Giannis Antetokounmpo has been at the forefront of questions surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason. After losing in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight season, many rumors about Giannis' immediate future surfaced, leading to speculation about whether he would continue his career in Milwaukee.
Well, it appears as if all of those rumors have been covered up for the time being after the Bucks made it their mission to try to improve their roster this offseason.
The Bucks pulled off the most shocking pair of moves this summer, as they waived multi-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard and stole Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers. Lillard will miss the 2025-26 season rehabbing his Achilles injury, which is why the Bucks decided it was in their best interest to release him and move forward with win-now talent.
In Turner's case, he was actively negotiating a potential new contract with the Pacers. With those talks stalling out and Indiana not willing to pay Turner what he was worth, Milwaukee swooped in and secured one of the league's best two-way centers.
Milwaukee also made other moves, bringing back key secondary talents like Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., and Taurean Prince. They also signed Cole Anthony and Gary Harris, two guards who played for the Orlando Magic during the 2024-25 season.
Recently, the Bucks made another move that sheds light on Giannis' immediate future with the organization. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis' older brother, agreed to return to the Bucks on a one-year contract after spending last year rehabbing an Achilles injury.
The only problem with signing Thanasis late in the offseason is that the Bucks don't have a roster spot for him.
It doesn't appear as if Antetokounmpo's one-year deal with Milwaukee is a training camp invite, which means the team will need to open a roster spot.
Of course, this is easier said than done. The Bucks have put themselves up against the wall to make a decision on what roster move to make after signing Thanasis Antetokounmpo.
Bucks facing roster crunch
The Bucks' roster stood at 15 players since the middle of July, when the team agreed to terms with Cole Anthony and Chris Livingston.
Recently, the team not only signed Thanasis to a one-year deal, but Amir Coffey also agreed to a contract and will compete for a roster spot in training camp.
Milwaukee will need to clear a roster spot after signing Antetokounmpo, and they would need to open a second roster spot in the preseason if Coffey is to make the opening-night roster. The former Los Angeles Clippers wing is not guaranteed to be on the official roster for the 2025-26 season, but Thanasis is at this point.
That means the Bucks will need to make a decision on at least one player with a regular contract on their roster between now and the start of the new season.
AJ Green saw his contract guaranteed over the summer, and Livingston just signed a new one-year deal. Neither player is going anywhere.
Then there is Tyler Smith, a 20-year-old forward who was drafted 33rd overall in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Could the Bucks waive the second-year forward to simplify things?
It is definitely possible that the team could waive Smith, owe him the guaranteed money for this season, and possibly ook to sign him to a two-way contract. In this case, the Bucks would need to part ways with one of the three players they currently have on a two-way deal: Mark Sears, Pete Nance, or Jamaree Bouyea.
Maybe the team looks to trade Smith, but the obvious answer and the most practical to save money revolves around Andre Jackson Jr.
Andre Jackson Jr.'s immediate future to be revealed
What will the Bucks decide to do with Andre Jackson Jr. this offseason?
Over the last two seasons, the athletic swingman has played in 124 total games, and he started in 43 games during the 2024-25 season as one of Doc Rivers' favorite players.
Rivers and the Bucks have been very high on Jackson's potential, yet his role has been undefined.
At times, Jackson appeared to be a versatile defender that Rivers and the Bucks counted on as their starting wing. Then there were moments during the 2024-25 season that Jackson was not in the rotation at all or only played in garbage time.
Although Jackson is under contract for the 2025-26 season and will make $2.2 million, his contract is only guaranteed for $800,000 and becomes fully guaranteed on opening night.
Could this result in Jackson being the player who ends up being cut after the recent Antetokounmpo signing?
While the team has believed in his potential, the 23-year-old was on the trade block before last season's trade deadline, league sources told ClutchPoints. The Bucks were seeking two second-round picks in a trade for Jackson, but they never received an offer including more than one second-round pick.
It is unlikely that Milwaukee would receive this type of value for a player who fell out of their rotation last season. Not to mention, it's too close to training camp for rival teams to give up much.
Teams like the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets could be interested in striking a deal with the Bucks before the start of training camp for Jackson, especially if they are to receive draft compensation from Milwaukee.
Since other organizations know that the Bucks need to clear a roster spot, it will be virtually impossible for them to receive value in return for a player like Jackson or another minimum-contract-like player.
That is why Jackson is a potential player who could be waived by the Bucks after signing Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks have a little bit of time to finalize their roster, but they will need to remove a player after making Thanasis Antetokounmpo's signing official. Will that player be Andre Jackson Jr. or someone else?
