Jamaree Bouyea never really got a fair runway in Milwaukee, like many of their former young guards. He was in and out of the lineup, buried behind veterans, and treated more like insurance than an actual developmental piece. Now that Phoenix is giving him real trust and real minutes to the tune of 7.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists a night, the early returns are making the Bucks’ decision look shortsighted.
Bouyea has popped with the Suns because they’re letting him play to his strengths. He’s pushing the pace, defending at the point of attack, and attacking downhill without overthinking every possession. That was always his appeal. He’s not a flashy scorer, but he’s disruptive, athletic, and comfortable doing the dirty work that stabilizes second units.
In Milwaukee, those traits were acknowledged but never fully leaned into.
The Bucks missed out on another solid developmental piece yet again
To recall, Milwaukee signed Bouyea to a two-way contract in March, but later waived him in October 2025 after the Alex Antetokounmpo signing.
Of course, none of this is to prop up Bouyea as some super-sub who would have solved all of the Milwaukee Bucks' problems this season. It's only to point out that the 6-foot-2 guard would have been someone who could contribute to winning basketball for a team that desperately needs it.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Suns are shooting +4.4 effective field goal percentage points more whenever Bouyea is on the court, while giving up -2.8 fewer points per 100 possessions in those minutes. He's in the 94th and 73rd percentiles in those statistics, respectively. And the Suns got that all because they took a chance when the Milwaukee Bucks wouldn't.
Like we've mentioned on the site ad nauseam, this is the same mistake the Bucks have made with fringe guards for years. Development gets sacrificed for “reliability,” even when that reliability is theoretical. Bouyea didn’t need to be perfect. He needed reps. Phoenix understood that and bet on the upside instead of defaulting to safer, older options with lower ceilings.
It also highlights a bigger organizational issue in Milwaukee. The Bucks keep drafting or signing athletic guards, then pulling the plug before those players can grow into defined roles in favor of more established veteran names who end up available in the trade market. Bouyea is another reminder that talent doesn’t disappear just because it’s inconsistent early. Sometimes it just needs a team willing to live with mistakes.
Phoenix trusted Bouyea, and now they’re being rewarded with a guard who looks like he belongs. Milwaukee moved on too quickly — and once again, another team is cashing in on a player the Bucks didn’t have the patience to develop.
Phoenix saw potential and invested in it. Milwaukee saw potential and let it walk away. One team is being vindicated, the other is learning an expensive lesson about talent evaluation.
The Suns trusted their development process and got rewarded. The Bucks trusted veteran mediocrity and are paying the price. Same story, different player. Here's hoping they don't make that same mistake with Mark Sears.