the Bucks keeping their franchise player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, on board, the absence of an injured Damian Lillard puts the Bucks in a tough spot.
Milwaukee will need a temporary seasoned point guard to replace Lillard for most, if not all, of next season. It’s being suggested that the Bucks have their eyes on a handful of veteran guards, including one who’s entering the free agency market after a run with the Detroit Pistons.
According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, there are three names the Bucks are expected to target potentially: Tyus Jones, Malcolm Brogdon, and Dennis Schroder.
This year, Schroder suited up for three different teams. At the start of the season, he played in 23 games for the Brooklyn Nets before they traded him to the Golden State Warriors. After 24 games for the Warriors, Schroder was moved to the Pistons ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.

With the Pistons, Schroder appeared in 28 games during the regular season. For the most part, he came off the bench, but the veteran collected eight starts. Seeing the court for an average of 25 minutes, Schroder was quite productive in Detroit behind Cade Cunningham.
The veteran guard posted 11 points per game while knocking down 38 percent of his field goals and 30 percent of his threes. Schroder also produced five assists per game.
Detroit had faith in the idea of Schroder giving the Pistons a major boost in the playoffs. Being that it was their first playoff run in years, Schroder was one of a few players with several postseason runs under his belt. He played well for the Pistons, posting averages of 13 points, four assists, and two rebounds, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 48 percent from three.
This summer, Schroder will become an unrestricted free agent at age 31. The early assumption was that the Pistons would prioritize bringing Schroder back to continue backing up Cade Cunningham. It appears they could have some competition in that market, as the Bucks might make an intriguing pitch to Schroder, who could acquire a starting opportunity along with Antetokounmpo.
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Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia
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