The 2016 NBA Draft was certainly an interesting one for the Milwaukee Bucks, to say the least.
The Bucks selected Thon Maker with the No. 10 overall selection, a move that surprised many at the time, considering the big man had not been ranked in many top 10 boards. Maker was largely an unknown prospect at 19-years-old and viewed as more of a project player that could develop over time. The budding center would join a frontcourt rotation loaded with talent with name such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greg Monroe, John Henson, and Miles Plumlee, among others.
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Despite NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett declaring that Maker would be a surefire MVP one day after a workout and that he reminded him of himself, things did not quite pan out that way.
Maker would last two and a half seasons with the Bucks before requesting a trade during the 2018-19 season due to a lack of playing time, and the team granted his wish with a trade to the Detroit Pistons, ending his brief potential-filled tenure with the Bucks.
Ultimately, the team took a massive swing by selecting Maker, and it just did not work out as they hoped. Looking back on it, the team would likely change things if they could. With that being said, here are five options for the Bucks in a 2016 NBA redraft.
No. 5 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016 NBA redraft — Dejounte Murray
Many believed that the Bucks were hunting for a guard in this draft, and Dejounte Murray would have been a great selection for them at 10. The two point guards that the Bucks ran with the next season were Matthew Dellavadova and Gary Payton II, and Murray would have given the team a younger option to take the reigns for a team that was steadily on the rise.
After being selected 29th overall by the San Antonio Spurs, Murray has quietly developed into one of the most underrated players in the league. He has steadily improved his play with each passing year in his career on both ends and is most well-known for his defense. The guard earned his first – and certainly not his last – All-Defensive selection during the 2017-18 season, showing signs of potential on that side of the ball. Given his reputable stature defensively, Murray would have fit right in, particularly with the current iteration of the Bucks under head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Murray was far from the most coveted point guard in the class, which is why he fell right to the Spurs near the end of the first round. In this 2016 redraft, the Bucks would have taken care of their point guard need by adding one of the more under-the-radar players at the position.
No. 4 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016 NBA redraft — Caris LeVert
Sticking with guards, the Bucks could have bolstered their rotation by selecting Caris LeVert from Michigan. LeVert fell to the Indiana Pacers with the 20th overall pick and was immediately traded to the Brooklyn Nets, where he developed into a promising player.
The strongest attribute of LeVert’s is certainly his scoring, as he has averaged double figures in four of his first five seasons – the exception being his rookie year. LeVert is coming off a career year in 2020-21 split between the Nets and Pacers, where he averaged 20.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game, all career-highs. Slated to have a big role with the Pacers moving forward, the swingman has the potential to develop into a star player if he can stay healthy.
In 2016-17, Milwaukee’s shooting guard rotation included players like Tony Snell, Rashad Vaughn (who also got a redraft recently), an aging Jason Terry, and a player that will be mentioned in the next slide. LeVert would have been an immediate upgrade over any of those three names, giving the Bucks a scoring wing that would have hypothetically fit next to the duo of Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. LeVert’s inability to space the floor – A career 33.6 percent shooter from three – may have caused some problems, but knowing what he is now, the Bucks would have considered.
No. 3 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016 NBA redraft — Malcolm Brogdon
The Bucks ultimately drafted Malcolm Brogdon with the 36th pick in the second round, but they would certainly reconsider waiting to take him that late in this redraft. Given their aforementioned guard needs, Brogdon would have been a great selection with their first round pick.
There are no hypotheticals here as Brogdon played with the Bucks and immediately carved out a role for himself in the rotation. The guard had an impressive rookie season and famously beat out both Joel Embiid and Dario Saric for Rookie of the Year honors. Brogdon would have a fantastic run with the Bucks, particularly in 2018-19, where he averaged 15.6 points per game with 50/40/90 shooting splits. Of course, there is controversy lasting to this day regarding the team’s decision not to bring him back following the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals. Brogdon signed an offer sheet with the Pacers in free agency, which was soon facilitated as a sign-and-trade.
Given the team’s previously mentioned guard rotation at the time of the pick, selecting Brogdon proved to be a home run selection. He was a natural fit alongside Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and the rest of the core and had a great run during his three years in Milwaukee. His name will always be mentioned among the biggest “what ifs” for the franchise as it pertains to whether or not they should have brought him back.
No. 2 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016 NBA redraft — Pascal Siakam
Given how stacked they were at the power forward position, Pascal Siakam was certainly not high on Milwaukee’s draft board in 2016. However, if they are looking to take talent over position, then taking Siakam at No. 10 might have been the right move for the Bucks.
The forward would fall to the Toronto Raptors at 27th overall, and after a slow start in his first two seasons, he took off. Over the last three seasons, Siakam has racked up the Most Improved Player award, an All-Star nod, an All-NBA selection, and as Bucks fans will unfortunately remember, an NBA championship after his Raptors took down the team in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.
Given that the Bucks had players like Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, and Mirza Teletovic manning the power forward duties, Siakam may have been an awkward fit. Who knows if the 27-year-old would have ascended to the same level of stardom if he was fighting for minutes, but that is the case with all hypotheticals. Parker and Teletovic did not last much longer in Milwaukee, which may have opened the door for more opportunity, but we will never know.
Perhaps they could have made it work, but nevertheless, given how things turned out for the forward, the Bucks would likely give him some consideration in this redraft.
No. 1 option for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016 NBA redraft — Domantas Sabonis
The Bucks thought they were selecting their center of the future when they picked Maker with the 10th pick, but the better option was right there for the taking. Domantas Sabonis went exactly one pick after Maker to the Orlando Magic at 11 and was immediately traded to the OKC Thunder to begin his career.
Sabonis would legitimately take off when he was traded to the Pacers after his rookie year in a deal with Victor Oladipo. Since then, the big man has earned two All-Star nods and has improved in each passing season. While he can score the basketball impressively, Sabonis is well-known for his pristine passing ability for a player of his side. He has quite the highlight reel as is, but imagine if he paired up with Antetkounmpo. Those Sabonis-to-Antetokounmpo lob passes for dunks would have been something special to watch.
The Bucks indeed picked a center, but it ultimately proved to be the wrong one. If they were dead set on adding size in this draft and not just infatuated with the potential with Maker, then Sabonis would be the clear-cut option in this redraft. The fit would have taken some getting used to for all parties, but it could have developed into something promising if all went according to plan.
The 2016 NBA Draft was an odd one, and it is interesting to think about how things would have worked out if the Bucks selected any of these players.