This season was the first time since the 2017-18 season that the Milwaukee Bucks failed to win the Central Division.
The Indiana Pacers sent the Bucks home in the first round of the playoffs, then beat the 64-win and division champion Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Those teams need to keep an eye on the Detroit Pistons moving forward after their much-improved campaign, leaving the Chicago Bulls as the lone Central Division team looking into the playoffs from the Play-In.
Milwaukee has holes on its roster, and they can steal these free agents away to fix them.
Chicago Bulls - Tre Jones, Guard
Damian Lillard will miss the majority of the 2025-26 season following his Achilles injury, meaning the Bucks will have a huge void to fill in the backcourt. It will be tough to find a player close to Lillard's level with the Milwaukee Bucks' lack of financial flexibility, but Tre Jones can definitely contribute.
Jones spent the first half of the season with the San Antonio Spurs before being traded to the Windy City. Across 46 appearances this season, he averaged 7.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists on shooting splits of .538/.396/.821.
What Jones can give the Bucks is a solid facilitator who can take the playmaking responsibilities away from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ryan Rollins has been a great story since moving from a two-way player to a full contract, with Kevin Porter Jr. providing much-needed scoring from the bench. Jones would help bulk up the backcourt as a cheap option, especially if the Bucks lose either of those two.
Cleveland Cavaliers - Sam Merrill, Guard
Cleveland doesn't have many players hitting free agency, and with Ty Jerome likely getting a decent payday following his stellar season, Sam Merrill returning to Milwaukee could be a clever move for the Bucks. Merrill was the final pick of the 2020 NBA Draft and played 30 games for Milwaukee in the title-winning 2020-21 season.
Gary Trent Jr. is a free agent this offseason, and should he look elsewhere, Merrill would be a nice, cheap option that can shoot well from deep. In 71 games with the Cavs, he averaged 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists on splits of .406/.372/.966.
The Milwaukee Bucks look their best when they surround Giannis with shooters. If they keep hold of AJ Green, he and Merrill would be brilliant floor spacers off the bench. He just turned 29, so he at least offers the Milwaukee Bucks a younger option to Pat Connaughton and has shown he can contribute on a team looking to contend.
Detroit Pistons - Dennis Schroder, Guard
Detroit had a great season, but they have several key contributors hitting free agency, therefore allowing the Bucks to possibly snag one of them. Former Bucks guard Malik Beasley had a good shooting season, along with veteran wing Tim Hardaway Jr. and big man Paul Reed. The latter is perhaps the other viable option for the Bucks and their needs, but Dennis Schroder is another guard that Milwaukee can look at.
The German point guard has been a target for the Milwaukee Bucks in previous years, and at 31, he can still provide a veteran presence at a low price. Schroder featured in 75 games this season for the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and then the Pistons. He averaged 13.1 points, 5.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and a steal on splits of .406/.342/.838.
In the postseason, he was key to the Pistons taking the New York Knicks to six games, averaging 12.5 points and making 49.1 percent of his shots, including 47.6 percent from 3-point range. Schroder has shown he can still contribute and his experience would take some pressure away from the other ball-handlers, giving the Milwaukee Bucks a dependable backcourt option.
Indiana Pacers - Thomas Bryant, Center
Indiana has been brilliant this postseason and has a real shot at winning the title. That outcome may dictate what they do with their free agents, one of whom is big man Thomas Bryant, a player they got from the Miami Heat for the rights to swap a second-round pick in the 2031 draft, a bargain of a trade.
Bryant has featured in 56 games for the Pacers, averaging 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds on shooting splits of .515/.321/.830. Indiana has been one of the quickest, most athletic and versatile teams in the past couple of NBA seasons. This postseason, they have shown they have great depth, and Bryant contributes to that.
He is exactly what the Bucks need from a backup five, as he is athletic enough to be versatile defensively. The 3-point shooting is not to the level of Brook Lopez, but he can still space the floor and would be a nice frontcourt partner for Giannis. The Pacers' outcome could determine his asking price, but the Milwaukee Bucks should certainly be looking to him as a dependable center who can still contribute on both ends of the floor.
It will be tough to see the Bucks find their way back to the top of the Central Division, but stealing these cheap options from their rivals could help out.