The 2023 NBA Draft is proving to be one of the weaker classes of the decade. Very few teams walked away with a legitimate contributor in the first round, making some squads luckier than others. Initially, the Milwaukee Bucks didn't have a horse in the race, as they were without a pick, but the inclusion of Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade makes them a big winner from this poor class.
The 2023 draft class is struggling
Outside of the top five, which included Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson, and the Thompson twins, this class has produced a few fine role players. Anthony Black, Bilal Coulibaly, Cason Wallace, Keyonte George, Derrick Lively II, and Jaquez are arguably the only players from the entire first round who have earned the title of "wins" for their respective teams. Slim pickings.
Jaquez, who went 18th overall, is among the biggest steals of the entire class. Throughout his first three years in the league, he made the All-Rookie team and was a Sixth Man of the Year runner-up. Averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists for his career, Jaquez has been a productive piece and still has plenty of room to grow moving forward.
Now, the Milwaukee Bucks have inherited the 2023 draftee and the "win" status he carries with him.
Jaquez can reach new heights with Bucks
Jaquez is already a good player, but he suddenly has a golden opportunity to become a great one. After coming off the bench in all but 38 of his career regular season games, it looks like the forward will be Milwaukee's starting small forward this coming season. With the biggest role of his entire NBA career on deck, he is bound to take another step forward.
Fueling Jaquez's fire is the fact that he will be due for a new contract next summer. He should be very motivated to turn in the best campaign of his young career. If the forward surges and earns himself a hefty new deal, cementing himself as a building block for the fresh-look Milwaukee Bucks, his new team will continue to be winners of a draft pick they didn't even make.
Sure, he may never reach the heights of Wembanyama, but Jaquez has an opportunity to work his way up into the conversation as one of the great picks from this otherwise mediocre draft class.
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