Fit with the Bucks
Seeing that the Bucks have held back on disclosing the prospects they’ve either brought in or are bringing in for individual workouts to the media during this draft cycle, tidbits or scoops have obviously been hard to come by for us lowly content machines.
However, Diallo stands as one of the rare prospects that has been confirmed to have worked out with the team during this process, thanks to information provided by the Sporting News’ Sean Deveney last week.
In all, Hamidou Diallo will have worked out for: the Bulls, Wizards, Lakers, Suns, Blazers, Kings, Nets, Knicks, Bucks and Mavs. Also was at the BDA Pro Day on May 29.
— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) June 7, 2018
Was told he shot well at the @Lakers workout, for what it's worth.
It marks the second straight year the Bucks have worked out Diallo and it’s easy to peg him as a quintessential Bucks prospect, considering their recent history of selecting players who lean on the rawer side and carry a high amount of athletic upside.
But with the element of surprise now gone around Diallo after his underwhelming season at Lexington this year, his draft stock stands firmly in the second round.
Of course, the Bucks don’t hold a second round pick in this year’s draft, which obviously complicates how Diallo could wind up in Milwaukee if they’re intrigued by what he could become at this point in time.
Whether that’s a project the Bucks should be undertaking with a player as raw as Diallo is another question at this point in time, though. Much work and development time is in line for Diallo and it’s fair to say that multiple years on the G League level is likely in store for the former Kentucky guard upon making the jump.
If the Bucks are looking to lean in and establish some sort of development pipeline now under the guidance of new head coach Mike Budenholzer, Diallo would be a fascinating figure to track in the next few seasons, should they end up acquiring a pick deeper in the draft on draft night.
Simply put, the proverbial fruit with Diallo won’t bear out for many years and even then, it’s hard to determine whether the final product will resemble anything close to a useful contributor, at the very least.
Next: NBA Draft: Is Zhaire Smith a first round gamble worth taking for the Bucks?
For all those reasons, it’s very easy to feel wary about Diallo’s chances on the NBA level and whether he’ll ultimately come to Milwaukee in nearly a week’s time.