Milwaukee Bucks Point Forward Podcast

The Milwaukee Bucks will begin the 2026 NBA season tonight, and granted, it's a strange season in a year where the team can't be expected to be competitive, Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone and other Milwaukee sports have taken the limelight. But there's plenty to learn about this Bucks team. Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe look at the young squad on the cups of the season opener in Washington on Oct. 21. Who will be the team's top players, and who will be the players fans gravitate toward? Why did the Bucks decide to cut ties with Kevin Porter Jr., especially when looking at others on the roster? Is there still smoke around the Gary Trent Jr. contract? Could Tyler Herro still be an all-star here? Just how long of a down cycle should this be for the Bucks? Plus: Some season predictions.

Did the Bucks commit a serious salary-cap infraction, and could they actually lose draft picks? Milwaukee Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe tackle that and other questions that have arisen in the Bucks offseason. Looking at how Giannis Antetokounmpo has addressed his new situation in Miami. Is it possible the team is looking to extend Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez? Has the expectation level risen for Brayden Burries? What else do we need to know about the Bucks right now? Plus, a look at Owczarski's lengthy series on the five-year anniversary of the Bucks NBA championship.

Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski joins host JR Radcliffe to try and make sense of the Milwaukee Bucks shooting-guard madness and the roster at large. What exactly is going on with the four-year deal given to Gary Trent Jr. when they already have so many guys at the same position? What did general manager Jon Horst have to say about the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade? Will Brayden Burries be an immediate contributor? Will Tyler Herro be the team's top player in 2026-27? Ryan Rollins? Kevin Porter Jr.? Does the deal to bring in Caris LeVert make sense? Did the Bucks really get the most they could out of the Giannis deal?

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters Ben Steele and Jim Owczarski join host JR Radcliffe to discuss the Milwaukee Bucks' first-round draft haul in 2026, landing Brayden Burries and Nate Ament as the team moves into a rebuilding phase. How will Burries and Ament fit, and how do they complement each other so well in the context of the draft class? Jim discusses his detailed breakdown of the Giannis Era's collapse, including the decisions that catalyzed an eventual divorce between the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Milwaukee Bucks have traded their franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, and there is so much to discuss. Bucks reporters Jim Owczarski and Lori Nickel join host JR Radcliffe to break down the particulars of the trade and the legacy of a man who rebuilt Milwaukee basketball over his 13-year tenure. Who are the Bucks getting back, can they rebuild quickly and will the process maybe even be an enjoyable one? Is Giannis actually positioned for better success in Miami? How heavily was ownership involved in the trade, namely Jimmy Haslam? What about Bobby Portis, another deeply popular player sent to Miami in the trade, leaving the current roster with zero players from the 2021 championship squad? Is Jon Horst the right general manager to lead the next generation of Milwaukee Bucks?

Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe talk all things Giannis, discussing the advanced likelihood of a trade sometime within the next couple weeks before the NBA Draft. Is this indeed the final days of Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee? How did we get to this point, and is there still a scenario where Antetokoumpo returns? Is that buzzed-about Miami Heat package a real possibility? If not the Heat, then who's the best fit? What are the Bucks' options in terms of what to ask for? What are the unintended consequences of a deal, and what would it mean for the rest of the roster? 

Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe look at the lottery, with the Milwaukee Bucks picking 10th. How likely are they to keep that pick, and who are the names to actually consider? But more importantly, does the layout of the 2026 draft give us new insight into teams that might be best positioned to make a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Separate from that, how should Bucks fans feel after Myles Turner discussed Antetokounmpo's tardiness (and Doc Rivers' lack of holding players accountable for being late to appointments) on a podcast? 

The Milwaukee Bucks introduced new head coach Taylor Jenkins on May 6, but the subtext of the day was whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo would be back with the franchise. Lori Nickel and Jim Owczarski join host JR Radcliffe to discuss what they heard, what they think it means, the presence of Jimmy Haslam at the press conference, the impressive first impression for Jenkins himself and more. 

Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski discusses the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly hiring new head coach Taylor Jenkins, what it means for the franchise and what he brings to the table, including ample coaching experience in Memphis. How will he fit, and most importantly, what does his hiring signal for Giannis Antetokounmpo in this critical Milwaukee offseason? How might other personnel be affected by his hiring, and why did Jenkins get fired in the midst of a successful sixth season with Memphis?

Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe give a post-mortem on the troubled 2025-26 Milwaukee Bucks season, including the departure of head coach Doc Rivers and where the Bucks turn next, and how quickly. With Giannis Antetokounmpo obviously the story line of the offseason, does that narrow the pool of possible candidates? Why didn't Doc work in Milwaukee? How do the two paths look this offseason (trading Giannis or keeping him) in terms of roster construction? Does the May 10 lottery matter? Also, just a tiny bit more about Shams Charania.