July 8: The Bucks’ deal with Rollins is now official, per a press release.
July 6: Free agent guard Ryan Rollins is returning to the Bucks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that the two sides have agreed to a three-year deal worth $12MM. The agreement will include a third-year player option, Charania adds.
The 44th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Rollins had only appeared in 25 NBA regular season games across two seasons with Golden State, Washington, and Milwaukee entering the 2024/25 season. However, after opening the year on a two-way contract with the Bucks, he emerged as a reliable part of the rotation and earned a promotion to the standard roster in March.
In 56 games (19 starts) last season for Milwaukee, Rollins averaged 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800. He played significant minutes during the season’s final weeks while Damian Lillard was sidelined due to a blood clot in his calf.
Milwaukee initially tendered Rollins a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent before withdrawing it early in the week, making him unrestricted. Even after rescinding that QO, the Bucks were able to hang onto the 23-year-old’s Early Bird rights, which will allow them to go over the cap to re-sign him after they use up all their room.
While the 2025/26 Bucks will be without Lillard – who tore his Achilles in April and is being waived to create cap room to sign Myles Turner – they’ve now struck deals to bring back both of their free agent point guards, Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr.
Rollins is the sixth of the Bucks’ own free agents that has reached an agreement to re-sign with the club, joining Porter, Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., and Jericho Sims.
These are the kind of moves the Bucks will be left with. They are hoping Beal or Paul are willing to come to Milwaukee. I appreciate them trying to build a contender but it might just be best to trade Giannis and try to actual build something sustainable.
What are they building with, though? Milwaukee don’t own their firsts and seconds until 2031. They only have a couple of least favourable swaps with Portland and New Orleans over the next 3 years.
They can get somebody else’s picks, but not having their own hurts.
People demanding for the Bucks to trade Giannis when they do not realize that the bucks do not own their picks. Even if they get a FRP from other teams, those will likely not be at the top of the draft or will be heavily protected or have least favorable language towards the Bucks so no, a Giannis trade will not be happening anytime soon unless Giannis says he wants to be gone.
Yes skirk, I sort of agree because the only way you trade him is if you get 3 or 4 first round picks in return.
The bucks definitely need to get back what they’ve given up recently or they may as well hold onto Giannis.
On top of the picks, I don’t know how you could expect more than one good player plus one rotation player?
I know what Mikail Bridges brought back and I know what Desmond Bane brought back, but is that possible again?
I think those are very specific situations where a team has multiple firsts in there bank and a very obvious need filled.
you actually think its possible that Milwaukee would trade Giannis for less than what Bridges or Bane cost? delusional
Delusional? OK give me a team and give me the package.
Otherwise yours is just a drive-by comment with no substance, no thought, and simply an attempt to disparage without content.
So I think Bridges was seven for one. OK, I’m waiting.
I believe Desmond Bane was six for one. Waiting for that one too.
waiting for what? Equating Giannis’ worth to Bridges or Bane is asinine. end of story. Giannis is a top 5 player. Bridges and Bane have combined for whopping ZERO all-star games.
Fair enough. I appreciate your comment.
Getting Beal on a 2 year deal is what they need cause they don’t own their picks and want to stay a contender.
They don’t own their picks till 2031 so they need to be good for atleast another 3 years before thinking about a rebuild.
That would align with Giannas’s age and the Turner contract but they are also stuck with carrying 22mil a season in debt because of the Dame buyout for another 5 years.
It’s a real hole they are in.
Good points. 3-4 years from now, Giannis will still have value. Durant returned a lot at that age, and Giannis is an even higher-level player. In 2029, their own picks will be not far on the horizon. That will be the time to make the trade.
The dead money will hurt, but at least the cap is going up.
Also, they never figured it out with Lillard. Even when he was scoring 25-30pts, it looked like an unnatural my turn-your turn type of thing.
In the games he didn’t play in 24-25 they went 16-8 and had a better win% than when he played.
Many loudmouths were saying years ago: “Giannis is not winning the title with Middleton as a second option, he needs better help”. But they actually won it together, in a great playoff run and finals series.
Lillard only made things awkward.
Peter, good comment as usual. I always enjoy what you write.
I don’t think though, that Giannis will age as well as someone like Durant.
Durant is a shooter and those guys will always have jobs even as they slow down.
Giannis is not a shooter. His game is athleticism quickness handles. His length, of course, ages well, and maybe he plays less with the ball in his hands? Also he’ll remain a very good defender.
But my opinion is the window for Giannis is 3-4 years max and he’s done.
Well, my scenario was sort of best-case for Milwaukee. Giannis plays 3-4 years more, is great, and gets traded returning a lot of value. Some team might want to collect those Bucks picks with a plan to get him, it will make Milwaukee more eager to trade.
But reality can be different and can be brutal, of course.
Giannis doesn’t have a history of bad knee/ankle/lower back injuries. That’s a reason to be optimistic about how he ages.
And I’m sure he sleeps 10 hours a day, does all the right things to take care of his body and doesn’t spend nights in clubs drinking. He’s also added a 2-pt jumpshot to his arsenal recently.
He has a Rick Smits foot problem. It will end his career early.
If you look at that championship squad, it was more than Giannis and Middleton. Jrue Holiday is a championship guard and the play of PJ Tucker was instrumental in that run. How they let him walk his beyond me.
