Free agency officially tips off in about a month, and eight Milwaukee Bucks will enter the market, including key pieces from last year's roster like Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr. Who will they re-sign, and where will the others go? Here are some potential landing spots for every Bucks free agent, including players the front office should make a strong effort to keep.
Bobby Portis - Milwaukee Bucks
If Bobby Portis does not opt in to his $13.4 million player option, bringing him back would require the biggest commitment of any free agent re-signing. Even if he does opt in, he may be more inclined to do so if the team expresses a desire to negotiate a new deal down the road.
For both parties, the sooner that happens, the better. Reaching a reasonable extension this offseason would be the optimal outcome. At age 30, Portis is still in his prime but not getting any younger. Aside from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyler Smith, the Milwaukee Bucks do not have a big man under contract. They could benefit from securing a reliable producer in a key position.
With a free agency pool short on shooting at the five spot, retaining Portis's ability to space the floor would be all the more valuable for the Milwaukee Bucks. Portis would get to stay in the city where he has spent the last five seasons and is popular among fans. Assuming a feasible price tag, the fit is mutually beneficial.
Gary Trent Jr. - Milwaukee Bucks
In this prediction scenario, the Bucks cash in by bringing back another high-priority free agent. To do so, they would have to pay Trent more than the $2.6 million he made last year, but hopefully his market value does not swell beyond what they can offer him via part of their $14.1 million non-taxpayer exception.
While Trent could seek a longer-term deal, in the neighborhood of three or four years, another one-year trial doesn't seem out of the question. Of course, the Milwaukee Bucks could sign him for longer if it wouldn't overburden the books.
Re-signing Trent would help them in a major area, namely scoring volume at guard, while also providing a sturdy wing defender. On a short-term contract, Trent would have a chance to build on his second-half success from last season and earn a bigger payday next summer. He showed in the playoffs what his upside can be.
The Bucks would love any version of that potential in the 2025-26 regular season. After Trent lost his starting job last year, having him back as the primary two-guard would be a win.
Brook Lopez - Golden State Warriors
The consensus opinion on Lopez is that he will go elsewhere. After seven years in Milwaukee, he is too old and too slow for what the team is trying to be, and his fan favor has waned. The Warriors, however, should be aggressively courting any and all legitimate centers.
Assuming Lopez takes a significant pay cut from his $23 million salary, he could fill that role in a cost-effective fashion. On a roster starting Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, neither known for their jump shots, having a center who can supply reliable outside shooting would be a major boon.
Adding a 37-year-old wouldn't help reduce the average age on an already ancient team, but since the Warriors are operating within a narrow window, anyway, that shouldn't be a huge problem. The contracts of both Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler expire in two years, and at that point, probably their title hopes as well.
Even if Lopez didn't start for Golden State, he could provide size, range, and mentorship, helping to grow the game of fellow shooting big Quentin Post. In the right environment, he is still a starting-caliber big, which is more than can be said for Golden State's other non-Green options last season.
As for the 6-foot-6 Green, he simply didn't have the size to contend with Minnesota's bigs in the conference semifinals. Lopez's lack of quickness would be problematic in certain matchups, but his stature would not be the issue.
Kevin Porter Jr. - Minnesota Timberwolves
With guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker due a considerable raise in free agency, Minnesota may have to find a replacement. Starting guard Mike Conley, while still a respectable floor general, is aging, losing minutes, and his contract expires after next season. On a fairly cheap salary, Porter could fill some of Alexander-Walker's role while serving as Conley's backup.
He is not quite as viable a wing player as Alexander-Walker, but as a natural point guard, he is more than suitable for the above role. Porter wouldn't replace Alexander-Walker, per se, but his skill set is one the Timberwolves could use.
His availability depends on whether he exercises his $2.5 million player option with the Bucks. If he doesn't, it would be a good idea for Milwaukee to try and keep him, but even for a low-salary player, they could be easily outbid by another contender and choose to spend their resources elsewhere, leaving Minnesota an opening.
Ryan Rollins - Milwaukee Bucks
Just 22, Rollins is a 3-and-D guard who fits very well within Milwaukee's scheme. Tight defense is his strength, but on offense, he is a good candidate for kickouts, shooting 40.8 percent on threes last season. Only poised for growth, if he can develop into a legitimate starter (19 starts in 2024-25), inserting him into the starting two spot would allow the Bucks to employ an offense-first guard, like Damian Lillard, without suffering as much on the other end.
No matter who gets him, whoever snags Ryan Rollins in free agency will be getting an already useful player with intriguing promise.
Taurean Prince - Atlanta Hawks
Like Lopez, Prince is not expected to be back with the Milwaukee Bucks, despite shooting a team-high and career-best 43.9 percent from distance. His lack of other contributions ultimately led to him being played off the floor in the postseason.
He could still find a fit elsewhere. Last season, Atlanta gave away a couple of integral perimeter contributors from past years in Bogdan Bogdanovic and De'Andre Hunter. The main piece the Hawks got back for Hunter, Caris LeVert, is a free agent. They could use some shooting on the wing if he walks out the door.
With Trae Young running the offense as a ball-dominant point guard, the Hawks don't need a whole lot of shot creation outside of him. Prince, who entered the league in Atlanta and enjoyed his best seasons there, could slide smoothly into the current offense as a perimeter cog and a durable marksman either off the bench or in the starting five.
Jericho Sims - Los Angeles Lakers
If the Lakers miss out on Lopez and don't re-sign Jaxson Hayes, a potential Bucks target, they will be looking for center help wherever they can find it. Even if they do acquire a starting five-man, they'll need a backup if Hayes leaves.
Sims would at least supply a lesser version of Hayes' minutes behind the starter. Sure, the Bucks wouldn't mind having him back, but they shouldn't fret too hard if someone else scoops him up. With Lopez gone, they might want to offer a league minimum salary to a big who can also shoot, a skill Sims lacks.
Both the Bucks and Lakers will be looking for a starting-caliber center, relegating guys like Sims to lower-priority insurance policies. Sims could be just that in Los Angeles.
Pat Connaughton - Stays with Bucks, traded to Utah Jazz
Along with Portis and Porter, Connaughton has a player option for next season, worth $9.4 million guaranteed. Whether the other two will opt in isn't clear, but Connaughton will likely exercise his option, as it far exceeds his market value. In that case, the next step for the Milwaukee Bucks will be finding a way to unload him.
One option would be sending him to Utah with Kyle Kuzma in a package for Collin Sexton and John Collins. As the Jazz pile up losses and draft picks amidst a rebuild, they could absorb Connaughton's one-year salary with relatively little harm to their future goals.
Whatever else the team does, a successful Milwaukee Bucks offseason will likely have to involve re-signing some combination of Trent, Portis, Rollins, or Porter. Whether the rest go will be an interesting sideshow as the offseason progresses.