The Milwaukee Bucks have reached the quietest stretch of the NBA calendar. The draft, free agency and Summer League are all in the rearview mirror, and the roster is mostly set for the upcoming season.
Training camp, however, won’t begin until late September. That leaves the players with roughly two months to sharpen their games—and Bucks fans with two months to analyze, debate and speculate about what comes next.
As the old saying goes, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”
So, let’s put that time to good use.
Over the course of this series, I’ll work through each of the 16 Bucks players under contract for next season and identify an individual goal for the year ahead.
Actually, let’s make that two goals.
Each player will receive one realistic goal—something he can reasonably accomplish this season—and one ambitious goal. The latter won’t be completely out of reach, but it will require significant improvement, increased opportunity, or several breaks to fall his way.
We’ll move through the roster in alphabetical order, beginning with the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft, Nate Ament.
Realistic Goal: Establish a regular spot in the rotation, averaging 15 minutes per game.
Nate Ament was drafted as a project—a young player who has raw skills that will need time to develop. That scouting profile can make for a difficult transition to the NBA, especially in a player’s first year.
He was inconsistent in college. He percolated between amazing performances and frustrating ones. It was more of the same during Summer League, as he finished with 8 or fewer points in the first three games and 12 and 23 points, respectively, in the final two.
Adding to the challenge is the Bucks’ depth at forward. They have veterans like Kyle Kuzma and Jaime Jaquez Jr. ahead of Ament on the depth chart. There’s also the up-and-coming Ousmane Dieng who will get all of the minutes he can handle as Milwaukee tries to figure out what they have in him.
Milwaukee also has a loaded backcourt with guys like Tyler Herro, Brayden Burries, Ryan Rollins, Kasparas Jakucionis, Kevin Porter Jr., and A.J. Green. None of those guys play the same position as Ament; they could leak into playing time, as Milwaukee will want to get them on the court.
Despite the potential obstacles, it’s not out of the ordinary for rookies to get early playing time.
Last season, 30 rookies averaged 15 minutes or more per game while appearing in at least 41 games. In 2024-25, that number was 29. And in 2023-24, it was 24 players who found that amount of playing time.
If the Bucks struggle early, they will be more likely to give Ament meaningful minutes as they attempt to develop him. Regardless of the team situation, Ament’s goal should be to earn a regular spot in the rotation, averaging at least 15 minutes per game.
Ambitious Goal: Earn a Spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team
Ament has the type of game that can produce eye-catching box scores and generate enough buzz to put him in the All-Rookie conversation.
He can score in bunches, as he showed when he poured in 23 points during Summer League. His ability to create offense at all three levels gives him a chance to deliver a few breakout performances if he earns consistent minutes.
Ament is also a gifted passer for a player his size. If Milwaukee gives him opportunities to handle the ball and attack a moving defense, he could supplement his scoring with enough assists and rebounds to build a well-rounded statistical case.
Making an All-Rookie team remains a long shot. He would need to earn a meaningful role, shoot efficiently and separate himself from a deep rookie class. Still, if the opportunity is there and his development moves faster than expected, a spot on the Second Team is not completely out of reach.
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