Milwaukee Bucks: Grading every first round pick since 2014
By Dalton Sell
Grading the Milwaukee Bucks’ first round picks: D.J. Wilson, 2017
One year after selecting Maker, the Bucks bolstered their frontcourt further by taking Michigan forward D.J. Wilson with the 17th overall pick. The appeal was there with Wilson, as, on paper, he would give them a boost offensively in the second unit when Antetokounmpo needed a breather. The forward appeared as if he could be an immediate contributor, but he was anything but that in his rookie campaign in 2017-18.
Wilson made just 22 appearances during his rookie season for an average of 3.2 minutes, having spent most of his time as a spectator. After that disappointing year, he would see a massive jump in minutes the following season by playing 18.4 minutes across 48 games. While his numbers were hardly ever the flashiest, Wilson proved his place in the rotation before the team traded for Nikola Mirotic at the deadline. The Mirotic addition saw Wilson take a backseat once again.
His minutes would regress in the following two seasons, and the writing was on that wall during the 2020-21 season that Wilson could be on his way out the door. That proved true as he was traded to the Houston Rockets’ in Milwaukee’s move for P.J. Tucker in March. That deal ended his three and a half seasons with the Bucks, which unfortunately did not work out.
While Wilson could have been a great player, he never showed it consistently enough to solidify his place in the rotation.