Milwaukee Bucks: 15 best draft picks in franchise history
By Adam McGee
10. Malcolm Brogdon
Plenty of players go on to make a major impact in the NBA as a second round pick, as many of the players on this list are proof of, but few go on to make an impact quickly enough to have historic, award-winning contributions.
In 2017, Malcolm Brogdon became the first player to be selected outside of the first round to win Rookie of the Year honors since Woody Sauldsberry in 1958, and just the second player ever to achieve that incredibly rare feat.
To set that series of events up, Brogdon was selected by the Bucks with the 36th pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. Brogdon likely flew a little under the radar due to his age and lengthy tenure at Virginia, but his credentials from that time left little doubt over his potential impact.
Brogdon entered the NBA as the reigning ACC Player of the Year, the NABC’s Defensive Player of the Year and having been named to the All-ACC First Team three years in a row.
The Atlanta native was able to channel that into an instant impact for a Bucks team with playoff aspirations, becoming a key part of their rotation and showing his mettle with a number of big shots down the final stretch of the season.
Brogdon’s award-winning exploits may have come against the backdrop of a less than stellar class, but it doesn’t do anything to take away from the Bucks’ ability to find such a capable player at that juncture of the draft.
Of course, Brogdon’s selection may be viewed even more favorably in time as he remains a key part of the franchise’s current long-term plans too.