Bucks Exercising 2027/28 Options On Ware, Jakucionis

Milwaukee had until Monday to decide whether to pick up its fourth-year option on Ware and third-year option on Jakucionis. Ware will now earn a guaranteed $7.1MM in 2027/28, while Jakucionis will make $4MM.

Both young players were acquired over the summer from Miami in the blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.

Ware, the 15th overall pick of the 2024 draft, will now be a eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason. The Bucks have until November 1, 2027 to decide whether they want to pick up their fourth-year option on Jakucionis, who was selected 20th overall last year.

A 7’0″ center, Ware averaged 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 22.1 minutes per game across 77 regular season contests in 2025/26, his second season. The 22-year-old big man has averaged 13.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 0.7 BPG in 19.7 MPG through six games this season.

Jakucionis, a 6’5″ guard from Lithuania, averaged 6.2 PPG, 2.6 APG and 2.6 RPG on .429/.423/.879 shooting splits in 53 games as a rookie last season (17.8 MPG). He has averaged 8.3 PPG, 4.0 APG and 2.8 RPG on .455/.235/.889 shooting in six games in 2026/27 (22.5 MPG).

As our tracker shows, we’re now only waiting on two more teams’ decisions on rookie scale options for 2027/28: Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun and Nuggets forward DaRon Holmes.