Projected Bucks depth chart, starting lineup and rotation entering 2024 preseason

Breaking down the Milwaukee Bucks' likely rotation

Starting five

The starting five was just talked about in depth on the prior slide.

Key reserves

Delon Wright, Taurean Prince and Bobby Portis will undeniably see prominent minutes off the bench.

Wright's value comes as a combo guard who brings excellent perimeter defense. He can play next to Lillard to focus more on defense or lead the bench unit as a floor general when Lillard needs to catch his breath. Prince brings versatility as a veteran 3-and-D player who can play either forward position, which will be useful in switching schemes and when the Bucks use their smaller lineups.

As he's done for the past few years, Bobby Portis will be used as a sparkplug to bring instant offense off of the bench. There's been a lot of chatter about him potentially being traded, but at this time, it feels like he will be staying put. Perhaps this will be the season he finally breaks through the wall and claims the Sixth Man of the Year honor for himself.

On the fence

It feels like two other players will have an opportunity to crack the rotation, and Doc Rivers will have a handful of different options.

AJ Green and Pat Connaughton will be fighting for minutes on the wing. With Green being held out of Summer League, it feels like the Bucks are confident in what he can bring to the table. He's one of the best shooters on the entire roster, and his defense is solid. One could argue that he's better suited to play over the veteran Connaughton, who has struggled to find a groove for the past two seasons.

MarJon Beauchamp and Andre Jackson Jr. will also be in the mix. However, with Beauchamp having a tough time in the Summer League and Jackson undergoing surgery, the road is far tougher for these two to carve out a role for themselves. Could Chris Livingston sneak his way in there? He has been an impressive performer in the Summer League, showing that he may be ready for more responsibility.

Break glass in case of emergency

The two rookies and three two-way players all land here. While both AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith have shown glimpses of potential in the Summer League, they're both so raw as players that their first year will likely be all about learning. If an injury were to occur, perhaps one of these two could be thrown into the fire, but outside of that, it's quite unlikely.

This is a very nice roster, but there's no guarantee that this is the set in stone group, as Jon Horst may look to shake things up further.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.