The Milwaukee Bucks have not finalized their roster as they have a few more minor moves left to do between now and the start of the season. But they have handled most of their offseason business, which meant kick-starting a new era without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The vibes will be very different in Milwaukee next season. For the first time in a decade, the Bucks are not in a win-now mode. They are focused more on their future than the present. This change in organizational mindset will obviously be beneficial for some players while hurting others. Let's take a look at who will gain the most from the Bucks' offseason and who will suffer.
Winner: Nate Ament
The 19-year-old forward out of Tennessee was a big winner of the Giannis trade. The Bucks acquired the No. 13 pick from the Heat in that deal and used it to draft Nate Ament. Milwaukee is the best place Ament could have realistically landed.
Ament has the physical tools and the upside, but he is a raw prospect. He needs developmental time in a rebuilding situation. If he had gone to any other team in the late lottery, like the Thunder, Warriors, or the Hornets, he would have found it much harder to get that patience.
In Milwaukee, Ament will get a chance to explore the studio space. He has a direct path to playing time as the Bucks don't have a ton of depth at forward. He could even start after a certain point in the offseason, when veterans like Kyle Kuzma begin to get marginalized.
This is an ideal spot for Ament. He will be surrounded by plenty of competent veterans who can help him, but he will not be competing with them directly for a spot in the rotation. Let's see whether he can make the most of this situation.
Loser: Caris LeVert
The same can't be said about Caris LeVert. The veteran combo guard found himself in Milwaukee as part of a cost-cutting move by the Pistons. Detroit sent the 31-year-old and his $14.8 million salary to the Bucks in exchange for Gary Harris and Taurean Prince.
This meant that LeVert is going from a clear rotation role on a title contender to the fringes of the rotation on a lottery team.
LeVert had a down campaign last season, but he still played 19.2 minutes per game and was in Detroit's playoff rotation. Now, he is a part of an extremely crowded backcourt in Milwaukee.
The Bucks have Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Brayden Burries, and Kevin Porter Jr. in the backcourt. You can even add AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr., who will surely play some at shooting guard. LeVert is firmly behind all of these names, and it's difficult to see how he can play himself into a rotation role.
His best hope is for a contract buyout either before the season or at the trade deadline. Alternatively, he can be traded before the deadline as an expiring salary. Otherwise, he has to wait until next offseason to land on a team that makes more sense for him.
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