If the best player available at No. 10 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft is a point guard, the Milwaukee Bucks will need to ask a simple question: Do we believe they'll be better than Ryan Rollins? If the answer is yes, then there's reason to take a chance. If not, then it'll be time to look elsewhere.
For as much of an oversimplification as that may appear to be, the Bucks have the No. 10 selection in a guard-heavy portion of the draft and a rising star already at the point guard position.
Rollins is coming off of a remarkable breakthrough season during which he averaged 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 2.5 three-point field goals made on .472/.406/.796 shooting. He finished fifth in the voting for Most Improved Player after increasing his averages by 4.7 points and 1.7 assists per 36 minutes.
Considering Rollins will turn 24 in July, Milwaukee has every reason to view him as a building block with whom they can create a future either with or beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The hurdle in making such a commitment, however, is that Rollins will become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. As such, choosing to prioritize Rollins over whomever they encounter in the NBA Draft will effectively mean committing to him as a long-term piece of the puzzle.
For as daunting as that task may be, the Bucks simply can't justify drafting a point guard if they aren't ready to commit to them over Rollins.
If BPA is a point guard, should Bucks deprioritize Ryan Rollins?
There are no shortage of point guards garnering significant hype leading up to the 2026 NBA Draft. That list includes, but certainly isn't limited to, Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., Labaron Philon Jr., and Keaton Wagler—all of whom could be top-10 picks at the end of June.
In the event that even one of those players is available at No. 10 overall, the Bucks will thus have to at least consider selecting them based on upside and talent alone.
Making such a selection wouldn't be as simple as adding a promising player to the rotation, however, as egos and contracts would need to be factored into such a conversation. There's a realistic world in which Rollins not only feels alienated by such a selection, but ultimately leaves via unrestricted free agency in 2027.
Neither of those outcomes would actually rely on the drafted player outperforming Rollins or becoming a better player than him over time.
That's exactly what makes the No. 10 pick so tense and important for the Bucks to get right. There's nothing inherently wrong with hitting the reset button and drafting a point guard who'd be signed to a four-year rookie scale deal, but it's a commitment they must be prepared to face the repercussions of.
It's an unenviable position for the Bucks to find themselves in, but they'll be deciding more than just Antetokounmpo's future this coming summer.
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