The Ryan Rollins hype train should be picking up plenty of steam for the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
His NBA career certainly didn’t begin with this much momentum.
Rollins was selected with the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and spent his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors. After a nondescript debut campaign, the Warriors traded him to the Washington Wizards.
His stay in Washington was even shorter. Rollins lasted only six months before the Wizards waived him in January 2024, leaving his NBA future very much in doubt.
That’s when Milwaukee came calling.
The Bucks quickly scooped Rollins up on a two-way contract and ultimately helped put his career back on track.
Rollins appeared in only three games throughout the remainder of the 2023-24 season, but he positioned himself for a much larger role the following year.
He first made his mark on defense, using his impressive length to bother ball-handlers and make life difficult for opposing guards. He also flashed enough versatility to defend multiple positions.
That defensive impact eventually convinced Milwaukee to convert his two-way deal into a standard NBA contract in March 2025, just 13 months after initially signing him.
Rollins continued to build from there, playing well enough to earn a multi-year deal in the summer of 2025.
Then came the real breakout.
Rollins maintained his high-level defense last season while proving he could also help run an offense. After setting then-career highs of 6.2 points and 1.9 assists per game in 2024-25, he took a massive leap last season, averaging 17.3 points and 5.6 assists.
Somehow, that performance earned him only three of the 100 first-place votes for Most Improved Player.
Now, Rollins enters another important season. He’ll make just $4 million in 2026-27 before holding a $4 million player option for the following year—an option he’ll almost certainly decline if he comes anywhere close to repeating last season’s performance.
With his long-term future in Milwaukee still unsettled, let’s check in on one realistic and one ambitious goal for Rollins as he tries to prove his breakout season was only the beginning.
Realistic goal: Average 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game
Assuming health, the Bucks will have a few more mouths to feed this season. Rollins will be joined in the backcourt by Kevin Porter Jr. (who was hurt for most of last season), Tyler Herro (acquired in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade), and Brayden Burries (10th overall pick in this year’s draft).
That doesn’t even get at Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and AJ Green. All of whom will want their shots.
That could limit Rollins’ time with the ball in his hands, which is why we set this realistic goal slightly below what he achieved last season (except for rebounds). However, he can put up these numbers while improving his efficiency; it will be another great season for the former second-round pick.
Ambitious goal: Make the All-Star team
Of course, Rollins wants to take his game to the next level. And that could include a nod on the All-Star team if all of the dominoes fall in the right position.
If Milwaukee runs their offense through Rollins this season, he could see his averages tick up to around 20 points and 7 assists. That would be a big jump for him, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities.
Mix in those counting stats with a competitive team come All-Star break, and it could mean Rollins slides in as one of the last All-Stars in the NBA.
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