Fit with the Bucks
Considering where Samanic stands in terms of the experience he’s accrued as well as in his personal development and overall skill set, there are plenty of factors that would make one think the Bucks will have some level of interest in Samanic.
Of course, it’s one thing to say Samanic could be in consideration with the 30th overall pick, it’s another for it to come to pass. And Samanic’s reported strong pre-draft process may make this all mute if he continues on rising in the first round on draft boards around the league.
But the dribble-pass-shoot adage that Bucks general manager Jon Horst ran with in explaining his selection of Donte DiVincenzo last year mostly applies Samanic, the shooting part being the biggest question mark surrounding him at this point. And the Croatian’s athleticism, size and youth only reinforces the allure surrounding him and the player he may become down the line.
Even with the number of questions surrounding their many pending free agents, Milwaukee’s locked into this current core and supporting cast if they want to continue capitalizing on the current title window they’ve created. With that, drafting and subsequently stashing Samanic gives the Bucks a workable solution to lessen the financial commitment the team’s ownership will have to make to retain the significant pieces around superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Now, it’s fair to view Samanic as a potential redundancy with Bucks sophomore forward D.J. Wilson as far as their respective skill sets and deficiencies are considered at this stage.
Even so, it’s hard to find players that possess the size, athleticism and skill set as Samanic does at the area the Bucks are selecting at in the draft. With more room to grow and develop, whether still overseas or stateside next season, Samanic has the makings to be an incredibly shrewd selection that could give the Bucks another strong contributor deep within their roster over time.