Milwaukee Bucks
MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – With the 2024 NBA draft just 13 days away, experts across sports media remain undecided on what Milwaukee will do with their two top 35 picks.
According to the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report, the Bucks should take USC star guard Isaiah Collier to replace Patrick Beverley and give the team a long-time backup option to Damian Lillard if he falls to them at 23. Scouts compare Collier to former Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe due to his ability to use his stocky 6’4 (215 LBS) frame to get to the basket and score after contact. Collier averaged 16.3 points per game for the Trojans in 2023 after being ranked the top overall high school recruit in the U.S. by both On3 and 247Sports.
In the same mock draft, Bleacher Report had the Bucks select former Illinois shooting guard Terrence Shannon Jr. 33rd overall, who ranked third in the NCAA in scoring in 2023 at 23 points per game and helped the Fighting Illini defeat the Badgers in the Big Ten Championship game, scoring 34 points and shooting 50% from three-point range. There were some character concerns surrounding Shannon Jr. before Thursday when he was found not guilty of rape and aggravated sexual battery, but with that now behind him, his ability to score will likely put him in play for teams at the end of the first round or the at the top of the second round.
In other recent mock drafts from outlets such as On3 and Sports Illustrated, the Bucks have been projected to go big by selecting Indiana center Kel’el Ware, Baylor center Yves Messi, and Swedish forward Bobi Klintman due to Milwaukee struggling to compete with teams that feature young athletic big men such as the Indian Pacers and the Memphis Grizzles. They project that if Milwaukee goes with a big man at 23, the Bucks could then take a guard such as Creighton’s Trey Alexander at 33rd overall.
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