It's far from a secret that the Milwaukee Bucks aren't done refining their roster this summer. With 19 players under contract, including 17 on the main roster and two others on two-way deals, they'll have no choice but to shave this roster down before the start of the 2026-27 season. All the while, they've been linked to a pair of the most intriguing young talents on the open market this summer in Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson.
Milwaukee's reported interest was once again corroborated by NBA Insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, who reported the following regarding Milwaukee's involvement in their respective free-agent markets:
"I do think that Milwaukee is still very much in play for both Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga on the sign-and-trade front," Fischer said. "It's a... wait and see at this point in time."
It's fascinating for a team with too many players on the roster to be one of the most active in potentially adding another, which poses a whole world of complications, both positive and negative. Milwaukee had a lot more financial flexibility earlier in the offseason after trading Giannis, leaving them in a position where sign-and-trades are their best remaining option.
So while it might be complicated to pull off, Bucks GM Jon Horst has an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone in a sign-and-trade deal to cap off his busy summer.
Is the Milwaukee Bucks' best path to solidifying the roster by thinning it in a sign-and-trade?
Regardless of whether you prefer the tremendous upside of Kuminga or the more proven role of Watson, there's merit to the Bucks taking a swing on either of these fascinating talents. They each bring unique physical intangibles that are hard to come by at a position of need. But they'll need to make a sacrifice to do so.
The best-case scenario would be sending out Kyle Kuzma's expiring $20.5 million deal, but that might require attaching some assets the Bucks desperately need. The alternative is letting go of a more impactful player such as sharpshooter A.J. Green or newcomer Myles Turner, which would probably be a tougher pill for Horst to swallow.
Nonetheless, the Bucks will need to make some cuts no matter which route they choose. So why not attach a few outgoing players to thin the roster down and acquire a unique young talent?
At this point, it could have more to do with the sum of the incoming salary, as Milwaukee doesn't want to lose control of the future financial flexibility it just gained in the blockbuster deal earlier this summer. But these types of opportunities to take a swing don't come around too often, and the worst-case scenario would be trading one type of problem for another if things didn't work out with either Kuminga or Watson.
There are still some big dominoes left to fall in the NBA this summer, so don't be surprised if the Bucks find themselves getting involved with some of the bigger remaining deals as a means of acquiring some unique talent or addressing their glut on the roster.
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