In the latest mock draft from ESPN's Jeremy Woo, the Milwaukee Bucks select Nate Ament with the 10th overall pick. Immediately, the move would be divisive. Some love the upside that Ament would bring to the table, while others fear he might not have the tools to bring it to the light. For a team like the Bucks, that's a huge risk.
Drafting Ament and keeping Giannis is risky
The Milwaukee Bucks will do whatever they can to keep Giannis this summer. They might even look to trade this pick in favor of a proven star. However, if they keep it, they absolutely need to nail this draft pick to find a young contributor. In a class this loaded with talent, it would be hard to miss, but Ament is one of the boom-or-bust names floating around Milwaukee's range.
At one point, at Woo notes, Ament was flirting with being a top-five pick. That's the coveted upside he possesses. The potential is there. Yet, there is also the other side of the coin, which featured plenty of struggles with consistency. That part of his game is evidenced by him shooting a mere 39.9 percent from the floor this past season, undeniably a glaring red flag.
If the Milwaukee Bucks want to draft a player who can help them from day one next season, there is an argument that Ament isn't the right pick. He may need time to grow into whatever he can be at the NBA level. With Giannis aging, the Bucks don't have that kind of time. They've wasted enough draft picks on young players they don't have time to develop to do it again.
Ament makes more sense in ugly reality
If Giannis Antetokounmpo finally breaks the glass and asks for a trade this summer, the Bucks would then pivot to a youth-focused rebuild/retooling. With less urgency to contend immediately, it would be far more feasible to take a swing at someone like Ament. He would have more room to spread his wings and try to become the star he's shown flashes of being.
Alongside players like Ryan Rollins and whoever else the Milwaukee Bucks would get in return after the Giannis trade, Ament could be a nice part of their young core. It's a luxury players like Tyler Smith, AJ Johnson, Chris Livingston, MarJon Beauchamp, and many more wish they had rather than being drafted to a contender without a clear role for them. There's a reason none of them are on the team.
Ament to the Milwaukee Bucks would undeniably raise some eyebrows.
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