There is no denying that Ryan Rollins has been one of the best players on the Milwaukee Bucks roster in the 2025-26 NBA season. While Milwaukee will always go as far as where two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo takes it, other players like Rollins will have a big role in dictating the team’s fate as well.
Rollins has been capitalizing on his increased playing time this season with Milwaukee. With Damian Lillard no longer on the team, the former Toledo Rocket star has seen more touches and an expanded role in the backcourt and, most especially, in the team’s offense. Through his first 39 games in the current campaign, Rollins averaged 16.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds — all career-highs.
Bucks’ Rollins speaks up on Most Improved Player buzz
The 23-year-old Rollins knows he’s playing well enough to earn the right to be at least in the conversation for a significant NBA award.
“I feel like I deserve it because I feel like I’m one of the most improved players in the league,” Rollins said when asked about thoughts on being in the Most Improved Player Award discussion (via a video shared by Milwaukee’s official X account.
“Just for the fact that I guess last year the numbers and the amount of reps and things that I was doing last year to this year, it’s a big jump. You can tell by the numbers too. I feel like I just had the biggest numbers gap in between last year and this year. But this is all about whoever they want to win. I ain’t going to pay too much attention to it, but I feel like I made the biggest jump.
Rollins arrived in Milwaukee in 2024, when the team signed him to a two-way contract before turning out to be a gem for the Bucks, who inked him to a three-year, $12 million deal in July 2025.
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