The young guard now becomes an unrestricted free agent
The Milwaukee Bucks aren’t done just yet. As all of this morning’s moving pieces fall into place, Jon Horst and company are still hard at work trying to cement a roster and iron out the cap sheet. However, the latest report throws another unexpected wrench into today’s events. Per Chris Haynes, Milwaukee has rescinded Ryan Rollins’ qualifying offer, meaning he’ll now be an unrestricted free agent. This likely marks the end of Rollins’ time in Cream City.
Fans rallied around the soon-to-be-23-year-old (his birthday is in two days!) last season as he emerged as a real rotation player. Rollins was a steadily positive presence for the Bucks in what was an up-and-down campaign for the team overall. His defensive chops and sharp offensive play helped him earn the trust of Doc Rivers, and he became so impactful that he earned a place in Milwaukee’s starting lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs.
It almost felt like a sure thing that Rollins would be a part of the Bucks for the long haul. They discovered and developed him, and a larger role in 2025-26 had his name on it. However, just like the rest of today’s happenings, the release of the young guard proves you can never truly guess Jon Horst’s next move.
This decision was probably made with money in mind, as bringing Rollins back on anything larger than the minimum would have pushed Milwaukee closer to the luxury tax that they are currently avoiding. This may be a smart move, but it’s still disappointing to see a promising youngster left in the dust.
Rollins will surely attract multiple suitors on the open market, and we wish him the best of luck wherever he ends up next.