The Milwaukee Bucks' draft track record during the Giannis Antetokounmpo era has been an eyesore, to say the least. Constant misses have come back to bite the team, especially as they've scrambled to find young contributors in recent years. Even with this poor streak, the Bucks are still bringing in impactful young pieces via other avenues.
Bucks have left no stone unturned to beef up their youth
Chris Livingston, the final pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, was just waived. AJ Johnson, Milwaukee's first round pick in 2024, didn't even last a full season with the team before being traded. Tyler Smith, who was the 33rd pick in 2024, feels destined to be cut as rumors swirl that Amir Coffey will make the final roster. These are just a few examples of recent draft picks that have not panned out for Milwaukee.
Yet, Milwaukee's retooled roster has a handful of young pieces who didn't join them via the NBA Draft.
AJ Green was an undrafted player from Northern Iowa who went from being on a two-way contract to a standard deal to a $45 million extension. Ryan Rollins joined the Bucks via a two-way contract last year and inked a multi-year extension this summer. The Bucks acquired Kevin Porter Jr. via trade at the 2025 deadline. Cole Anthony came to Milwaukee as a free agent this summer.
All of these youngsters will play essential roles for the Milwaukee Bucks this year. Porter and Green are slated to start. Rollins is poised to take a leap as a Swiss Army Knife. Anthony has looked like one of the biggest offseason steals after a strong preseason. Jon Horst, Milwaukee's general manager, might not have a strong draft record, but he can find young contributors via other avenues.
Quietly, the Milwaukee Bucks are trying to find more young help as well. Like Green, they brought in Mark Sears on a two-way contract from the undrafted pool, and he's caught attention early. Down in the G League, the Wisconsin Herd just acquired the rights to former 10th overall pick Johnny Davis, who will have a chance to rehabilitate his value with the squad.
Even if unconventional, the Milwaukee Bucks are doing whatever they can to find young players who can help this team win. With youth becoming all the rage in today's NBA, Horst and the Bucks cannot stop there, either. If they continue to strike out on draft picks, they must keep finding hidden gems through whatever avenues they possibly can.
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