The Milwaukee Bucks have declined the $2.4 million 2026-27 team option for guard Andre Jackson Jr., ending his three-year stint with the franchise. While the hope was that he could carve out a niche as a wing defender and supplementary playmaker, it never happened. With an influx of prospects arriving via the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade and the draft, the roster simply didn't have room.
Fortunately for the Bucks, first-round pick Brayden Burries is a perfect replacement and a whole lot more.
Burries' floor is an upgrade on Jackson's ceiling
To be clear, the Bucks hope Burries is a lot more than just Jackson's replacement. They didn't draft him 10th overall to be what Jackson, a former No. 36 pick, could not: a rotational bench piece with a limited overall skill set. While Milwaukee won't expect Burries to reach his All-Star potential as a rookie, hopes are high for both his present and his future.
Still, fulfilling a more exciting version of Jackson's theoretical ceiling - a solid wing defender who can knock down shots and facilitate here and there - would be a comfortable starting point.
Burries was one of the better two-way prospects in the second half of the draft lottery. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he has the stature and strength to hold his own defensively against guard-size wings. At Arizona last season, he averaged 1.5 steals per game and, more importantly, established himself as a sturdy force on that end of the floor.Â
Offensively, Burries has more upside than Jackson on his best day of the week, both as a scorer and a facilitator, though his passing skills have room to grow. At Arizona, he averaged an efficient 16.4 points by converting catch-and-shoot looks, creating for himself, and getting to the line.Â
Filling Jackson's roster spot with Burries is a win for the Bucks
While Burries lacks Jackson's length and prototypical wing build, his mature, well-rounded game will allow him to make the immediate offensive impact Jackson was unable to at any point in Milwaukee, on top of playing capable defense.
Jackson actually earned a semi-regular role in 2024-25, starting 43 games in 67 appearances while shooting 39.5 percent on threes (1.1 attempts per game). Although he provided active, handsy defense, he just didn't do enough on the opposite end to stay on the floor. Last season, Jackson saw a career-low 8.5 minutes per night.Â
The Bucks will expect more out of Burries, even in his rookie year, than Jackson's career-high of 3.4 points per game, but he will almost surely come off the bench if both Tyler Herro and Kevin Porter Jr., who will exercise his '26-27 player option, remain on the roster. For now, Burries' floor is filling Jackson's roster spot as an exciting upgrade. That should suit the Bucks just fine.
Add us as a preferred source on Google