Training camp is nearing, which means the Milwaukee Bucks will begin adding players to join them for the festivities. On Friday, they made their first move in that regard, signing big man John Butler Jr. to a camp deal. With Butler in town, at least for camp, Milwaukee's roster has grown, so let us break down the current situation taking shape in the 414.
Point guard - Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, Kam Jones (two-way)
Shooting guard - Tyler Herro, AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., Brayden Burries, Caris LeVert, Cormac Ryan (two-way)
Small forward - Jaime Jaquez Jr., Ousmane Dieng, Nate Ament
Power forward - Kyle Kuzma, Pete Nance, Bogoljub Markovic
Center - Myles Turner, Kel'el Ware, Jericho Sims, John Butler Jr. (camp deal)
Bucks roster keeps growing after Butler signing
Butler joins a solid center room that consists of three capable big men who will all likely play roles for the Milwaukee Bucks this season. During his time with the team, Butler should look to soak up all of the information from them that he possibly can. Just 23 years old, the big man still has plenty of room to grow, and spending time with these three could certainly help.
Looking beyond the center position, one thing is clear: Milwaukee's backcourt is loaded. Too much depth is rarely a bad thing, but in this case, it could serve as a roadblock for Brayden Burries to work his way into the rotation full-time. With the Bucks on the hunt for their next franchise star, it would be a blow to see Burries sitting behind quality, though less potential-filled, veterans constantly.
Roster cuts are coming for the Bucks
Butler's time with the Milwaukee Bucks will likely be short. While the team could sign him to a two-way contract if he dazzles in camp, it feels much more likely that he'll end up with the Wisconsin Herd in the G League, where he has spent time previously. Still, even if they don't keep Butler long-term, the Bucks still have a roster crunch on their hands that needs solving soon.
As evidenced by the depth chart, Milwaukee has 17 players on standard contracts. That's two over the legal limit once the regular season begins. They will carry this group into training camp and then likely make decisions based on how everyone performs. Perhaps the Milwaukee Bucks will aim to clear out some of their overcrowded backcourt in the process.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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