By the Numbers: Payroll, Net Rating and a Rotation Still…

By the Bucks Nightly Desk · Tuesday, October 13

The record and ratings from last season set the floor for a team remade in June. The numbers from three preseason games this fall show where the new pieces are settling before the opener.

Bucks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Last season

Milwaukee finished 32-50 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17. The offense ranked 24th in the league, the defense 26th, and the net rating sat at minus-6.1, 25th of 30 teams, at a pace of 98.3. Those numbers describe the roster before the trade that sent out Antetokounmpo — a floor, not a forecast for this retooled group.

This summer

The June 23 trade that sent Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami brought back Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis, plus two first-round picks spent on Brayden Burries and Nate Ament. Payroll now runs $191.4 million, above the $165.0 million cap but roughly $9 million under the $200.4 million luxury-tax threshold — room to operate, not a blank check.

This preseason

Minutes have told their own story this preseason. Jericho Sims is playing 28.9 minutes a night over his last 10 games, Pete Nance 28.2 over his last five, and Taurean Prince's time climbs by 8 minutes whenever a teammate sits out. Three games in, those are workload signals, not settled rotation spots.

This week

Three preseason games in, Milwaukee sits 1-2: a 97-116 loss to Minnesota, a 128-126 win at Oklahoma City, and a 90-105 loss at Charlotte. Herro scored 18 points in the Charlotte loss, Kuzma 12. A split record says little by itself; the shooting and rotation numbers inside those three games carry more weight before Chicago visits Fiserv Forum Wednesday.

Through 2030

Milwaukee's draft sheet reflects the price of the trade: six of its eight tracked first- and second-round picks through 2030 are swap rights rather than outright selections, and the 2030 second-rounder is owed outright to Orlando. That's the collateral for building around Herro and Turner now — a long runway with several picks dependent on how other teams finish, not just the Bucks.

Next Milwaukee hosts Chicago in a preseason game Wednesday, October 14, then closes its exhibition slate at Indiana on October 16 before opening the regular season October 21 at Washington.

What is the Milwaukee Bucks' payroll heading into 2026-27?

Milwaukee is carrying $191.4 million in salary, above the $165.0 million salary cap but about $9 million under the $200.4 million luxury-tax threshold.

How did the Bucks finish last season?

Milwaukee went 32-50 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17, finishing with a net rating of minus-6.1.