In their latest two-round mock draft, Bleacher Report has the Milwaukee Bucks taking Hansen Yang in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. The Bucks definitely need a big man, and while the 7-foot-1 Yang would fill that role, there would be no shortage of questions about his fit in Milwaukee, including his age, athletic prowess and ability to defend on the perimeter.
Those are all issues that plagued Milwaukee this past season, especially with Brook Lopez. The man in the middle lost his starting spot and most of his minutes in the NBA Playoffs went on because the Indiana Pacers picked on him consistently. At 37 and set to hit free agency, there is a chance that he has played his last game with the Bucks.
Even if that is the case, Yang may not be the best person to fill his shoes.
Assessing Hansen Yang's fit with the Milwaukee Bucks
Yang and Lopez share a lot of similarities. They are both 7-footers who are slow-footed and primarily thrive in drop coverage defensively. That's where the problems start. After having to sit Lopez on the sidelines for most of the playoffs, it's clear that the Milwaukee Bucks need to get agile and athletic at the five, having a versatile player who can defend all over the floor.
Jericho Sims is an example of what the Bucks should be looking for at center. While the Bucks would love for him to have an outside shot, Sims succeeded in his limited minutes because he could defend in space, leap for rebounds and blocks and get out in transition. Those aren't things that Yang would bring to the table.
Furthermore, Yang, though talented, is still 19 and raw as a prospect. The Milwaukee Bucks would be wise to target players who can help sooner rather than later in the draft, especially with this class set to be full of them in the second round. The Bucks took a pair of 19-year-olds last season, and neither of them found their way into the rotation consistently.
Yang's overseas stats in the CBA are certainly captivating. He averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, three assists, 2.6 blocks and a steal per game while shooting 58.6 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from deep this past season. He's incredibly talented, but this is a situation where the Bucks would be wise to prioritize physical fit, targeting big men who are athletic and mobile.
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