The Milwaukee Bucks still need to trim their roster, but even once they do, several players' paths to playing time will be hard to come by. Whether due to age, an assortment of bodies at the position, better options, or whatever else, these Bucks could be on the outside looking in when it comes to Taylor Jenkins' rotation. Let's break them down now.
Kasparas Jakucionis
There is simply no denying the potential that Jakucionis has. On paper, he's a fascinating prospect, given his sweet passing and shooting chops at 6-foot-5, 200 lbs. Still just 20 years old, he has all of the tools to become a great, unique player in this league. Yet, Milwaukee's guard jam will give him a steep hill to climb in terms of earning consistent playing time.
In addition to Jakucionis, the Milwaukee Bucks employ Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., Brayden Burries, and Caris LeVert as guards with standard contracts. There simply won't be many minutes to go around, and while he could eventually work his way into the mix, it feels like the Bucks must part with a guard or two before that opportunity becomes realistic.
Nate Ament
While Milwaukee's frontcourt isn't as crowded as its backcourt, it would still be surprising to see Nate Ament in the mix this season. They drafted the rookie 13th overall knowing that he was raw and would need time to truly unearth his potential. Despite his player development track record, it would come as a surprise if Taylor Jenkins relied heavily on the 19-year-old rookie.
Instead, it's more plausible that Jenkins will roll with players such as Kyle Kuzma, Ousmane Dieng, and perhaps even Kel'el Ware at the four spot. Meanwhile, Ament will likely spend time in the G League to sharpen his game with the Wisconsin Herd. That will allow them to ease their youngster into the NBA waters and develop him that way.
Caris LeVert
Just like Jakucionis, LeVert will likely be a victim of Milwaukee's backcourt logjam, but he's not an up-and-comer like the 20-year-old. LeVert is the oldest player on the roster and just had the worst year of his entire career. The Milwaukee Bucks didn't exactly bring him in to be a contributor—the trade to get him was simply a salary dump that netted the team a pair of valuable second-round picks.
With youth the focus in Milwaukee, LeVert will almost certainly be a depth piece. Even with the guard depth overflowing, it never hurts to have a battle-tested veteran like LeVert as a break glass in case of emergency option. Still, though, most nights, it feels like he won't see much playing time, and that is just fine in the bigger picture.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks.
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