Milwaukee Bucks 2022 Potential Draft Prospect Tiers
It’s officially draft week, and there are many different ways the Milwaukee Bucks can go as they hold the 24th pick. There are tons of different players they could use the pick to draft at a number of different positions, or they may look to trade the pick completely. After looking at tons of prospects over the past month or so, here are my draft prospect tiers for the Bucks in this draft.
Keep in mind that I am only including players who I think either should be going around the 24th pick or players who I like as trade candidates. Any players not included are guys who I think have basically no chance of being available or I don’t have any interest in if the Bucks make a trade.
Click on a player’s name to see a more detailed scouting report on them.
These are my tiers at the 24th pick if the Bucks decide to keep it and don’t trade.
Tier 1: Best Case Scenarios
Wendell Moore Jr. (Wing – Duke)
Ht: 6’5″ | Wt: 220 lbs | 50/41/81 shooting
Similar to Jalen Williams, Moore can fill basically all of the Bucks’ needs in one player. He can play “point-wing” by being a ball handler and playmaker, but also has a 7’0″ wingspan and possesses defensive versatility and scoring upside. Both Moore and Williams can do a little bit of everything and would be awesome for the Bucks.
Tier 2: Awesome
Christian Braun (Wing – Kansas)
Ht: 6’7″ | Wt: 210 lbs | 50/39/73 shooting
Braun looks destined to be an immediate contributor as a role player on an NBA team with his shooting and defense. He probably doesn’t have the highest ceiling and can’t create much of his own offense, but he makes winning plays and his combination of athleticism, shooting, passing, and defense gives him a high floor.
EJ Liddell (Forward – Ohio State)
Ht: 6’7″ | Wt: 240 lbs | 49/37/77 shooting
Liddell is another player who could make immediate impact and be a contributing role player for the Bucks right away. He can defend and score out of the post like a small-ball center, but also can shoot it more like a forward. Only thing keeping him from tier 1 is his lower ceiling because he isn’t the most athletic player and doesn’t have a lot of shot creation ability.
Ht: 6’7″ | Wt: 195 lbs | 50/36/74 shooting
Terry is a Swiss army knife who can do pretty much everything. He can handle the ball and run the offense as a passer but can also shoot, defend, rebound, and play in transition. Would fill Bucks’ backup ball handling needs while being a nice complementary piece who can bring whatever you need to the table. The only question mark is that in his role at Arizona he wasn’t asked to shoot a ton, so his scoring and shooting is somewhat unproven.
Tier 3: Pretty Good
Kennedy Chandler (Guard – Tennessee)
Ht: 6’0″ | Wt: 170 lbs | 46/38/61 shooting
Looks to be a good backup point guard option for the Bucks who handle and pass the ball, hit spot up threes, and is very slippery and quick. He isn’t going to be a great scorer, but more of a backup floor general who can hit the open threes Giannis creates for him. His big question mark is how his lack of size will affect him defensively, but he actually has been a really good defender at Tennessee. He will still be targeted a lot, but should be able to hold his own for around 15 minutes per night.
Jake Laravia (Wing – Wake Forest)
Ht: 6’8″ | Wt: 230 lbs | 56/38/78 shooting
Solid 3&D option if the others are off the board. He’s a lethal shooter when left open and can defend multiple positions defensively, and he also can score out of the post a little bit and plays smart off the ball. This wouldn’t be the flashiest pick because he has very little potential due to lack of athleticism and shot creation ability, but it would get the job done and give the Bucks another 3-and-D role player.
Tier 4: Meh
Marjon Beauchamp (Wing – Ignite)
Ht: 6’6″ | Wt: 200 lbs | 57/24/65 shooting
Very athletic and intelligent player who plays very good defense and has some upside as a scorer. However, his offensive game needs time that the Bucks probably do not have, as his outside shot and perimeter scoring ability are not there yet. Probably cannot be very productive right away.
Blake Wesley (Wing – Notre Dame)
Ht: 6’5″ | Wt: 185 lbs | 40/30/66 shooting
Long and athletic wing who has shown potential scoring in a variety of ways and can also pass and defend well. The downside is that he is not very strong and most of his scoring is unproven, as he struggles at the rim and his shooting is very inconsistent. The Bucks should be likely for someone who is more of a sure thing as a shooter.
