With the NBA Draft pre-workouts well underway, the Milwaukee Bucks have a void to fill in the frontcourt, but aren't working out any centers.
Milwaukee only has the 47th pick in this year's draft, and there are many directions they can go. The frontcourt was a constant issue throughout this season. Now, Brook Lopez and Jericho Sims are hitting free agency, along with Bobby Portis having a player option.
They need to get younger and more athletic in the paint, and the current draft prospects being worked out don't suggest that is the route they will go with their pick, at least not yet.
The lack of center draft prospects is eye-catching
Per HoopsHype, the Bucks are working out 12 prospects, with four listed as power forwards and no true five-man. Dain Dainja, Brandon Huntley, Darrion Williams, Samson Johnson and Izan Almansa are all 6-foot-10 or shorter. Sure, they can slot in as the center in a small-ball lineup, but that would leave the Milwaukee Bucks looking to free agency to find a specialist center.
This list doesn't mean the Bucks won't be looking for a center, but not working one out early feels like a bad decision when it was such a glaring issue all year long. At pick 47, there will be centers that they could look towards. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Henri Veesar, and Johni Broome are all likely to be available when the Bucks are on the clock, with all three having much-needed college experience that previous Milwaukee Bucks draft selections have lacked.
It may also suggest the plan is to move Giannis Antetokounmpo permanently to the center position. Many fans would be keen to have Sims re-sign with his athleticism and defensive flexibility, really aiding the Bucks down the stretch.
That late run also showed that Giannis doesn't have to be paired with a floor spacer in the frontcourt; having another athlete alongside him helps in the paint, as well as in transition, both with and without the ball. Portis is likely to take his player option, so the best route may be to go into free agency for an experienced big.
Damian Lillard's injury does open the door for Milwaukee to go with a guard to help bolster the backcourt with the All-Star out. Max Shulga and Mark Sears are the two names that really stand out, both having plenty of college experience under their belt and an ability to score as well as facilitate.
As mentioned, this won't be the final list of the prospects that the Bucks work out. They have multiple issues on their roster and will need to decide which one is the biggest and can be addressed with a player from this year's draft class.
It just feels strange for them not to be working out even one specialized center. We've seen Milwaukee make surprise picks in recent years, and it might happen again.