The Milwaukee Bucks acquired several quality players in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but the most overlooked, without a doubt, was Kasparas Jakucionis. The soon-to-be sophomore has plenty of potential in tow and should play a bigger role in Milwaukee than he did in Miami. Recent buzz has sparked debate over whether the team should trade others to clear room for him.
Milwaukee's backcourt is filled to the brim right now. Tyler Herro, Kevin Porter Jr., Brayden Burries, Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, and Gary Harris all join Jakucionis as guards on this roster. With all of that talent, it's fair to wonder where the recently turned 20-year-old will fit into the rotation. After his performance for Lithuania recently, the answer is anywhere the Bucks can put him.
Jakucionis dominates for Lithuania
In the FIBA World Cup qualifier opener against Great Britain, Jakucionis was special. The youngster tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one steal, all while shooting 4-of-8 from the floor and 8-of-10 at the foul line. This came after he poured in 12 points and 10 assists in a friendly game versus Ukraine.
These matchups are essentially an early audition for the Milwaukee Bucks guard, especially as he is unlikely to join the team for Summer League. With such a prominent role for Lithuania, Milwaukee's new guard can show the Bucks what he's made of and why he was one of the most important pieces in getting a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade over the finish line.
It could also have the Bucks thinking about whether or not they are overloaded at the guard spots and need to do what they can to get him on the floor very often.
Roster crunch could force Bucks into a trade
Even before Jakucionis started shining, the Milwaukee Bucks were already facing a roster pinch. At the time of this writing, they have 16 standard contracts on the payroll, and only 15 are allowed once the regular season begins. A trade to shed a body or two could be in the works, and if Jakucionis keeps playing like this, it could very well be a guard who finds their way out the door.
It would likely be a ball-handler to open up more opportunities for Jakucionis.
The top three—if that is the case—would be Herro, Rollins, and Porter. The Bucks have been listening to trade calls on Herro since acquiring him in the Giannis deal, so that is on the table. Rollins feels safe due to his quality contract. Porter could be the odd man out after he surprisingly opted into his deal rather than testing the open market as many thought he might, but that is just pure speculation.
No one knows what else the Milwaukee Bucks have planned this summer, but it would not be shocking if they paved the way for their new guard to shine next season.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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