Ryan Rollins has been grinding too long to stop now that he has guaranteed deal with Bucks

Giannis, Doc Rivers and Myles Turner speak on Bucks’ 127-121 win over Bulls

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Doc Rivers and Myles Turner speak on Bucks’ preseason 127-121 win over Bulls on Oct. 12, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago.

• Guard Ryan Rollins signed a 3-year, $12 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks after an up-and-down start to his professional career.
• Rollins, once an under-the-radar recruit, is expected to be a key piece for the Bucks this season.
• Teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo praised Rollins’ improvement, confidence, and defensive skills during training camp.
• Rollins earned the trust of coach Doc Rivers last season, playing through a shoulder injury that required off-season surgery.

Toledo men’s basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk had a clear message to his staff after seeing a long-limbed and shifty guard named Ryan Rollins play in person for the first time at an AAU event.

“I came back and said ‘Fellas, this is a must-get. He’s going to be a pro,’ ” recalled Kowalczyk, a DePere native and former UW-Green Bay head coach.  “He glides. He’s long. He makes the game so simple.

“Back then, it’s changed now, but he didn’t play with a ton of emotion. I think he does now, a little more anyways. He kind of glided and people thought he didn’t play hard. It couldn’t be further from the truth. He was tough and he played hard and he glided so much that he made it look easy.”

Kowalczyk and his staff indeed reeled in Rollins, who was a highly sought-after mid-major recruit at Dakota High School in Michigan, but was getting only a few looks from high-major schools. Rollins had enough success in two seasons at Toledo, including earning Mid-American Conference freshman of the year, that he entered the 2022 NBA draft and fulfilled Kowalczyk’s prophecy.

It was a bumpy first few years as a pro as Rollins fought for a permanent spot on a NBA roster. He finally got that with a 3-year, $12 million deal that he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in July.

The 23-year-old should be a key piece this season as the Bucks retool around superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. But Rollins’ mind-set isn’t any different than it was when he was a teenager trying to catch the eyes of college coaches.

“I’m going to have that chip on my shoulder, still,” Rollins said. “Like I said, I have a lot more to prove. I feel like there’s another level I can tap into. I’m just going to keep my head down, keep working, keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

“It’s just who I am. I’ve always been a not-highly-rated person. I was a three-star in high school. I’ve always just been under-the-radar. I’ve always just kept my head down and kept working. Now that I’ve got this, I’m not going to change the recipe or the routine.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo loves what Ryan Rollins brings to Bucks

Antetokounmpo shook his head and let out a “whew” when asked about what he’s seen from Rollins in training camp.

“He’s improved a lot this year,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s the first thing I noticed, his confidence is at an all-time high right now.

“Playing with a great pace, able to get downhill. Makes incredible reads. Either he creates for himself or he creates open threes. Defensively, he’s always solid, always going to get into the ball, always going to use his hands very, very well. He’s a great rebounder.

“He’s definitely taking a step from last year, so I’m excited. I don’t know if he’s going to be in the starting lineup or he’s going to come off the bench, but he’s definitely going to be a big piece of our team this year.”

Rollins knows there will be open shots while sharing the court with a player like Antetokounmpo who requires a lot of attention from opposing defenses. Rollins also knows that Bucks coach Doc Rivers wants to push the pace this season, and Rollins can kick-start that by forcing turnovers with his full-court defense.

“Just building off the things I did well last year,” Rollins said. “Staying a defensive-minded guard.

“Kind of getting back to my college days, where I was a little more with the ball. Getting comfortable scoring the ball more. Which I have the capability of doing. It’s just finding your spots in the actual game play.”

Rollins earned the trust of Rivers last season, averaging 14.6 minutes over 56 games. The guard started the season on a two-way contract with the Bucks, but that was converted to a fully guaranteed deal at the end of the regular season, which allowed him to play in the playoffs.

With a future contract hanging in the balance, Rollins played through a painful injury to his left shoulder that required surgery in the off-season.

After all that, Rollins knew he wanted to re-sign with the Bucks. The team wanted him back, too, after Rollins showed flashes by shooting 40.8% on his three-point attempts last season.

“It was big for me to just stay with one team and gain some continuity and just comfortability with everybody,” he said.

Doc Rivers says Ryan Rollins has “a lot of story left”

Rollins’ $12 million-dollar deal is downright modest when compared to other league contracts, but it’s massive for a player who bounced between the G League and the NBA in stints with the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards and Bucks.

“The fruits of my labor kind of paying off,” Rollins said. “There’s a lot more to get, so you can’t be content at all. But, for sure, blessed and highly favored to be in this position.”

Kowalczyk frequently counseled his former player to just keep working during those uncertain years.

“All he needed was someone to believe in him,” Kowalczyk said. “He has a ton of ability and is a great person, and I think Doc just sees what he can do and believes in him. That’s all he needed.

“Now it’s a matter of time that he continues to get better. He was here this summer working out with us. He looks great, his attitude’s great. He absolutely loves Milwaukee, loves Doc Rivers and the coaching staff. I’m really happy for him. Proud of him. Excited about the year ahead for him, and more so just the big picture of his career.”

Rivers also knows that getting a guaranteed deal isn’t the end of Rollins’ journey.

“I don’t think his story is written yet is what I think,” Rivers said. “I think he’s got a lot of story left. This is the first chapter or second chapter.

“I think Ryan has four or five more chapters left to write. Signing a contract is great, but he’s going to do way more. Sign a bigger deal. He’ll do a lot of winning. So I think this is just the start of his story.”