Developing young players—excluding their draft picks—into reliable contributors has become one of the Milwaukee Bucks' newest strengths. Now, they have a head coach in Taylor Jenkins who has built up a well-earned reputation as a tremendous player development coach. Could Jenkins shatter the curse and actually develop one of Milwaukee's draft picks? He's done it elsewhere.
Jenkins has experience leading rookies to success
During his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies, the 2019-20 season, Jenkins coached No. 2 pick Ja Morant. The rookie took the league by storm, averaging 17.8 points and 7.3 assists per game en route to winning Rookie of the Year. It's the most notable, but not the only, example of how Jenkins is a great leader for young players looking to come into their own.
It should make Milwaukee Bucks fans incredibly excited about their upcoming draft choice, which is currently projected to be 10th overall but could change. In a loaded draft class, the Bucks will have a chance to add an impact player no matter where they land in the lottery, and they now have a coach who could bring out the best in that player.
While you can't go wrong at any position, this class is particularly loaded with guards. Jenkins helped unearth Morant, and the Bucks could ask him to do it again with another guard. Players like Brayden Burries, Keaton Wagler, and Mikel Brown Jr. have all been mocked to the Bucks in recent weeks, and the thought of adding one of them to this rotation just got a lot more exciting with Jenkins in town.
There is another side to the coin here...
Everyone knows that the Milwaukee Bucks like their big swings. With so much chatter about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future this summer, it's only natural that many have wondered if the Bucks will look to make another blockbuster trade, which would likely involve moving their 2026 pick, to improve the odds of a bounce-back 2026-27 with a surefire, well-known name.
Depending on the return, it would make some sense to dangle that pick in trade talks, especially if it can help initiate Giannis' commitment to the team. However, it would be somewhat disappointing to finally bring in a coach with a history of player development and then trade away what should be the highest pick this team has had in a long time.
All options are on the table. The Milwaukee Bucks are looking at players they could draft, but they are also certainly thinking of players they could trade the pick for. Unlike in years past, when the coaches they had didn't have much pedigree in player development, trading away picks made sense, but now that they have someone highly regarded in that area, perhaps they will give it more thought.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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