The Milwaukee Bucks brought in a lot of new faces this offseason, leading to a handful of intriguing jersey number selections.
It remains to be seen whether the Bucks are done making moves or not, but for now, let’s analyze the updated numbers of the new arrivals.
AJ Johnson – No. 77
First-round pick AJ Johnson got a lot of attention when he chose 77 as his number, worn by former Buck fan favorite Ersan Ilyasova. It’s unclear if he’ll still have that number when the season starts, as he said in an interview on 101.7 The Truth that he’ll still wear it. I will probably change it. Johnson has said the number 7 is his preferred option, but it currently belongs to Chris Livingston. Time will tell.
Tyler Smith – No. 15
In that same interview, second-round pick Tyler Smith mentioned that the Bucks had so many retired jersey numbers, he settled for No. 15. Before being drafted, he wore No. 11 with the G-League Ignite, but it seems like a safe bet that Brook Lopez won’t be giving it up to the rookie anytime soon. No. 15 is Smith’s.
Delon Wright – No. 55
In five of his eight NBA appearances, Delon Wright has worn No. 55. In the other three, he has worn a number that was retired or taken from Milwaukee, so his choice is not surprising. It is unclear whether he was giving two-way player Ryan Rollins, who played one game for the Bucks last season, a reward for giving it up or whether the young guard was simply doing the veteran a favor.
Staley Umude – No. 17
In two years with the Detroit Pistons, Stanley Umude wore No. 14 and No. 17. With the former retired in Milwaukee, it seemed obvious that he would choose the latter. This number is well known for having been worn by P.J. Tucker during Milwaukee’s title-winning campaign. If Umude can bring the same type of Defensive intensity for the Milwaukee Buckshe can live up to the number.
Prince Taurus – No. 12
Having worn No. 12 for four of the five franchises he played for, it seemed inevitable that Taurean Prince would choose the number again. It’s one of the most popular numbers in franchise history, and Prince has the opportunity to go down in Milwaukee Bucks history as one of the best players to ever wear it. if all goes as planned.
Gary Trent Jr. – No. 5
In previous stops, Gary Trent Jr. wore Nos. 9, 2 and 33. With the former worn by Bobby Portis and the latter two both retired, the point guard was going to have to choose something new. He opted for No. 5, which was only worn by Malik Beasley in 2023-24. Ironically, Trent will also more than likely be the Bucks’ starting shooting guard, just like Beasley.
Ryan Rollins – No. 13
After generously giving up No. 55 to Delon Wright, Ryan Rollins went back to the drawing board and selected No. 13. If Rollins can build on his good performance in Summer LeagueThere could be a lot more No. 13 jerseys in the Fiserv Forum crowd sooner or later. There’s no doubt the kid has untapped potential.
Anžejs Pasečņiks – No. 18
The Milwaukee Bucks’ newest addition, two-way center Anžejs Pasečņiks, chose No. 18 to wear in the 414, according to his Wikipedia. Given that he wore that same number during his two seasons in Washington, it makes sense that he would wear it again in Milwaukee.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
