In Bleacher Report's latest mock draft for 2026, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Jayden Quaintance at ninth overall. In this hypothetical scenario pitched by Jonathan Wasserman, the Bucks would take the same confusing route they did back in 2024 when they used a rare first-round pick on AJ Johnson, yet another incredibly raw prospect who didn't exactly fit in with their timeline.
If the Milwaukee Bucks want to compete, raw talent is a head-scratcher
The Johnson pick never made sense. Milwaukee was firmly in win-now mode and had an assortment of players to choose from who could have helped them do so. Ryan Dunn, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Kyshawn George headline names who were picked after Johnson, who was clearly still years away from helping this team contend.
To make matters worse, he didn't even last one full season with the team, getting shipped out in the Kyle Kuzma trade last year.
The Milwaukee Bucks should discard that strategy if they keep their pick in this upcoming draft. If they truly want to forge a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo, they should be eyeing a piece that can help now, not when the Greek Freak is in his mid 30s. As things stand, Quaintance simply is not that type of player.
On paper, there is indeed a lot to like about the forward. He stands at 6-foot-10, 255 lbs and has elite defensive instincts, averaging 2.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per matchup last season. Bleacher Report compared him to Miami's Bam Adebayo. The Milwaukee Bucks could certainly use their own version of Adebayo partnered up with Giannis in the frontcourt.
Yet, at 18, Quaintance is still raw. He might not be ready for years, and that goes without mentioning the injury concerns. The big man tore his ACL last season and has only played in four games this year as he recovers. Some question whether he will be back on the court this season at all, leaving a small sample size to judge him.
Does a Milwaukee team that has been decimated by injuries year after year since the title run want to use one of their few first-round picks on a player with immediate injury concerns and who is also just 18 years old? Unless Jayden Quaintance miraculously plays again and looks like an elite prospect, using the pick on him might be even more puzzling than when they took Johnson.
In this draft class, one of the best in years, it should be hard to go wrong with any pick. However, if the Milwaukee Bucks are still looking to contend this summer, this might not be their best bet.
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