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This past season, there weren't many bright spots for the Milwaukee Bucks.
After trading for point guard Damian Lillard for the 2023-2024 season, Lillard and Milwaukee parted ways and he was eventually waived in 2025.
The Bucks tried to salvage their roster coming off another first-round exit in the NBA playoffs, and signed center Myles Turner in the offseason to help get Milwaukee back on track and hopefully get back in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, not only did they not return back to the playoffs, but also had their worst record since the 2013-14 season and went 32-50.
Amidst the disappointing season, Giannis Antetokounmpo also only appeared in 36 games for Milwaukee.
In a season where majority of people were just hoping for it to end as the games went on, one player for the Bucks made the most of his opportunities.
It was point guard Ryan Rollins' third season with Milwaukee, and it was the best of his young career.
Rollins was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 44 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, but was traded to the Golden State Warriors on draft night. After on playing in 12 games for the Warriors, Rollins was traded to the Washington Wizards the following season and would eventually be waived.
The Bucks picked up Rollins that same year and signed him to a two-way contract despite only playing three games.
The next season, he got his first chance to show Milwaukee what he could do with playing time and averaged 14.6 minutes and 6.2 points, per game in 56 games on 48.7% from the field and 40.8% from the 3-point line.
He carved himself a role in the Bucks rotation and earned a three-year, $12 million deal to return to Milwaukee.
Rollins followed up that season by posting a career year in his third season with the Bucks and averaged 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and1.5 steals on 32.1 minutes per game in 74 appearances.
He started in 67 games and also shot 47.2% from the field and 40.6% from the 3-point line. It was one of the biggest year-over-year point increase and was recognized as one of the most improved players in the league.
As a result, the 24-year has begun to receive his flowers for how he played this past season.
In an article ranking the most underrated NBA players right now, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley ranked Rollins as the No. 3 most underrated player in the NBA.
While Buckley explained how Rollins' numbers may have saw an increase because of a bad season and Antetokounmpo missing games, he gave credit to Rollins and his elite talents.
"Taken at face value, though, Rollins sure seems like he's just sitting on the launch pad and waiting for the count down," Buckley said. "He is a 24-year-old who can initiate offense, score from every level and hold his own defensively. That sounds an awful lot like a potentially elite talent."
Rollins is coming off the best year of his career and going into next season, both him and the Bucks are hoping to build off a great year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/bucks/onsi as The Milwaukee Bucks have someone underrated.
