Milwaukee Bucks Forward and Center Lineup Breakdown

Breaking down the Milwaukee Bucks forward and center lineup

by Aiden Fermaner

05/09/26

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Let's look at the forward and center positions for the Milwaukee Bucks for this upcoming season.

Overall Lineup 

The Bucks still have issues with too many people on the roster, so we will still be looking at some form of move to be made, whether it be big or small. We have a healthy selection of players for our forward and center positions and can look at a lot of different dynamic lineup formations. 

Forwards and Centers

We have a really nice spread across all 3 positions, and each player is dynamic and able to play up or down in each position. 

SF - Jaimie Jaquez 

SF - Ousmane Dieng 

PF - Kyle Kuzma 

PF - Nate Ament

PF - Pete Nance 

PF - Bogoljub Markovic

C - Myles Turner 

C - Kel’el Ware

C - Jericho Sims

Small Forward

Our small forward position is highlighted by 2 key players, Jaimie Jaquez and Ousmane Dieng. I think we will see Jaimie Jaquez start at the small forward position in the hope of optimising his stellar performance coming off the bench in his tenure with the Heat. We may also see Kyle Kuzma fill the role at times and allow Jaimie to do what he does best, providing a spark off the bench. Ousmane Dieng is a project for the Bucks as he came over from the Thunder, and he provided valuable minutes for the Bucks and had some great games for us last season, including a near 36-point triple-double, showing some real potential. He will be a consistent player off the bench as he continues to develop, and I’m sure we will see a handful of starts for him during the highs and lows of the season. 

Power Forward

Our power forward position is an interesting one as we possibly won’t see any of the listed players starting very often. Kyle Kuzma is the exception; he will see some starts at the four position this season, but we will more than likely see Kel’el Ware playing at the four some of the time over him. It’s the most dynamic position we have, as any of the listed players above could be playing power forward, minus Myles Turner, who will be heavily locked into the center position. Power forward will also be the focal point for our dynamic lineups, showing off a variety of skill sets and sizes. Pete Nance will be a lower rotational player in the lineup, but I’m sure we will see his experience on the court often enough. Nate Ament and Bogoljub Markovic are works in progress. I think we will see some of Ament this season, and it's unclear if the Bucks will get him in the G League at times to develop his skills with more minutes and usage or if they will make him work his way into the lineup from the bench. Bogoljub Markovic had a much improved Summer League, but I’m not sure if we will see very much of him this season, and he will more than likely develop in the G League or with limited minutes in specific games for us. 

Center 

Center is a pretty straightforward position for us; Myles Turner will consistently be starting either for his good play or the hopes for him to build his stock to entice a trade. Kel’el Ware is so intriguing for the Bucks and will be a key piece for us to develop into a great piece for this team in the future. He will struggle to get that starting Center position, but as I said, I believe we will see him dropping to power forward and also covering extended minutes with Myles Turner on the bench. Jericho Sims has been solid for the Bucks, and it will be interesting to see if he becomes a possible trade piece if he continues his good play or if he will just continue to fill a role deep off the bench for the Bucks. 

The Bucks are in a great position with their forward and center positions, with a great mix of experience and potential, and many of the spots open to be taken by players stepping up. There’s also plenty of room for players to increase their trade stock and become valuable pieces for the Bucks to use in future deals.