Milwaukee Bucks 2025 Offseason Checklist: Decisions And Dilemmas
The Milwaukee Bucks have a checklist this offseason that's longer than a Wisconsin winter. General manager Jon Horst is heading into a pivotal offseason filled with roster questions and financial implications.
Not included here is the statuses of Doc Rivers or two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Both are under contract for the 2025–26 season, and unless someone wants a change of scenery, those situations won't heat up just yet.
For now, let's walk through the pressing personnel decisions the Bucks must make as they head into another pivotal summer.
After pocketing $12.6 million this past season, Portis holds a $13.5 million player option for 2025–26. Whether he chooses to run it back or test the waters could come down to how much he values stability versus one last swing at a bigger payday.
Acquired at the trade deadline, Porter Jr. gave Milwaukee an unexpected jolt off the bench. His $2.6 million player option seems likely to be declined — a bet on himself after rebuilding some stock in a Bucks uniform.
Connaughton logged only 41 games — his fewest since year two — but he holds a $9.4 million option for next season. That kind of guaranteed money is tough to pass up, especially considering his limited market value. Expect him to pick it up.
After a breakout year, AJ Green has gone from fringe roster guy to dark horse Most Improved Player candidate. The Bucks will likely guarantee his contract, but don't be surprised if they get ahead of the curve and lock him up with a modest extension.
Once touted as Milwaukee's best on-ball defender, Jackson Jr. mysteriously vanished from the rotation after the trade deadline. At $2.2 million, his contract is a bargain — expect the Bucks to hold onto this versatile wing unless something unforeseen happens.
Chris Livingston has been M.I.A. since being drafted with the 58th overall pick in 2023. With no real development or minutes to speak of, the writing appears to be on the wall. Milwaukee may finally cut bait here.
Rollins quietly climbed the ladder from two-way status to a reliable bench contributor. Since he's a restricted free agent, the Bucks can match any offers — and they'd be wise to secure him on a team-friendly deal. He could fill a much-needed role as the backup point guard next season.
The Bucks helped rejuvenate Lopez's career after scooping him up in 2018, transforming him into one of the league's top three-and-D bigs. But Father Time is undefeated. At 37 and slowing down, Milwaukee faces a tough call: run it back one more time or turn the page?
Trent Jr. lit it up from deep, shooting a sizzling 41.6 percent from three. The Bucks would love to keep him — especially if a new coaching staff unleashes him with a larger offensive role. His market could determine how creative they'll need to be.
Prince started 73 games, but the end of the road might be near. His defense has dipped, and with limited shot creation and explosiveness, Milwaukee may look elsewhere for fresh legs and more upside.
A mobile big who fits modern defensive schemes, Sims has intriguing tools. But his lack of shooting chops clogs up the lane — and his future in Milwaukee may hinge directly on whether Brook Lopez returns or retires.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Report: Growing 'skepticism' Giannis Antetokounmpo will request a trade
While teams from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between — as well as north into Canada — have mapped out their strategies for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market, those plans increasingly look like they will be DOA. The Antetokounmpo trade market is very quiet and teams are increasingly coming to the idea he is not going to hit the open market, something Jake Fischer talked about at Bleacher Report: Advertisement "Around the combine two weeks ago, two and a half weeks ago, there was no shortage of optimism, of hope, of excitement from other teams that they were going to be able to potentially make an offer to get Giannis Antetokounmpo into their franchise, into their building. Of late, I'd say that that confidence has been replaced with skepticism. To a man, from talking to agents, team executives, whoever, there is not a lot of belief right now at this juncture... the expectation is that they're going to believe it when they see it — that someone who has valued being the franchise face, that the central linchpin of the Bucks franchise, is going to want to play somewhere else." One league source echoed that, telling NBC Sports that his team was in "wait and see" mode. Fischer said that whatever decision Antetokounmpo and the Bucks make, it will likely be made close to the draft. Another possibility is that there will be no bidding war, that Antetokounmpo will inform the Bucks that they can only trade him to one or two teams. If a fair deal is not found, then it will end there, and he will stay in Milwaukee. The decision to stay or go ultimately falls to Antetokounmpo, who loves Milwaukee, his family is happy there, and he cherishes the idea of being a one-team player for his entire career, but also realizes that in the wake of Damian Lillard's Achilles injury the Bucks are not going to contend for a title next season. He has to decide what matters most to him at this stage of his career. Advertisement The other challenge Antetokounmpo faces is that the grass is not always greener elsewhere. He could be traded to a team such as Houston or San Antonio and make them instant title contenders, but would then moved to a stacked Western Conference with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the 68-win Thunder, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, Antony Edwards and the Timberwolves, LeBron James and Luka Doncic with the Lakers, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler with the Warriors, and on down the line. Even with Antetokounmpo, it would be tough to reach the Finals out of the West. He could demand to stay in the East, but with what the Bucks will ask in return, a trade to any team in that conference — New York, Toronto, Miami, Cleveland, wherever — strips that roster so far down of talent that he is in the same situation he is in Milwaukee (a top-three MVP season got the Bucks the five seed and a first-round playoff exit). Whatever decision is coming, don't expect it to come anytime soon.
