With Bobby Portis, Jericho Sims, and Brook Lopez entering NBA Free Agency, the Milwaukee Bucks had an opportunity to throw Tyler Smith into the fire as a rotational player next season. However, in an unsurprising move, the team not only brought back Portis and Sims, but they also replaced Lopez in a hurry with Myles Turner to make it known that Smith is not ready. Tyler Smith will remain buried on the depth chart, and that might be fine.
Bucks' Tyler Smith needs another year to develop
The Milwaukee Bucks knew Tyler Smith was a project player when they drafted him last year. It would take time before he made the leap into the rotation, and it looks like that will remain the case heading into his sophomore campaign. At just 20 years old, another year focused on development, especially in this frontcourt, might not be so bad for a youngster.
Smith can spend the 2025-26 NBA season learning from the trio of Turner, Portis, and Sims. Oh, and, of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo will be there as well. Those are four incredibly different players, so Smith will have plenty to take away from each of them. He can then implement it all into his own game, particularly with the Wisconsin Herd, where he can get significant minutes.
The young forward had a golden opportunity to catch attention during Milwaukee's recent stint in the Summer League, but that didn't go according to plan. Across five games, Smith averaged 9.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and zero assists while shooting 31.3 percent from the floor, including 20.7 percent on his 3-point tries. That simply won't get the job done if he was trying to impress.
None of this is to say Tyler Smith shouldn't be on his toes next season. There's always the chance that something unforeseen takes a crucial player out of the rotation - think Bobby Portis' suspension that cost him 25 games last season. If something like that were to happen again, the Bucks may call on Smith to make his mark.
Everyone saw the young, inexperienced Ryan Rollins overtake savvy veteran Delon Wright last year. Perhaps Smith could do the same if someone isn't getting the job done, but with how raw he remains, it feels unlikely. For now, all the young power forward can continue to do is work on his game.
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