Bucks Declined to Include Ryan Rollins in Ja Morant Deal

Merlin sees the Bucks "declined to include" guard Ryan Rollins in a potential package for Ja Morant, even though "numerous teams came away from the deadline believing that the Bucks' interest in Morant was genuine," per reporting. Milwaukee appears to have balked because Rollins is a cheap, productive 23-year-old starter (17.2 points, 5.6 assists, 40.9 percent 3PT) on a $4 million deal, and the franchise has already traded away much draft capital. Giving him up would leave GM Jon Horst with even fewer movable pieces. Merlin knows a team with limited future assets guards young, controllable talent like a talisman. Keeping Rollins preserves flexibility whether Milwaukee chases a star now or plans for life after Giannis. The move makes a Morant swap harder and signals caution from an organization wary of hollowing itself out.