Giannis Antetokounmpo releases trade report, reaffirms commitment to Bucks
On October 8, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo issued a trade report after training, reaffirming his commitment to the team.
- The Milwaukee Bucks have finalized their 15-man roster for the 2025-26 season.
- Guard Andre Jackson Jr. and veteran Amir Coffey earned the final two roster spots.
- The team is expected to give up 2024 second-round pick Tyler Smith.
The Milwaukee Bucks have finalized their 15-man roster for the 2025-26 season and are expected to waive 2024 second-round pick Tyler Smith before the Oct. 20 deadline to finalize the roster, meaning guard Andre Jackson Jr. and veteran wing Amir Coffey have won the training camp roster competition.
“I love it,” Jackson said early in training camp of the play initiated by general manager Jon Horst and head coach Doc Rivers. “We've got a lot of competitive guys. We're all about the same size and all have the ability, so it's good, it's good competition. We all have that spirit as well. We've got 'Scot' (Kevin Porter Jr.), Bobby (Portis Jr.), they're all competing, talking, going back and forth, and I think challenging each other will help us when we go up against our opponents on game night.”
Jackson, acquired in a 2023 draft night trade with Orlando, will have the remaining $1.4 million on his contract guaranteed after he agreed to move the guarantee period to Oct. 20 in exchange for $800,000 in July. Jackson, who turns 24 in November, played in 67 games for the Bucks last season, including 43 starts. That number doesn't include his start in the NBA Cup Finals against Oklahoma City (the statistics don't count that game), where he helped limit eventual MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 8-for-24 shooting.
However, Jackson didn't play much after trading Porter at the trade deadline.
Coffey signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract with the team in August, so that contract will convert to a guaranteed minimum signing. The 28-year-old, six-year veteran is confident of being available for the team throughout training camp, and Rivers also mentioned Coffey as a potential starting small forward in certain lineups.
“Kind of just coming into a new system, learning a new role, just trying to go through all the practices (and) show what I can do when I get the opportunity in games,” Coffey said on Oct. 14. “Just grinding out every day and trying to treat every day like a championship, whether it's practice or games. Just trying to learn a new system, trying to do the right things, do what the coaches ask me to do, whether it's in games or practices, and go from there.”
Smith, who turns 21 on Nov. 2, played 23 games as a rookie last season after being selected 33rd overall in the second round. The 6-foot-11 forward didn't shoot well in summer league (20.7 percent in five games) and appeared in just two preseason games. Smith will make $1.95 million this season; the remaining two seasons of his rookie contract are not guaranteed.
The Bucks traded 2024 first-round pick AJ Johnson to Washington last February along with Khris Middleton and gave up 2023 second-round pick Kris Livingston on Oct. 16, leaving just one original draft pick on the roster: Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15 in 2013).