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.
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.
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