The Milwaukee Bucks need youth, and one way they could add it is by trading into the first round of the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. One team that could potentially help is the OKC Thunder, as it's been reported by HoopsHype's Michael Scotto that rival executives think OKC could trade the 24th pick in this draft. If that is a legitimate option on the table, the Milwaukee Bucks should pounce.
Bucks could benefit from adding draft capital
This class is full of high-end talent in the first round. If the Milwaukee Bucks could trade into the first round, there's a good chance, even with their shaky draft record, that they could find help. Trading up has been a popular fan theory amongst Milwaukee fans, and rightfully so, especially with players like Cedric Corward catching attention.
Trading up for Coward would be bold, but it would be justifiable. He's a 6-foot-6, two-way wing who has been compared to Kawhi Leonard. With undeniable athleticism and a motor that never quits, he could be the infusion of youth and hustle a team like the Milwaukee Bucks needs. It doesn't hurt that he's capable of averaging double-digit points and shooting nearly 40 percent from deep.
Nique Clifford is another great name who would be under consideration. Also standing at 6-foot-6, Clifford is a versatile, switchable defender who isn't afraid of any assignment. Just like Coward, the wing has an electric motor, attacking the glass enough to haul in 9.6 boards per game this season. Averaging 18.9 points on 37.7 percent 3-point shooting is nothing to scoff at either.
Whether it's one of these two or someone else, the Milwaukee Bucks could undoubtedly benefit from adding a first-round talent. Of course, you have to trust general manager Jon Horst to overcome his rather shaky draft record, but with how compelling this class is, he would have plenty of options to find his guy. A move like this would signal turning over a new leaf, with the Milwaukee Bucks finally realizing the importance of youth rather than just relying on seasoned veterans again and again.
Drafting a first-round talent would give the Milwaukee Bucks a needed young player on a financially team-friendly deal, something they could use as they fill out the rest of the roster. With rumors out there that this could be a "gap year" for the Bucks, there would be no better time to draft a rookie and throw him into the mix from day one.
Only time will tell if the Milwaukee Bucks plan to draft 47th or if they have something else in mind, such as a trade up. There's no telling what OKC may want in this scenario, but the Bucks would be wise to at least kick the tires on the situation. If they could land both of OKC's first-rounders in this draft for their own 2031 pick, that's an offer worth considering at the bare minimum.
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