By this point, there's no denying it — Brayden Burries is one of the best rookies from the 2026 NBA Draft class. No, he hasn't stepped foot on an NBA court yet, but the talent is evident, and his mentality is even more encouraging. The Milwaukee Bucks got the type of player to help reset the tone and culture of their franchise as they build for a bright future in the post-Giannis era.
But just how far he'll go is yet to be determined, and where he falls in the lineup will be fascinating to see play out. And while he was determined to be a late-lottery selection in the pre-draft process, the course of NBA Summer League and this class's first summer after being drafted has only increased the hype for the 20-year-old combo guard.
That sentiment was shared by ESPN's core of NBA Insiders, who voted on a handful of superlatives regarding the 2026 class and voted Burries as the biggest steal of the bunch, selected 10th overall by the Bucks. Here's what Jeremy Woo wrote about Burries' ranking:
"Burries got the most votes by a big margin here after the Bucks snatched him up at No. 10. It was not surprising that he was the last of the talented freshman guards picked in the lottery: Burries (who turns 21 in September) was significantly older than his peers by draft standards and is viewed as more of a true combo guard at 6-foot-4. He should have a good opportunity to spread his wings in Milwaukee, with the Bucks entering a full rebuild post-Giannis and sorely needing the injection of backcourt talent."
That tidbit about Burries' age being a factor in why he wasn't drafted earlier is fascinating, considering how well he played over the course of the season leading into a stellar NCAA Tournament showing. But in an era when drafting is harder than ever and some teams want to lean into youth more than a best-player-available mindset, teams like the Bucks get a chance to swoop in and make a splash.
Brayden Burries might be the most important Milwaukee Bucks player in the 2026-27 NBA season.
It seems like a lot of pressure to put on a young player, but Burries' performance in the looming season is going to reflect directly on the state of Milwaukee's rebuild. If he underperforms or doesn't crack the rotation as he should've, pundits will use that as fuel to put this team down and question the direction of their future. But if he plays to the ability that we saw in the NCAA Tournament and later in Summer League, then Milwaukee is going to be back in the good graces of the masses.
With that said, Burries isn't guaranteed significant minutes this season — especially at the start of the year. Milwaukee's starting backcourt of Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. is returning next season, with the former expected to be a significant part of the Bucks' longterm plans and the latter continuing to rebuild his perception on and off the court.
Not to mention, the additions of Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakučionis put another roadblock in his path to significant minutes.
That said, new head coach Taylor Jenkins will assuredly make room in the rotation for Burries, and there's still a possibility for the Bucks' front office to make a trade or two to make that lineup clearer as we head into training camp.
So buckle up, because the Brayden Burries hype train is just getting started, and I don't anticipate it slowing down any time soon.
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