Bucks future hinges on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner as Kyle Kuzma’s role unravels

One of Milwaukee’s headline moves last season was trading for Kyle Kuzma from the Washington Wizards, hoping his youth could refresh the starting lineup after parting ways with three-time All-Star Khris Middleton. While Kuzma started nearly every regular-season game and aimed to prove himself, his inconsistency remained an issue and grew even more apparent during Milwaukee’s brief postseason run, a concern now magnified by the arrival of Myles Turner.

Kyle Kuzma’s place in the Bucks

Last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo played 68 percent of his minutes at power forward and the remaining 32 percent at center. Now that Myles Turner has joined the roster, Doc Rivers faces the challenge of figuring out how to get the most out of Kyle Kuzma. The most practical solution is to shift Kuzma to the small forward spot, a role he occupied for 43 percent of his minutes in Milwaukee last season, while keeping Antetokounmpo in his natural power forward position and allowing Turner to hold down the center role.

That frontcourt combination has the potential to form a defensive powerhouse, dominate the rebounding battle, and punish opponents either by attacking the rim or stretching the floor. Still, Doc Rivers may decide Kuzma’s greatest impact comes as the leader of the second unit. His choice on how to unlock this forward rotation could emerge as one of the defining narratives at the start of the season.

In the Bucks’ first playoff clash with the Indiana Pacers, Kuzma turned in a forgettable outing, going scoreless in over 21 minutes, missing all five of his shots, and posting a -24 in a 19-point defeat. He bounced back with his most efficient performance in Game 2, but the Bucks still fell short, and his role quickly shrank. By Game 5, he had lost his starting spot and logged fewer than 13 minutes in a crushing overtime loss.

Kuzma’s playoff struggles cast doubt on his role for the 2025-26 season. Can he succeed as a starter, or would he be more effective coming off the bench? Will the Antetokounmpo and Turner pairing click the way Milwaukee envisions? And perhaps the biggest question of all: will Giannis remain with the Bucks? These are storylines that will define the team’s future sooner rather than later.