Last year, the Milwaukee Bucks had a weak, hollow backcourt. Suddenly, it's arguably the strongest part of their entire roster. After stocking up on depth in recent days, Kevin Porter Jr. has continued the trend, accepting his player option for the 2026-27 season to give Milwaukee yet another guard. It'll be fascinating to see if the Bucks tweak things or keep this group as is.
Bucks' backcourt is near capacity
Looking at Milwaukee's roster, the current guards under contract now include Porter, Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, Brayden Burries, Gary Harris, and Kasparas Jakučionis. They are still waiting on a decision from Gary Trent Jr. on his option, which could help them load up further. That is a lot of bodies that will be seeking minutes next season. Something may have to give.
There are three likely trade candidates in Herro, Green, and Harris.
Herro is 26 and has value around the NBA. The Detroit Pistons are among the teams looking to get him if the Milwaukee Bucks do flip him. Depending on how much they are willing to give up, Detroit could have a convincing enough offer to make Milwaukee send the hometown two guard packing, clearing out some depth.
Green and Harris are more uncertain. Teams would love to have Green, who is a brilliant long-distance shooter and could thrive on any team. Nearing 27, perhaps the Bucks don't know if Green will fit into their new Giannis Antetokounmpo-less timeline and flip him for more. Harris won't get many phone calls from external teams but could be a quick salary dump if needed.
For now, the Milwaukee Bucks will weigh their options.
Porter creating the jam is surprising
It felt like Porter would opt out and test the market this summer. After all, in addition to landing Herro and Jakučionis, the team drafted Burries while holding onto Rollins, Green, and Harris. If he wanted a clear-cut opportunity—and perhaps a raise from his $5.4 million contract—Porter's best bet felt like hitting the open market. He clearly didn't agree.
Despite putting up some of the best numbers of his career last season, Porter's year was headlined by an array of injuries. Even with his strong performance, perhaps he felt like his best option was taking this prove-it deal to build up his value and cash out next summer. It makes sense from his perspective, especially now that he will have even more responsibility without Giannis.
Too much depth is never a bad thing, but there are a lot of players here who need minutes, and there might be changes needed to clear the room. Time will tell how the Bucks feel here.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google