The vibe around Fiserv Forum is... different. If you haven't checked the box scores lately, the roster looks like someone put the 2021 championship team through a blender and added a dash of "desperation move" to the mix. It's January 2026, and the Milwaukee Bucks are sitting at a clunky 17-23.
Khris Middleton? Gone to Washington. Brook Lopez? In LA. Even Damian Lillard—the splashiest trade in franchise history—is a ghost of seasons past, waived and stretched after a brutal Achilles injury.
Basically, the "Old Guard" has been dismantled. In their place is a fascinating, if somewhat chaotic, group of new Milwaukee Bucks players trying to figure out how to play next to Giannis Antetokounmpo before the window slams shut. Honestly, the front office basically gambled the next five years on a few massive swings this past summer.
The Myles Turner Gamble: A New Twin Tower
The biggest name you’ve gotta know is Myles Turner. For years, Bucks fans dreamed of a center who could actually protect the rim and shoot threes without being a liability in space. They finally got him. After waving Dame, GM Jon Horst backed up the Brinks truck with a four-year, $107 million deal to lure Turner away from the Pacers.
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Does it work? Kinda. On paper, a Giannis-Turner frontcourt is a defensive fever dream.
Turner is averaging nearly 2.5 blocks a game. He stretches the floor. But the chemistry is still "under construction." Sometimes they look like the best duo in the East; other nights, they're stepping on each other's toes in the paint.
The Reclammation Projects: Kuzma and KPJ
If Turner was the "smart" move, the acquisition of Kyle Kuzma was the "we need scoring at any cost" move. Kuzma arrived via the Middleton trade with Washington. He’s 30 now, but he’s still the same "Kuz"—he’s going to shoot. Sometimes it’s a beautiful 25-point night; sometimes it’s a 4-for-17 nightmare that makes you miss Middleton’s steady hand.
Then there’s Kevin Porter Jr. (KPJ).
The Bucks took a flyer on him, and he’s actually been a bright spot. He’s starting at the point, averaging 18 points and nearly 8 assists. He’s fast. He’s erratic. He’s exactly the kind of high-ceiling, low-floor player a team with no cap space has to gamble on.
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The Bench Mob: Fresh Blood and Vet Minimums
The depth is... thin. Very thin. But there are a few names holding the line:
- Cole Anthony: Signed on a vet minimum. He’s been a spark plug off the bench, even leading the team in scoring during some of those ugly November losses when Giannis was out with a calf strain.
- Gary Harris: Another vet minimum addition. He's there to play defense and hit the occasional corner three. He’s steady, which is a luxury on this roster.
- Amir Coffey: A late summer signing from the Clippers. He’s mostly a "garbage time" specialist right now, but with Taurean Prince out for the long haul after neck surgery, Coffey’s minutes are about to jump.
- Gary Trent Jr.: He's technically not "brand new" this season, but he re-signed on a two-year deal and has become a focal point of the offense.
What About the Rookies?
Milwaukee only had one pick in the 2025 draft, and they went international. Bogoljub Marković, a 6'11" forward from Serbia, was the 47th overall pick. He's a project. He has mobility and passing vision that looks great in YouTube highlights, but he’s spent most of the season in the G League or at the end of the bench.
The real "rookie" story isn't a draft pick, but Mark Sears. The undrafted guard out of Alabama was on a two-way contract and showed some real grit before being waived just a week ago. It shows how volatile this roster is—nobody's spot is safe except the guy wearing #34.
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The Reality Check
Most people look at the Bucks and see a disaster. They see 11th in the East. They see Giannis trade rumors swirling every time he mentions "ankle soreness."
But there’s a nuance here. The team is younger. They’re more athletic than the 2024 squad that looked like they were running in sand. The problem is that "young and athletic" doesn't always translate to "winning basketball games" in the first 40 nights of a season.
The transition from the Dame/Brook/Khris era to the Turner/Kuzma/KPJ era has been jarring. You’ve got a core that hasn't played together for more than six months.
Actionable Insights for Bucks Fans:
- Watch the Turner/Giannis spacing: If Turner can keep his 3-point percentage above 36%, it opens the lane for Giannis in a way Brook Lopez couldn't quite manage in his later years.
- Monitor the 2026 Draft stock: Since the Bucks are currently in the lottery, start scouting names like Cameron Boozer or AJ Dybantsa. For the first time in a decade, Milwaukee might actually have a top-10 pick.
- Keep an eye on the Trade Deadline: With Kuzma on a tradeable contract and some young assets like Andre Jackson Jr., don't be surprised if Horst makes one more "all-in" move to save the season.
The roster is a work in progress, and while the record is ugly, the talent is undeniably there. It just needs to click before the 2026 playoffs become a distant memory.