The Milwaukee Bucks were hoping for a little luck in the NBA Draft Lottery, but they got anything but that in Sunday's drawing. Not only did Milwaukee not get any luck themselves, staying firmly at 10th, which is where they were projected, but teams that could make for quality Giannis Antetokounmpo trade suitors also didn't climb in the order. Things haven't changed much after the lottery.
Bucks stick in the 10th spot
As they look to convince Giannis to stick around, the Bucks could have benefited mightily from a bit of luck. This draft class is strong all-around, but landing one of the top five or so picks would have set the Bucks up nicely with a potential generational talent. Drafting someone like AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson would have given Antetokounmpo a potential-filled running mate to help contend.
Moving up could have also helped if the Milwaukee Bucks were to dangle the pick in trades leading up to the draft. Milwaukee has always shown a willingness to trade picks for players who can help them in the present. Obviously, the higher the pick, the more desierable any Bucks' offer becomes if a star player were to hit the market this summer.
Sticking in the 10th spot isn't the end of the world. It's better than dropping and picking 11th or lower. In a class this loaded, Milwaukee can still find an impact player.
Giannis suitors do not get a boost
Teams looking to trade for Giannis, if he does indeed ask out, also could have gained leverage if they were to land a high pick. Two teams that have been linked to the Greek Freak from the start are Miami and Golden State. While both possess somewhat compelling packages, one of the top picks in this draft could have made them the clear-cut frontrunners. Well, neither got what they wanted.
Golden State will pick 11th, while Miami is down at 13th. Again, even those picks in a class filled with this much talent are desirable, but not as much as the teams picking higher up. The Warriors and Heat will spend the summer once again trying to forge offers without a needle-mover like a high draft pick or a star player who could lead the next iteration of the Bucks.
The Giannis chatter won't go away anytime soon, and it will be interesting to see just how much these results impact it.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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