The Milwaukee Bucks are making a flurry of moves with two-way contracts as they prepare for the homestretch of the regular season. The franchise is in championship-or-bust with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard still in their primes as one of the best duos in the NBA. The No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference additionally made an aggressive move recently, dealing franchise legend Khris Middleton for Wizards’ small forward Kyle Kuzma.
And the organization is continuing to add some tweaks to its final roster. According to ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, Milwaukee is converting Ryan Rollins to a standard NBA contract and signing guard Jamaree Bouyea on a two-way deal.
The Bucks’ moves sure up some depth issues ahead of the part of the season they’ve been waiting for
Rollins and Bouyea are depth pieces who help with Milwaukee’s perimeter defense, a well-known weakness of this team. It is important to note that this year’s roster has done much better at concealing this flaw than last year’s squad. However, looking ahead at potential playoff matchups against the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bucks must do everything they can to keep this weakness from being exposed.
Rollins has appeared in 39 games for the franchise this season. A former second-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 2022, the Detroit, Michigan native is averaging 4.9 points per game on an average of 12.5 minutes. At 6’3″, 180 lbs, Rollins has a quickness that very few guards on the Milwaukee roster have. In addition, he can set fast breaks after rebounding, helping Giannis get out in transition.
Jamaree Bouyea is a 25-year-old guard with his fifth NBA franchise. He is known for his defensive versatility and tenacity, which is a welcomed addition to this roster. While Jamaree may not be part of the rotation, he is the kind of practice player who can make everyone on the Bucks better. Every small jump in improvement that this group can make over these next few months is critical for this franchise’s future.
While the Bucks did win the In-Season Tournament, this is the part of the season where this group is really trying to up the intensity. Milwaukee is heading into a huge postseason in which, regardless of injuries, another first-round exit is unacceptable.
Should the Bucks remain the No. 4 seed going into the postseason, they will likely have to beat the Pacers and then the Cavs to return to the Conference Finals. If you were to give Doc Rivers and company that scenario entering 2024, they would gladly take it. That shouldn’t change, regardless of Cleveland’s 50-10 record. Milwaukee still expects to be a title contender for this run. Nothing has changed, and that’s the standard when you have a generational talent still in his prime.
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