
The Milwaukee Bucks completely changed their identity this offseason once they decided to move on from their crown jewel in Giannis Antetokounmpo and traded him along with Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat.
In return, Milwaukee received three first-round picks, one pick swap and one second-round pick in draft capital and four players in Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware,Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis.
Those four players, along with the Bucks' two draft picks from this year’s NBA Draft in Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, who was selected with Miami’s No. 13 pick, gives Milwaukee multiple new pieces for head coach Taylor Jenkins as he enters his first season coaching for the Bucks after spending the past six seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.
With so many new faces for the Bucks organization, Milwaukee has stirred up a plethora of questions that people want to hear the answer to. Narrowing down the long list of questions, here are three questions as they approach training camp.
If there's one position that the Bucks will not have to worry about regarding depth, it's the guard position. Between the newly acquired pieces and the returning guards, Milwaukee have roughly eight guards on their roster with players like AJ Green, Caris LeVert and Gary Trent Jr., being able to play the three in certain lineups.
Herro, Ryan Rollins and even Kevin Porter Jr., most likely have their roles already set, but for the rest of the rotation it's not exactly clear cut. The Bucks have options beyond those two, but it's going to be hard to find minutes for all of them.
Milwaukee will want to get Burries experience as quick as possible, and with him able to play both guard positions, expect the rookie out of Arizona to make an impact quickly. Another intriguing player for the Bucks is Jakucionis who possess an unique skillset of playmaking, shooting and size at 6-foot-5, they're hoping he can step into a larger role at 20 years old.
As for guys like Green, LeVert and Trent, their roles aren't clear and with the Bucks currently over the 15-player standard regular-season limit, there's a realsitic possibility that one of them or even Porter, could be traded. Jenkins will have figure out who will be key pieces in his rotation and who will lose some minutes.
It's going to be a big year for Herro as he returns to his hometown of Milwaukee and will have a chance to produce big numbers for the Bucks.
The 26-year-old averaged 20 points per game over the last five seasons without being the first option for any of those teams. Now on a young team that has to look for someone to take control as the clear No. 1 option after the departure of Antetokounmpo, Herro has the opportunity to do so.
He's a great perimeter scorer shooting 38.2% from the 3-point line in his career and can create his shot off the dribble, while also having the ability to get his teammates involved. Herro mentioned having a massive chip on his shoulder with the rest of his team from constant doubts by the media, but is excited about the fresh start.
Herro has found himself in the spotlight this past summer with the trade and the altercation that took place in Las Vegas with his former teammate Bam Adebayo, but looks to be the catalyst for this new Bucks team.
When Milwaukee received their haul for the two-time MVP, a lot of people's eyes turned to Kel'el Ware as one of most attractive pieces from the trade. The 7-footer spent the last two season with the Heat where he averaged 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game as the team's backup center.
The 22-year-old possess an unicorn-esque type of skillset standing at 7-foot tall who can score in the paint but can also consistently knock down the 3-point shot as he shot 39.5% from the 3-point line on three attempts per game last year.
Statically, Ware was one of the most impactful players on the glass, ranking No. 10 in the NBA in rebounds per game (9.0) and No. 20 in blocks per game. Although, he time in Miami might've not gone the way he wanted to, his abilities makes him a player who could have a big year with the right opportunities.
Ware is entering a team where he'll be behind a veteran player in Myles Turner, and will most likely start the season as the backup. However, with a unique player like Ware, he should be someone who Milwaukee will have to get on the floor and it's going to Jenkins' job to set him up for success.
Despite potentially sitting behind Turner and coming off the bench, he feels like he can flourish with the Bucks under Jenkins and looks forward to fresh start. Turner is a name to watch for someone who could be potentially moved in a deal, and having a player like Ware gives Milwaukee a talented young player that they can build for the future.
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