The 3 Most Important Decisions the Bucks Need to Make

The Milwaukee Bucks will likely operate in the shadows for much of this season.

Their superstar is gone, now in Miami, and won't even be back in Milwaukee for a game until late January. And that is one of only two games that, at least for now, the Bucks will play for a national audience on any of the NBA's 3000 (slight exaggeration) streaming partners. And it's unlikely that the Bucks will have an All-Star, unless a young player individually and the team collectively wildly outperform expectations.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing to be done.

Here are three decisions the Bucks need to make, as they chart a course for future competitive seasons:

1. Which are the core guards?

Ryan Rollins — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For a team not seen as especially competitive by most observers, they sure have a lot of depth in the backcourt -- and young depth. The Bucks got 34 points in 65 minutes per game last season from Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr., but now there are more options. That includes Tyler Herro, who may lead the team in usage if he sticks around; impressive rookie Brayden Burries, who stood out in summer league; 20-year-old Kasparas Jakucionis, who didn't flinch when given time by the Heat last season; and Gary Trent Jr., who probably needs to play some to justify that massive contract that the NBA is currently investigating. If the Bucks are trying to win early, they'll likely lean into Rollins and Herro, and that makes some sense to see how much Herro might be worth in a possible extension, or as a trade chip. But there's a point where they'll need to pivot to see what Jakucionis and Burries can provide.

2. The other extension option

Jaime Jaquez Jr. — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coming off a strong bounceback third season, in which he stopped spinning so much and found his role as a relentless attacking sixth man, Jaime Jaquez Jr. is due for an extension also. But it's not clear that his best fit is on a rebuilding team. If he starts, he will need to show that the last two months of last season, when he shot much better was three-point range, is sustainable. But if his best long-term role is as a game-shifting reserve, it's not clear that a team in Milwaukee's position should be paying what he might command elsewhere. Jaquez Jr. is a good player, but it may be best for the Bucks to keep his value high and then move him before the price rises in kind.

3. When to shelve the veterans?

It wouldn't be crazy at this stage to see both Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma in the starting lineup when the season starts, only because it's August and neither has been moved yet. And Turner probably won't be; his contract is prohibitive for most teams, especially with his rebounding deficiencies. Kuzma is on the last year of his deal, so he may command something in return. But when? And until it happens, do you continue to allocate 50 minutes or so between them, if Kel'el Ware and Nate Ament need the reps? If they're both playing heavy minutes in January, and the Bucks are out of the play-in, let alone playoff picture, it might be time to sit them down.

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