For all their roster shortcomings, the Milwaukee Bucks have a plethora of combo guards, good enough for a spot in the upper half of the following Eastern Conference two-guard rankings.
Just like at the point guard position, Doc Rivers doesn't have stars to work with, but he does have guys who get the job done - elite shooters, tough defenders, candidates for breakout seasons. In a league overrun by score-first guards who get picked on defensively, the Bucks' underrated group earns its value on the court, not via name recognition.
Ranking shooting guard groups in the Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Max Strus
2. Atlanta Hawks - Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard
3. New York Knicks - Josh Hart, Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride
4. Detroit Pistons - Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson
5. Orlando Magic - Desmond Bane, Anthony Black, Jase Richardson
6. Miami Heat - Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jacquez
7. Milwaukee Bucks - Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green, Ryan Rollins
8. Chicago Bulls - Coby White, Kevin Huerter, Isaac Okoro
9. Boston Celtics - Anfernee Simons, Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman
10. Philadelphia 76ers - Quentin Grimes (If he re-signs), Jared McCain, Kelly Oubre Jr.
11. Toronto Raptors - RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Jakobe Waler
12. Brooklyn Nets - Cam Thomas, Terrance Mann, Tyrese Martin
13. Washington Wizards - CJ McCollum, Cam Whitmore, Corey Kispert
14. Indiana Pacers - Benedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, Johnny Furphy
15. Charlotte Hornets - Kon Kneuppel, Collin Sexton, Nick Smith Jr.
Trent and Green are, in their roles, extremely valuable as 3-and-D marksmen. Green in particular is a net-rating demon. Both have a chance for breakout campaigns in 2025-26. With Damian Lillard gone, Trent should trend closer to his scoring numbers in Toronto. He already showed he can step up when called upon in the playoffs, with two 30-point performances in five games.
Rollins, a good defender who shot over 40 percent on threes last year, should also see time at shooting guard, giving the Milwaukee Bucks a third player in that mold.
Notable team ahead: Miami Heat. Despite Norman Powell's scoring punch and efficiency, by himself, he would not necessarily beat out Milwaukee's string of tough two-way guards. The fact that the Heat got him for almost nothing reflects the declining value of score-first guards - even coming off a career-best season. However, Miami will also have point guard Tyler Herro playing minutes at the two. Their combined offense is enough to move the needle, defensive concerns notwithstanding.
Notable teams behind: Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers. It is a narrative that plagues the Raptors' awkwardly assembled roster: RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick provide high-volume offense, but on subpar efficiency while failing to measure up on defense. Empty-calorie stats aren't going to cut it.
In Chicago, Coby White did not make the All-Star leap hoped for after breaking out in 2023-24. He's still the best player in a Bucks-Bulls comparison of shooting guards, but he probably isn't a major overall upgrade on Trent, and Milwaukee has better depth. Outsiders might look at Green and Rollins as fringe players, but both are primed for substantial growth, whereas Huerter and Okoro, while valuable, are mostly baked into their roles.
The 76ers just have too much uncertainty. Jared McCain showed great promise as a rookie but missed most of the season. Is he for real? The Bucks' own promising youngster, Rollins, added almost double the win shares per 48 minutes (0.100 vs 0.057).
Grimes, a restricted free agent, will most likely be back. If he plays like the guy who came over from Dallas in a trade, Philadelphia will have a real weapon. On a lost team reeling from injuries, however, those 28 games averaging 21.9 points represent a role he may or may not have in 2025-26. In 2023-24, he averaged single digits. On top of that, he hasn't even signed a contract yet.
The Bucks have the blessing of clarity. In addition, all three primary options are breakouts waiting to happen. Maybe that's overly optimistic, but pencil them in at No. 7.