Aside from taking Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks do not have the greatest track record this past decade when it comes to drafting.
One year after taking the future Finals MVP, the Bucks were given the second selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. They would select Jabari Parker out of Duke, who many believed would be the new face of the franchise. Unfortunately, Parker suffered a slew of injuries throughout his career and has bounced around the league after four seasons in Milwaukee.
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Injuries were the clear-cut culprit as to why Parker never quite lived up to his potential, and it is unfortunate that never blossomed into the star many believed he could be when he first entered the NBA.
Parker was certainly not an outrageous pick at the time, but as we begin a series of redrafts in the Antetokounmpo era, the Bucks would have likely made a different selection in hindsight. With all that being said, here are five options for the Bucks in a 2014 NBA redraft.
No. 5 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014 NBA redraft — Julius Randle
The Bucks selected a highly decorated power forward in Parker with the second pick in 2014, but they passed up on another solid choice in Julius Randle.
Randle would be selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the seventh overall pick, and while his career got off to a rough start, the forward has turned into a star recently. The forward is coming off his best season to date by earning his first All-Star nod, first All-NBA selection, and the NBA’s 2020-21 Most Improved Player nod. While no one could have predicted that Randle would have a rapid rise to stardom like this, he would have been an interesting pick for the Bucks.
Of course, issues would have surfaced as Antetokounmpo added an unfathomable amount of muscle over the years and made the transition from small forward to power forward. Who knows how that pairing would have panned out between the two, but it could have made for an awkward fit to some degree. Whatever the case, if the Bucks still wanted to bolster their frontcourt with the second selection, taking Randle would have been a feasible option.
No. 4 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014 NBA redraft — Bogdan Bogdanovic
Before the Bucks attempted to trade for sharpshooting swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic during the 2020 offseason, they had a chance to select him in the 2014 NBA Draft. Bogdanovic went 27th in the first round but would not make his NBA debut until 2017, having played three seasons over in Turkey professionally beforehand.
Throughout his first four seasons in the league, Bogdanovic has only continued to get better with each passing year. During the 2020-21 season, the guard battled through injuries but had himself a career year when healthy by averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor and 43.8 percent from 3-point territory. It is high-octane offense like that that made the Bucks so anxious to trade for him last offseason in an infamous trade with the Sacramento Kings before the deal fell through.
Looking at his fit with the modern-day Bucks, Bogdanovic would have been a seamless pick. His lethal 3-point shot would have made him a perfect partner offensively for Antetkounmpo, who would have been given a reliable kick-out threat on the perimeter. Head coach Mike Budenholzer, who has changed the team’s identity offensively over the past three seasons, would have loved to have had that sharpshooting in the mix. Oh, what could have been.
Bogdanovic was certainly not among the top-reviewed players leading up to the 2014 NBA Draft, but in hindsight, he would have been a great pick for the Bucks.
No. 3 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014 NBA redraft — Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine was an interesting prospect coming out of UCLA, but not star-studded enough for the Bucks to considering taking him with their pick. However, looking back on what happened and how LaVine has developed over the years, this would have been a fantastic pick.
The guard has transformed into a bonafide star over the past three seasons with the Chicago Bulls and is coming off his first All-Star season in 2020-21. LaVine earned the recognition by averaging a career-high 27.4 points while shooting an impressive 50.7 percent from the floor and an efficient 41.9 percent from behind the arc and also dishing out 4.9 assists per game. The guard would have undeniably formed an intriguing trio in Milwaukee alongside Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, although none of the three were exactly who they are today.
Known for his high-flying athleticism, every game would have been must-see television as LaVine and Antetokounmpo would have put on a show nightly with their show-stealing dunks. Bucks fans can only dream of how entertaining that would have been to witness as the team steadily rose to contention in the coming seasons, but LaVine’s case is cemented in this 2014 redraft. Who knows how things would have transpired, but hypothetically, this would have been a slam-dunk pick.
Instead, the Bucks will get a good look at LaVine moving forward as he currently plays for their Central Division rival in Chicago.
No. 2 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014 NBA redraft — Joel Embiid
The Bucks were not exactly looking for a center entering the draft, but knowing what they do now about these last two options, they would have shifted their plans. The Philadelphia 76ers took a risk by selecting Joel Embiid one pick after the Bucks took Parker, and he has turned into arguably the best player in the class.
Embiid has turned in a nice résumé since being drafted by tallying four All-Star selections, three All-NBA selections, and three All-Defensive nods. The big man was an MVP candidate this past season after he led the 76ers to the best record in the Eastern Conference, and he would have arguably won the award had he stayed healthy. He has developed into a fantastic player and one that would have been an interesting pick for the Bucks.
First and foremost, a frontcourt combination of Antetokounmpo and Embiid would have been dominant beyond measure. These are two players that can score the basketball at will by simply overpowering their opponents, and seeing them do so side by side would have been thrilling. Tie that in with the defensive excellence that each of the two possesses, and this could have been one of the best duos in the modern NBA.
Instead of teaming up, Antetokounmpo and Embiid are the top players on a pair of contenders that are among the best in their conference.
No. 1 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014 NBA redraft — Nikola Jokic
The Bucks were not the only team to pass on Nikola Jokic as he fell to the Denver Nuggets with the 41st pick in the second round. Ultimately, no one knew much about the big man coming out of Serbia, but he has developed into a household name during his time in the NBA.
Jokic has racked up three consecutive All-Star appearances and just won the NBA’s 2020-21 MVP honors for a historically great season. He averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, which is practically unheard of for a player of his stature. While no one could truly fault the Bucks for passing up on him, things certainly would have been interesting if they had taken him.
Playing as a point-center, Jokic’s fit with Antetokounmpo would have formed a formidable duo in the frontcourt. Jokic’s pristine passing ability would have worked wonders for Antetokounmpo’s game, forming a lethal one-two punch on the offensive end. Thinking about the alley-oop passes that Jokic would have thrown to Antetokounmpo, these two could have been the most exciting duo in the NBA. Looking back to then, who would have guessed that these two players would combine to win the last three NBA MVP awards?
Between Embiid and Jokic, these are the two best centers currently playing in the NBA, and unfortunately, the Bucks passed on both of them.