The Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls have revealed their starting lineups for Friday's Emirates NBA Cup matchup. Milwaukee, the defending champions, will be without injured point guard Kevin Porter Jr., while Chicago could miss three key players due to injuries. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CT.
The Milwaukee Bucks face the Chicago Bulls in their first Emirates NBA Cup game of the 2025-26 season on Friday night. Milwaukee enters as the reigning champions, holding an undefeated 8-0 record in group round play across both seasons of the tournament. The Bucks have a 5-3 start to the regular season, with Giannis Antetokounmpo thriving alongside improved shooting and defense.
Due to Kevin Porter Jr.'s recovery from right knee meniscus surgery earlier this week, Ryan Rollins will start at point guard for Milwaukee. He joins AJ Green in the backcourt, with Gary Trent Jr. at small forward and Myles Turner anchoring the frontcourt. Backup forward Taurean Prince is sidelined with a strained neck, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Two-way player Alex Antetokounmpo is with the G League's Wisconsin Herd.
Chicago leads East Group C with a 1-0 NBA Cup record after beating the New York Knicks last Friday, though they lost the rematch. The Bulls are 6-1 overall but shorthanded: star guard Coby White misses his eighth straight game with a strained right calf. White averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds last season on .452/.370/.902 shooting. Backup center Zach Collins is out with a left scaphoid fracture, and sixth man Ayo Dosunmu is questionable with a left quad contusion.
For the Bulls, Josh Giddey and Tre Jones start in the backcourt, with Jones replacing White. Isaac Okoro starts at small forward, 2025 All-Rookie Matas Buzelis at power forward, and Nikola Vucevic at center. The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets, the other Group C teams, have yet to play NBA Cup games.