No shortage of Milwaukee Bucks players have fallen short of expectations early this season, but the most surprising has to be Ryan Rollins. After seizing the moment and breaking out with the Bucks last season, Rollins has abruptly fallen off a cliff, despite many thinking he could be the team's best player in this new era. In a season full of sorrow, Rollins' shortcomings have been particularly troubling.
Rollins has taken a massive step back
This season, Rollins is averaging 10.5 points, five rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 0.8 steals. Aside from the rebounding, his numbers are down from his breakout season, when he tallied 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals. While he's still been impactful in spurts, Rollins has not had the same impact that he did last season, and it's hurting the team mightily.
Rollins' slow start especially hurts after the team cut Kevin Porter Jr. just before the season. He is by no means a game-changer, but Porter's electric scoring certainly could have been useful for a team that has looked stuck in the mud constantly on offense. The Milwaukee Bucks likely felt comfortable cutting him partially because they thought Rollins could fill in. That hasn't been the case.
The guard now finds himself coming off the bench amid Taylor Jenkins' constant rotation changes, though the change of scenery hasn't done much to help him flip the switch.
Rollins alone isn't responsible for the Milwaukee Bucks' struggles. Kyle Kuzma hasn't looked great for most of the year. Myles Turner has regressed even further. Gary Trent Jr. is giving the team nothing in his limited minutes despite his contract. Yet, Rollins is under the brightest spotlight because he was a player many thought was destined for another leap. It hasn't happened yet, and that hurts.
Rollins' struggles clouding his Bucks future
Before the season, Rollins felt cemented as a part of the Milwaukee Bucks' long-term future. If he had entered free agency last summer, the Bucks likely would have given him a sizeable deal. Pegged to be even better than he was last season, some initially speculated he could earn himself a new contract worth around what Jazz guard Keyonte George got (five years and $157.5 million) next summer.
If he keeps playing like this, he won't land anywhere close to that.
In fact, if these struggles persist, it wouldn't be surprising if the Milwaukee Bucks field offers for the guard leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline. If they were to trade him, they could at least get some value for him instead of either overpaying him or losing him for nothing. Even with these struggles, plenty of teams would love to get a two-way guard of his caliber on a cheap contract.
There is still plenty of time for Ryan Rollins to change the narrative. We're only 13 games into the new NBA season; there is no need to think about trades just yet. Still, this has been a disappointing start in what was supposed to be Rollins' ascension to stardom with the Bucks.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google