Bucks GM Jon Horst - Photo by The Athletic
MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – As the Milwaukee Bucks clean out their lockers and move into their off-season workout programs, the franchise owns two top 35 picks in the upcoming 2024 NBA draft, and they will have the opportunity to rebuild around Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo for years to come.
According to recent mock drafts from Hoops Hype and Bleacher Report, the Bucks should target Purdue big man Zach Edey, Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva, Duke guard Jared McCain, Indiana center Ke’el Ware, and Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek.
The Bucks have a lot of roster decisions to make this summer, such as who will fill out their bench, assuming Jae Crowder, Patrick Beverley, and Danilo Gallinari will be heading elsewhere in free agency, and if the team will entertain trade talks for Bobby Portis or Pat Connaughton. The upcoming draft class is expected to be somewhat deep this year, and a player like McCain, Kolek, or Da Silva could provide Milwaukee with the scoring and guard depth they need to be able to run with young and upcoming teams like the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic.
It’s not likely that Zach Edey would fit in the Bucks system. Still, the team did have issues rebounding and controlling the paint this past season, and a 7’4 300-pound player like Edey could help Milwaukee win battles on the boards and lower the number of second-chance points after giving up the 11th most points in the paint in 2023. Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva could be another option for the Bucks to help with rebounding and scoring in the paint after averaging 15 points per game for the Buffalo’s last season while also shooting 39.4% from deep.
Milwaukee also has needs at backup point guard, and players like Tyler Kolek and Jared McCain could be day-one rotation players for head coach Doc Rivers. McCain would give the Bucks instant scoring off the bench, shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three at Duke last season while averaging an impressive 21 points per game for the Blue Devils during the NCAA tournament. Kolek would make a lot of sense for Milwaukee after spending the last few years playing college basketball at Fiserv Forum for the Golden Eagles and being known as one of the smartest passers in the game while averaging nearly 8 assists a game for Shaka Smart in 2023.
Comments