The Milwaukee Bucks fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after a stunning first-round playoff exit and hired first-timer Adrian Griffin as his replacement. They stayed in title contention this summer by bringing back Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Jae Crowder along with adding some youth on the edges. Will it be enough to get Milwaukee back to the NBA Finals in 2024?
Giannis Antetokounmpo is recovering from offseason knee surgery but should be ready for training camp. As long as the Greek Freak is healthy, the Bucks will be a feared team in the Eastern Conference.
Giannis is the only member of the Bucks core four under 30 years old, and the franchise should already be thinking about the team’s next iteration. Antetokounmpo is a fantastic start, but the Bucks must develop some young talent to stay at the top.
4 Players the Milwaukee Bucks should develop, 2 they shouldn’t
Develop: Chris Livingston
The Bucks just drafted Livingston with the final pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after one season at the University of Kentucky. His college numbers were unimpressive, but the 6’6 wing showed flashes during summer league as he averaged 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 26.7 minutes per game.
Livingston needs to improve his jumper and overall play to make a nightly impact in the NBA, but the teenager was the number 13 player coming out of high school in 2022. There is plenty of upside, and the Bucks should be focused on getting the best out of him.
The 6’6 forward has a 6’11 wingspan with the size and athletic ability to defend multiple positions. He is a project, but Chris Livingston could turn into a rotation player and key contributor in Milwaukee if he can reach his ceiling.
The Bucks believe in him so much they gave him the largest contract in league history for the final pick in a draft. They are committed to developing Livingston after giving him two guaranteed years, and fans should be excited about his potential.
Don’t Develop: Omari Moore
The Bucks were quick to ink Moore to a two-way contract after the 6’6 wing went undrafted in June. He spent four years at San Diego State where he improved each season, including averaging 17.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 36.5 minutes per game as a senior.
There was plenty of hype when he signed, but that disappeared after a disappointing summer league. Moore played just 11.6 minutes per game in Las Vegas where he averaged 2.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Fans were hoping to see more from the 22-year-old in his first pro action, but it was a brief five-game sample.
The Bucks have plenty of wing depth, including some young talent in front of Omari Moore that they should prioritize. NBA teams love 6’6 players with versatility. Moore can handle the ball, make plays, and rebound. It is a strong foundation, but he is years away from contributing to an NBA rotation.
Milwaukee Bucks should keep Omari Moore in the G League this season, but they should not prioritize his development over the two players they just drafted or the more polished wings on their roster. Moore needs time to focus on improving, so he can hopefully blossom into a rotation player in his prime.
Develop: Andre Jackson Jr.
Jackson Jr. was the 36th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after helping UConn win the national title. The 6’6 guard was the Huskies’ primary playmaker during their tournament run as he averaged 6.8 assists per game. His numbers do not jump off the screen, but his defense and athletic ability had teams interested.
Jackson Jr. must improve his jumper if he wants to reach his ceiling. His shooting mechanics are not pretty, and he made just 29.3 percent on his 3-point tries over his three college seasons. His playmaking improvements have helped, but he never scored more than 6.8 points per game at UConn.
The 21-year-old struggled with his shot in summer league, but his athletic ability and defense were on display. Can the Milwaukee Bucks unlock his offensive game and turn him into a key rotation player? It is no guarantee, but at 6’6 with a 6’10 wingspan, his defense could be impactful without it.
Andre Jackson Jr. will be played off the floor in the playoffs unless he becomes a threat to score or space the floor. The Milwaukee Bucks liked his size and athletic ability, and they think new head Adrian Griffin and his staff can get the best out of the 6’6 wing. Stay tuned to see if that becomes a reality.
Develop: A.J. Green
Green was on a two-way contract with the Bucks last season after going undrafted out of Northern Iowa. He saw action in 35 games but only played 345 minutes with the Bucks during his rookie campaign. The 6’4 guard did dominate the G League as he averaged 21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 33.6 minutes per game during the regular season.
Green is a sharpshooter. He shot 37.8 percent from 3-point range during his four seasons at Northern Iowa. Last season, the 6’4 guard hit 42.6 percent over 155 attempts in the G League and was 41.9 percent on 105 NBA tries. The Bucks desperately need shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Green can certainly provide it.
The 23-year-old got upgraded to a standard contract this summer, and his shooting will earn him minutes. Can he hold his own defensively? Improving on that end of the floor is his key to a consistent role and more nightly playing time. He cannot just be a shooter if he wants to play every night.
A.J. Green was a fantastic undrafted find for the Milwaukee Bucks, and the 23-year-old should only get better. The franchise was smart to sign him to a three-year deal this summer, and fans should be excited to see how improves moving forward.
Don’t Develop: Lindell Wigginton
Wigginton spent two seasons at Iowa State University before going undrafted in 2019. The 6’2 guard played his first two years for the Iowa Wolves in the G League before the Bucks signed him to a two-way contract in 2022.
The 25-year-old has seen action in 26 games in Milwaukee over the last two seasons but was outstanding in the G League. Wigginton averaged 22.3 points, 6.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 36.5 minutes per game over 20 regular season games for the Wisconsin Herd, but can he translate that production to the NBA?
The 25-year-old played two games in the Las Vegas Summer League for the Bucks where he averaged 13.0 points in just 18.9 minutes per game. He was impressive, but not dominant like a two-year NBA veteran should be in Sin City.
Wigginton is a hard worker, but the Milwaukee Bucks should not focus on the development of the 25-year-old. At best, he is a backup point guard in the NBA. The Bucks have an open spot, but Wigginton is not the favorite to fill it. It is now or never for the 6’2 guard, and the Bucks should move on if he cannot lock down that role during training camp.
Develop: MarJon Beauchamp
The Bucks first-round draft pick in 2022 is the team’s best young player. He struggled to get consistent minutes as a rookie, but Beauchamp dominated the G League by averaging 19.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game over six contests last season. The G League Ignite alum is too good for the developmental league, and the Bucks’ new coaching staff could help him take his game to another level.
The 6’6 wing is a plus athlete and versatile defender that has shown plenty of flashes. Beauchamp needs to be more consistent on both ends of the floor if he wants to be a key rotation piece moving forward. There were far too many turnovers in summer league and his jumper is questionable at best. Beauchamp could become an important piece for the Bucks, but he still needs time to develop.
A massive season is ahead for MarJon Beauchamp. The 22-year-old needs to show some improvement if the Milwaukee Bucks are going to continue investing in his development. Can his jumper and consistency improve enough to crack the rotation? It is possible, but the coaching staff needs to focus on getting the most long-term development out of the 6’6 wing.
The Bucks may not have a top prospect, but the back end of their roster is filled with young players they are hoping to develop into key rotation pieces in a few years. Stay tuned to find out if the franchise can make that a reality as they attempt to contend for a championship.
5 Players the Milwaukee Bucks gave up on way too soon
The Milwaukee Bucks have enjoyed some great front office work over the past decade, but like many others, still have plenty of mistakes.