As of January 15, Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins has become trade-eligible. Despite this, there should be little to no conversations about his name over the next few weeks. The Bucks have found a diamond in the rough, and they would be foolish to abandon him in the middle of his best season as a pro to date. Yet, with so much trade chatter in the air right now, it's hard to rule anything out entirely.
Keeping Ryan Rollins feels too obvious for the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks aren't making any swings for superstars at the NBA Trade Deadline, so there is very little reason to entertain trading Rollins. Players they've been linked to so far include Ja Morant, Anthony Davis, and Zach LaVine, among a few others. Trading Rollins for any of those players would be the ultimate slap in the face.
After years of relying on often over-the-hill veterans and draft busts, the Bucks finally got a glimmer of hope after they stumbled upon Rollins in early 2024. He worked his way up from being a two-way player to a standard contract player to a full-time starter, cementing himself as one of the top success stories this team has had in quite some time.
Rollins, a surefire Most Improved Player candidate this season, is also on one of the best contracts in the entire NBA. He's making $4 million annually over the next three seasons. Though he has a player option in year three, he's still under team control completely for this season and next season. There would certainly have to be a heck of an offer on the table for Milwaukee to give that up.
At 23 years old, he's still growing with each passing game and looks like he could be a vital piece for the future of the franchise. In his first season averaging over 15 minutes per game, Rollins is putting up 16.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He's a growing two-way force who is a perfect fit with Giannis Antetokounmpo. What more could you possibly want?
Again, if some team was willing to deal their superstar, sure, perhaps the Milwaukee Bucks would be willing to listen to Rollins trade pitches. Yet, they aren't. Players like LaVine and Morant aren't moving the needle in any discussions. He may not be untouchable, but Ryan Rollins should certainly be close after becoming trade-eligible.
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