The Milwaukee Bucks need to nail their 2022 first-round draft pick
This is the thing I’m most looking forward to this offseason. I’m incredibly intrigued by what the Bucks will do with the number 24 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
It’s no secret that I want them to use the pick and select someone that can be a bridge player for the long-term championship future of the team. There have been plenty of high-level role players and starters taken this late in the draft (names including Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Jackson, and Anfernee Simons within the last 10 years or so), and is a great way to add cheap, young talent to a roster in desperate need of it.
Some fun names could be available with that pick and a popular one that has popped up in mock drafts to the Bucks is E.J. Liddell, a forward from Ohio State. At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and weighing 243 pounds, Liddell has the size, length, and athleticism to become a quality starting four in the NBA. The biggest question is about his perimeter shooting and if the progression he made in his three years with the Buckeyes is real.
Another option is flipping the pick for a player that could help improve the Bucks roster immediately. There are going to be many teams open for business this offseason and one name that the Bucks should pursue is Royce O’Neale of the Utah Jazz. Milwaukee may need to include a pick of some kind to entice Utah to part ways with a great 3-and-D wing like O’Neale but he’d be a great fit at both ends.
While I prefer one route to the other, this is an incredibly important asset for the Bucks to acquire someone who can help them win another championship. How they use this pick will say a lot about their plans for the rest of the offseason.