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Report: Growing 'skepticism' Giannis Antetokounmpo will request a trade
While teams from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between — as well as north into Canada — have mapped out their strategies for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market, those plans increasingly look like they will be DOA. The Antetokounmpo trade market is very quiet and teams are increasingly coming to the idea he is not going to hit the open market, something Jake Fischer talked about at Bleacher Report: 'Around the combine two weeks ago, two and a half weeks ago, there was no shortage of optimism, of hope, of excitement from other teams that they were going to be able to potentially make an offer to get Giannis Antetokounmpo into their franchise, into their building. Of late, I'd say that that confidence has been replaced with skepticism. To a man, from talking to agents, team executives, whoever, there is not a lot of belief right now at this juncture... the expectation is that they're going to believe it when they see it — that someone who has valued being the franchise face, that the central linchpin of the Bucks franchise, is going to want to play somewhere else.' One league source echoed that, telling NBC Sports that his team was in 'wait and see' mode. Fischer said that whatever decision Antetokounmpo and the Bucks make, it will likely be made close to the draft. Another possibility is that there will be no bidding war, that Antetokounmpo will inform the Bucks that they can only trade him to one or two teams. If a fair deal is not found, then it will end there, and he will stay in Milwaukee. The decision to stay or go ultimately falls to Antetokounmpo, who loves Milwaukee, his family is happy there, and he cherishes the idea of being a one-team player for his entire career, but also realizes that in the wake of Damian Lillard's Achilles injury the Bucks are not going to contend for a title next season. He has to decide what matters most to him at this stage of his career. The other challenge Antetokounmpo faces is that the grass is not always greener elsewhere. He could be traded to a team such as Houston or San Antonio and make them instant title contenders, but would then moved to a stacked Western Conference with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the 68-win Thunder, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, Antony Edwards and the Timberwolves, LeBron James and Luka Doncic with the Lakers, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler with the Warriors, and on down the line. Even with Antetokounmpo, it would be tough to reach the Finals out of the West. He could demand to stay in the East, but with what the Bucks will ask in return, a trade to any team in that conference — New York, Toronto, Miami, Cleveland, wherever — strips that roster so far down of talent that he is in the same situation he is in Milwaukee (a top-three MVP season got the Bucks the five seed and a first-round playoff exit). Whatever decision is coming, don't expect it to come anytime soon.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Could the Boston Celtics find a way to trade for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Could the Boston Celtics find a way to trade for Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo? It is the biggest open secret perhaps in the league that the Greek Freak is not long for the Bucks, and will likely be traded to another ball club soon unless he makes it clear he wants to remain in Milwaukee. But with the Celtics also staring down a historic payroll and tax bill as well, it seems like a hard row to hoe to reduce the salary on Boston's roster while also landing a player making the sort of max money Giannis currently is taking home. Just how realistic are these ideas of getting Antetokounmpo to the Celtics? Advertisement The folks behind the "Green With Envy" YouTube channel put together a clip taking a deep dive into the topic of a Giannis trade to Boston and what it might take. Check it out below! This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Could the Celtics find a way to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
