Following the addition of a pair of youngsters, the Milwaukee Bucks became the fifth NBA team will complete its 2024 training camp roster this year. The Bucks announced last night that they signed James Akinjo And Liam Robbins to present 10 transactions.
Akinjo participated in two 2024 Summer Leagues for the Bucks, scoring four points on 2-pointers in 11 minutes while recording two assists and four turnovers. Robbins, meanwhile, missed Summer League due to injury.
Milwaukee Bucks Become 5th NBA Team to Complete 2024-25 Roster, In-Depth Look at Bucks Training Camp Roster
Akinjo is a 6-foot-2 point guard who was not selected in 2022 by Baylor, where he was a first-team All-Big 12 and third-team All-American. He spent the 2022-23 season with the Westchester Knicks of the G-League.
Akinjo split time with Stockton and Wisconsin last season, averaging 9.5 points, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 21.3 minutes. He had a double-double and made 1.5 three-pointers on 43.9/41.7/70.4 percent shooting.
Robbins is a 7-foot center who went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2023, where he was selected for the SECOND First Team and Conference Name Defensive Player of the Year. He signed a training camp contract with New Orleans in 2023, but suffered a stress reaction in his fibula and was released. The 25-year-old signed with the G League Birmingham squad in January but was injured before appearing in a match.
The couple joins Philippe Alston on a training camp contract. Alston would have accepted exhibit 10 contract earlier this month. The 6-6 forward, who went undrafted out of Loyola Chicago in 2024, averaged 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds on 50.0/25.0/75.0 percent shooting in three appearances with the Bucks’ summer league team.
If Alston officially signs the Exhibit 10 contract, Milwaukee’s training camp roster will be full at 21 players. The Bucks have 15 standard player contracts and 14 fully guaranteed contracts, with salaries totaling $208.8 million and a salary cap hit of $194 million. Therefore, the Bucks are over $7 million above the second apron.
Andre Jackson Jr.. is the only player on a standard contract that is not fully guaranteed ($945,949). They also have three players on two-way contracts. Anzejs Pasecniks, Ryan RollinsAnd Stanley Umude are minor league players, although Pasecniks and Umade have small guarantees.
Bucks off-season
Milwaukee has spent lavishly over the past seven years, and the Bucks have gotten a good return on it. paid more than $189 million in taxes over the past seven years. But the Bucks also have the most wins over that span, with 364 victories and seven playoff appearances, including an NBA championship in 2021. They’ve also won six Central Division crowns.
While Milwaukee was good during the regular season, the Bucks have seen their seasons end in disappointing fashion over the past three seasons. After being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2022, the Bucks have won just three postseason games over the past two seasons. The Bucks were eliminated in five games by eighth-seeded Miami in 2023 and in six games by sixth-seeded Indiana in 2024.
Last year, Milwaukee was a top-10 offensive team and had the eighth-best starting lineup. Their weaknesses were defense, offensive rebounding and the bench. Backcourt depth was a particular weakness.
The Bucks, who are expected to pay nearly $75 million in luxury tax this year, have done a good job of addressing those issues. The Bucks signed a veteran point guard Delon Wright by adding Gary Trent Jr. and the defensive wing Prince Taurus. They also recruited young people AJ Johnson And Tyler Smith This year.
Bucks Projection Depth Chart
Milwaukee is expected to keep 15 players on its opening night roster. The Bucks have some loose ends to tie up during training camp.
Fifth starting line: Damian Lillard, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, And Brook Lopez.
Second unit (in order): Bobby PortisGary Trent Jr., Prince TaurusDelon Wright.
Battling for 10th place: Andre Jackson, AJ Green, Marjon Beauchamp.
No. 13-15: Chris LivingstonAJ Johnson and Tyler Smith.
Two-way contracts: Anzejs Pasecniks, Ryan RollinsAnd Stanley Umude
Training Camp Offers: James Akinjo, Liam Robbins, Philip Alston
Two-way players
Pasecniks is a 28-year-old, 7’11” Latvian center who was selected in the first round by the Orlando Magic. He has spent the last three seasons in Spain, playing for Zunder Palancia in 2023-24, after playing 28 total games in two campaigns for the Washington Wizards (2019-21).
Rollins is a 6-foot-4 point guard and a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft who has played a combined 13 games for Washington and Milwaukee. The 22-year-old had a busy NBA Summer League campaign with the Bucks, averaging 12.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals on 47.8/33.3/76.5 percent shooting percentages.
Umude is a 26-year-old, 6-foot-6 guard who showed signs of success with Detroit last season, scoring in double figures in seven of 24 games. Overall, he averaged 5.2 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 44.0/45.3/90.6 percent from the field.
Don’t expect the Bucks to make any changes to their all-around players. The only exceptions are if Pasecniks is completely overmatched or Robbins is too impressive. Therefore, Akinjo, Robbins and Alston should start the season with the Wisconsin Herd of the G-League.
