One of the few shining lights from the Milwaukee Bucks' season was the performance of Gary Trent Jr. The guard signed a one-year 'prove it' deal last offseason, and he certainly proved his worth.
In the regular season, he averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and a steal on shooting splits of .431/.416/.848. He saw his role and minutes increase in the postseason; his 18.8 scoring average was heavily influenced by the 38-point performance in Game 3. Trent shot superbly against the Pacers, making 51.6 percent of his shots and 50 percent of his triples.
There is no certainty of Trent remaining in Milwaukee. Damian Lillard's injury and the need to retool the roster could see him look elsewhere and be of value to another contender that is in a better position to challenge. If Trent does depart, there will be several options in the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Bucks will pick 47th, they could look into.
1. Tyrese Proctor, Duke
First on the list is combo guard Tyrese Proctor from Duke. At 6-foot-6, he is a tall guard with great playmaking skills and a nice ability to score from the perimeter. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 12.4 points, three rebounds, and 2.2 assists on splits of .452/.405/.680.
The 3-point shooting stands out, with him excelling for the Blue Devils in both the catch and off the dribble. Trent is someone who can create for himself. Proctor can do exactly that and would provide a nice punch to the Bucks roster that has struggled to find self-creating rookies. His size also makes him a difficult defender to get past. He plays with effort and has a high IQ on and off the ball.
The 21-year-old had been expected to be a one-and-done prospect, but he stayed in college, and it was his Junior year when he started to show the NBA skill set. Milwaukee hasn't always looked at guys with more college experience under their belt, Proctor has that and clearly put the work in to improve his craft.
Areas he needs to improve on are his inside scoring and slight lack of athleticism at times. For a guard of his size, he is not the most explosive and tends to play with finesse in the paint, rather than looking to out-muscle his defenders.
2. Milos Uzan, Houston
Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan is another guard with plenty of college experience under his belt. After two years at Oklahoma, Uzan took his talents to Houston and completely leveled up his game. This season, he averaged 11.4 points, 4.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and a steal on strong splits of .453/.428/.783.
The 6-foot-4 junior is not quite the scorer that Proctor is, but he has been much more involved in the playmaking for his team and still has that shooting upside. With Lillard out, adding further playmakers to take the load off Giannis Antetokounmpo will be huge for the Milwaukee Bucks. They will need to make it difficult for teams with a variety of offensive looks; that's where Uzan can come in. He has the confidence to execute various passes with good decision-making and creativity.
His shooting is brilliant when coming off screens and is effective at stretching the floor. Defensively, he plays with enthusiasm, fighting round screens and with great versatility to guard wings.
There are questions regarding his dribbling and ability to create separation, so he perhaps isn't the lead guard that teams would be looking for. For the Bucks, he would be a nice player to bring off the bench and can pair up in the backcourt with any point guard. That experience, too, is key.
3. Kam Jones, Marquette
For the final player on this list, the Milwaukee Bucks shouldn't look too far. Marquette's Kam Jones has great playmaking skills and a strong ability to create for himself. The senior guard averaged 19.2 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals on shooting splits of .483/.311/.648.
The four years of college experience are valuable for Jones, making him a player ready to impact the game straight away at pick 47. He has a nice arsenal of ways to generate shots and has drastically improved his ball-handling skills.
As a senior, he showed that he can play at point guard, with a 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. With Ryan Rollins potentially returning, Jones can be used at the point to alleviate pressure off Rollins.
Jones is a crafty finisher at the rim, with the ability to use both hands and even work in the post on smaller guards. His spot-up shooting is solid, especially off screens and handoffs. Defensively, he excels, with quick feet and a strong frame, allowing him to put pressure on opposing guards, something the Milwaukee Bucks lacked in the postseason.
The free-throw shooting is not great and needs work. It could be a mechanical flaw that needs sorting, as his spot-up shooting and at-rim finishing are good. Jones can be a strong combo guard off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks, giving them an NBA-ready player in the draft with loads of experience at the college level.
All three of these players would be great additions if the Bucks fail to keep Trent. You won't be getting a star at the 47th pick, but the Pacers' Andrew Nembhard showed exactly what sort of value you can find later in the draft. Hopefully the Milwaukee Bucks can land a draft pick that sticks.