Being a Bucks fan is a rollercoaster right now. Damian Lillard is gone, Myles Turner is in, and Giannis is silent. At least one player has finally confirmed a move which made a teammate very happy. Shams Charania reported that the Milwaukee Bucks have their guard for the 2025-26 season. Ryan Rollins has agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal after spending the recent season on a two-way contract. Giannis Antetokounmpo has got his own thing to focus on. But at least one teammate is excited for the 23-year-old youngster.
Bobby Portis was one of the first within Bucks nation to respond to Rollins’ news. After the ESPN veteran posted, Portis was not only in the comments with an emphatic, “Earned”; he re-shared the news on his stories with the exact caption, just louder.
‘Earned’ is an understatement if you put it in perspective. The Warriors’ 2022 second-round draft pick, Rollins joined the Bucks on a two-way contract in February 2024 before receiving a standard deal in March. He opted for a rest-of-season contract instead of a multiyear deal with the Bucks and became an unrestricted free agent.
That gamble paid off. Now, Rollins has his first lucrative standard deal.
It’s a significant bump for Rollins, who stepped up in the shorthanded Bucks. He averaged 6.2 points while shooting 40.8% from 3-point range in 56 games last season, including finding a spot for himself as a 3-point shooter. When Damian Lillard was ruled out due to injury, Rollins was upgraded to starter for 19 games. In those games, his numbers jumped to 10.2 points on 45.2% shooting from 3.
The Bucks have shown a lot of interest in the young guard’s potential by re-signing him. At the same time, they’ve brought back Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, and Gary Trent Jr. It’s a significant divergence from their path regarding superstars. Which warrants Giannis’ silent treatment.
Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t have much to say yet
The Bucks last rocked the boat significantly when they not only waived Dame but also moved on from longtime center Brook Lopez. The weekend before the 4th of July, Bobby Portis agreed to a three-year, $44 million deal after declining a $13 million option. So yes, he’s in a more comfortable position to comment on the ins and outs of the team right now.
He’s also not too worried about Giannis Antetokounmpo like the rest of us. “I think he’s staying put with the Bucks,” Portis said on the Run it Back show last month. “That’s just my personal opinion.” He’s confident that Giannis is a franchise player like Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry. And it doesn’t look like Lillard’s departure will change his opinion.
The cash-strapped Bucks with no draft picks have more dramatic moves in their free agency. Business moves that are touted as a necessity to build around Giannis despite all the trade rumors.
It all boils down to his decision – would Rollins, Portis, and Prince make him stay, or does Dame and Lopez’s departures change things for him? Till he actually has a definitive answer about his future, it looks like Giannis is going to stay silent.
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