It's still early, but Brayden Burries looks like a star in the making for the Milwaukee Bucks. Following an impressive Summer League performance, the team will want him on the floor as much as possible to see if he's eventual face of the franchise material. Depending on how he performs, the Bucks will have some tough calls to make next summer when an assortment of their other guards hit free agency.
Bucks' top three guards are all nearing free agency
Next offseason, Tyler Herro will be an unrestricted free agent, while Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. hold player options that will almost certainly be declined. All three will be seeking raises. Sure, in a perfect world, the Milwaukee Bucks could keep all four players and have a talented quartet to build with. However, that's a long shot from a financial perspective.
Burries' performance could dictate what direction the team goes in. If the guard lives up to the hype and takes the NBA by storm, perhaps they are more willing to part with one or two of Rollins, Porter, or Herro to clear more time for Burries. However, if he struggles and clearly needs more time, bringing them back on new, more lucrative deals could make sense to give him time to grow at his pace.
What a successful Burries' season would look like
For the Milwaukee Bucks to potentially even consider fully investing in Burries and putting any of the three other guards on the back burner, it would take a lot.
Offensively, the guard would have to show a similar flair that stole the show at Summer League—he averaged 23.5 points and 4.3 assists while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Obviously, he was the star of Summer League, while he'll be playing with other ball-dominant guards in Milwaukee, so those numbers won't immediately translate, but can the combo guard showcase similar flashes? Yes.
If Burries, when granted the opportunity, displays the same confidence that saw him dominate the summer competitors, it will turn heads. He has to prove he can do it against NBA-level competition over Summer Leaguers, but the three-level scoring potential is there. That goes without mentioning his pristine passing, which could make him an even greater threat.
Then there is his defense. Burries has the physical gifts and the IQ to be an incredible defender at this level, and there were also glimpses of it sprinkled throughout Summer League. Again, he has to prove he can do it against NBA players rather than Summer Leaguers, but the signs are apparent that he can and will reach that level very quickly.
If Burries becomes a standout two-way contributor in his rookie season, the Milwaukee Bucks will face incredibly difficult decisions next summer. They may prefer to fully invest in Brayden Burries' development rather than pay Tyler Herro $40 million annually or give Porter/Rollins a significant raise to take touches away from him.
Again, all of this may be premature. Yet, with how special Burries could be, it's never too early to start thinking about having this conversation.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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