Trevor Keels (Wing – Duke)
Ht: 6’4″ | Wt: 225 lbs | 42/31/67 shooting
Extremely physical guy who is built like a football player, but can pass surprisingly well and run the pick-and-roll. He projects to be a strong, versatile defender and a good finisher around the rim. His outside shot hasn’t been very good, though, and he isn’t quick enough to hang with guards defensively right now. Bucks simply need a better shooter.
Christian Koloko (Big – Arizona)
Ht: 7’1″ | Wt: 225 lbs | 64/0/74 shooting
Tremendous rim protector and has good mobility and defensive versatility for his size. He can switch onto the perimeter occasionally and hold his own, but he is extremely raw and his offense is likely limited. He never attempted a three in college and has only shown potential from midrange. The Bucks need a big who is capable of shooting from distance and doesn’t need as much time to polish his game as Koloko does, though the upside is there.
Tier 5: Don’t Like
Jean Montero (Guard – Overtime Elite)
Ht: 6’2″ | Wt: 170 lbs | 40/26/84 shooting
Has upside at point guard with his shiftiness as well as his scoring and passing ability, but his shooting and defense need time, and those are the two things the Bucks need most out of any role player.
Walker Kessler (Big – Auburn)
Ht: 7’1″ | Wt: 250 lbs | 61/20/60 shooting
One of the best rim protecting prospects in recent memory and reminds many of Brook Lopez on the defensive end. Protects the paint and has some potential defending out in space, but offensively he is not a floor spacer and has struggled to find a three-point shot. If the Bucks are going to find their “next Brook Lopez,” he needs to be able to space the floor.
Jaden Hardy (Wing – Ignite)
Ht: 6’4″ | Wt: 200 lbs | 37/29/76 shooting
Hardy is a bucket getter who can score in a variety of ways and even passes it pretty well. However, he struggles defensively and takes a ton of difficult, bad shots, and his inefficiency is a result of that. Reminds me too much of a shorter Jordan Nwora (has some scoring talent but doesn’t do much else and tries to do too much offensively).
Kendall Brown (Forward – Baylor)
Ht: 6’8″ | Wt: 205 lbs | 58/34/69 shooting
Very athletic and would be nice for the Bucks to have defensively. On the offensive end, however, he does not have a perimeter shot creation game and struggles with his shot. He is more of a slasher, and the Bucks need a more versatile offensive player around Giannis who can shoot.
Nikola Jovic (Forward – Serbia)
Ht: 6’10” | Wt: 225 lbs | 41/32/72 shooting
Intriguing prospect with his playmaking skills and upside, but he needs a lot of time to develop his shot and become a better defender. He’s simply too much of a project for the Bucks to take on right now when they are trying to compete for titles in Giannis’ prime.
Tier 6: Hate
Caleb Houstan (Forward – Michigan)
Ht: 6’8″ | Wt: 205 lbs | 38/36/78 shooting
He could be a decent shooter and maybe even a decent defender, but he does very little particularly well and seems to have a low floor and also a low ceiling because of his lack of athleticism.
Bryce McGowens (Wing – Nebraska)
Ht: 6’6″ | Wt: 180 lbs | 40/27/83 shooting
Definitely has upside with his scoring ability, length, and athleticism. However, most of it is theoretical rather than based on actual results, and his defense, passing, and shot selection are all bad. McGowens doesn’t fit what the Bucks need.
Josh Minott (Forward – Memphis)
Ht: 6’8″ | Wt: 205 lbs | 52/14/75 shooting
Has a ton of defensive upside with the potential to guard any position, but he really has no scoring ability in the half court outside of dunks and cuts. Can’t shoot jumpers, can’t handle the ball much, and has no shot creation ability. The defense is really intriguing, but the offense is not at all what the Bucks are looking for.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Forward – Milwaukee)
Ht: 610″ | Wt: 230 lbs | 34/27/74 shooting
Was a top prospect coming out of high school, but showed almost nothing last year and looked incredibly slow and ineffective on both ends. Can’t keep players in front of him on defense and can’t get around anyone on offense. He was very inefficient, took a lot of bad shots, and didn’t make a bad team any better last season. Not to mention he has an injury history.