But I do understand the Lillard trade because they feel that Holliday Brought them as far as he could, and that’s to the playoffs, but they might not win again.
With Lillard, he can win a ball game for you or two games in a series by himself. At least that was his history.
It was a gamble and sometimes you take gamble. The cost was enormous and they’re paying for it now but that’s what gambling is all about.
Gary, that is a really good explanation of the motivations behind the Lillard – Holliday trade.
Lately, I’ve become convinced that teams are under-estimating the probability of injury to older players. As you say, it’s a “gamble”. But I believe teams are being overly optimistic. The data shows that players rarely regain form after injuries their early thirties, and a serious at >33 years old virtually always ends stardom. Lillard had a trail of bad injuries, including to the one he just had the ACL with. I think the Bucks didn’t accept the odds. The same holds with Paul George and the 76ers (nobody should have been surprised).
I see the same thing happening now with Houston’s gamble on KD. Giving him 3 years at max $$ is unwise based on his recent injury history and decline.
I worry about Jimmy Butler for the same reasons. IIRC, you were like me in not wanting GSW to trade for him because of his age and injury history. The trade has worked out beautifully so far, but the odds of Butler playing > 60 games for 2 more years are bad judging by recent history.
Assuming we have 2 more years of Steph, I would consider trading Draymond and his $26M salary now for a younger C because the odds are so high of him breaking down in the near-term.
Yeah Ari I agree with you again. If you watch Jimmy Butler play it’s all about his athleticism.
His defense is great because he has good lateral quickness and jumping ability.
His offense is great because he has again, quickness and good jumping ability.
It’s amazing to watch a guy like that who has the “skills” of some other guys, but his athleticism is just fascinating and over the top.
But as you say, these guys get a little older and that all goes away.
> But as you say, these guys get a little older and that
> all goes away.
I somehow feel Draymond will fall off more at 35-36 than Jimmy and Steph. He doesn’t work as hard at conditioning as those other 2 guysz
Butler had 7.7 FTA per 11.1 FGA at GS after the trade, and was making them at over 85% accuracy. And he doesn’t take technical FTs at GS, to my knowledge. That is an outstanding ratio, probably the best of his career, and likely some of the best ever among all players. It can keep him in the league for a long time, considering he’s very competent in many other aspects.
If Westbrook had that kind of FT game and accuracy, he’d be making 30-40m still and would be an important player.
FT game is what allows Harden to stay on the court, even with his deficiencies, poor FG% this season and even higher TO rate than before.
Peter- all good points, but, respectfully, you don’t mention this about Butler: he took the first 1/2 of the season off before being traded to GSW, which makes a huge difference in his case. Butler needs a lot of rest every year because his body predictably breaks down… which irked Pat Riley very much. The problem isn’t that his ability has declined, but that his availability has.
Butler has averaged 54 games per year since 2019. He hasn’t played more than 64 games in a season since then. He missed the playoffs entirely in 2023-24. In 2022-23, he missed the first round.
The Warriors can’t afford to rest Butler the first 1/2 of the season off. At the same time, it’s unlikely he’s healthy for more than 55 games at 36 years old and, based on history, he breaks down in the playoffs.
That’s true, but it’s true for basically every single player over 35. And Butler has been missing games since his 20s, he was never known as an iron man. GS needed to take that into account when they traded for him, and they need to plan accordingly for the next season. I think if GS get 55-60 games of in-form Butler, it’s very good, and the trade can be considered a success.
Gave up a No.22 pick, but that’s not the highest price to pay, I guess. Even though GS has a good track record of finding value in the 20s and in the 2nd round. Better record than drafting in the lottery, lol.
Draymond is likely to fall off, sure. For many reasons. But he’s lucky that he’s in GS and under Kerr. In a different situation, he would have become a journeyman already.
Peter, we see eye-to-eye on this: the Butler trade worked out exceptionally well last year and (@GaryRedSoxWarriors, close your eyes, please), they have to “load manage” him this year, just as they should Steph and Draymond.
With the oldest core group in NBA history (not hyperbole), the goal for GSW is to be healthy for the playoffs. In these next 2 years, we have to get used to our Big 3 playing only 50-65 games and 28 minutes per game. That means that we need a highly available bench, which means no more old or injury-prone guys, please.
I agree, Beal is not the answer here.
congratulations to Ryan
Only 15% of the high first round picks stay in the nba?
That’s great news considering a second round pick
So, 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 15 minutes per game is worth $4mil per year now.
In 15 minutes, I guess I’d be worth $2mil then : )
I’ve alerted all the Milwaukee Target stores.
Smart move by the Bucks to lean into the younger guys. They will be able to play faster. He also shot over 45% from 3 when he was a starter last year.
From shoplifting to millionaire
Only in America
Giannis is face timing with Beal right now.
He can be Bucks starting SG. For next 4-5 yrs.
Beal can resurrect his career in Milwaukee ..
Bucks won’t be a contender any time soon. Trade Giannis.
Proper complimentary players will have the bucks rise again… it’s a matter of collecting them.
I was hoping the Bucks would resign him.
I told you all getting Rollins and Porter will destroy the Bucks plus the Holiday and Middleton trades.
They should just trade for Miles Bridges now