As of now, the Milwaukee Bucks are heading into the 2022 NBA Draft with the 24th overall selection. If the organization decides to maintain the pick, it’ll be the first time the Bucks have kept its first-round pick since drafting Donte DiVincenzo with the 17th overall selection in 2018.
Milwaukee is coming off a second-round postseason loss to the Boston Celtics after claiming its first NBA Championship since 1971 the year beforehand. Although, the Bucks can’t overreact to the seven-game playoff loss when reconstructing the team this offseason.
If we’re being honest, the Bucks most likely would have repeated as NBA champions if Khris Middleton was healthy. There will always be “what-ifs” in the postseason and Milwaukee was clearly unlucky this past year, but they should feel confident about running it back with the same core entering the 2022-23 season.
With bona fide superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star talents Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday set to return on contract next season, Milwaukee’s offseason should be dedicated toward enhancing the supporting cast. While retaining Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton will be priorities, using the 24th pick in the draft could be a key opportunity to add a reliable rotation piece for both the present and long-term future.
As the Milwaukee Bucks hold the 24th overall pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft, we rank the top five realistic prospects that would be an ideal fit.
Before we dive into the top prospects for the Milwaukee Bucks in this draft, we must acknowledge that some prospects are unrealistic candidates in the back end of the first round at the 24th selection. For example, the Bucks aren’t drafting projected No. 1 pick Jabari Smith.
Other top-tier prospects that would fit well with the Bucks such as Dyson Daniels, Johnny Davis, Ochai Agbaji, and TyTy Washington Jr. likely won’t be available at 24 and therefore won’t be included in this piece. Milwaukee certainly doesn’t have the assets to trade up in the draft, so don’t expect them to make any major leap on the night of June 23rd.
There’s still a strong possibility that the Bucks could trade their first-round pick in a package that returns a veteran role player or offloads an unwanted contract, but Milwaukee should be motivated to keep it in this deep pool of intriguing prospects. Without further ado, let’s rank the top five realistic targets for the Milwaukee Bucks with the 24th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.