The Milwaukee Bucks' latest draft workout attendee is Providence guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim. He is hoping to follow in his father, Shareef Abdur-Rahim's, footsteps as he looks to take his game to the next level.
His college career began in Virginia before transferring to Georgia for three seasons and playing his senior year with the Providence Friars. In Georgia, he cracked the starting lineup for the first time in his career, starting 27 of 29 games, averaging 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds on shooting splits of .361/.356/.887. As a Friar, he started just one of 22 games, playing 16.2 minutes and averaging 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds on shooting splits of .376/.366/.875.
With just one pick in the second round, the Bucks are hoping to narrow down the prospects to find the player who can come in and instantly help the team. They have several positions that need addressing in the draft and free agency, but the latest Kevin Porter Jr. news may put Abdur-Rahim in contention at the 47th pick or undrafted pool.
Abdur-Rahim could be a sneaky undrafted pickup for the Bucks
The 6-foot-8, 220 lb guard could be another sharpshooter that the Bucks look to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with. His lengthy frame allows him to guard across multiple positions. Offensively, he knows how to use his body to create scoring opportunities off the dribble. He likes to drive to the basket with force but also has a consistent shot that could be a real asset in the coming years.
With plenty of experience now under his belt, there is no doubt that Abdur-Rahim has a good skill set and frame to possibly compete in the NBA. However, he is more likely to go undrafted and could be a nice two-way option for the Bucks to look at post-draft. We have seen Ryan Rollins and AJ Green both follow the same path in Milwaukee, growing into more than solid rotational players.
His father is the current president of the G League, with plenty of pedigree behind him from his NBA playing days. In the 1996 NBA Draft, Shareef was the third overall pick to the Vancouver Grizzlies, where he spent five seasons before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks as part of the Pau Gasol trade in June 2001.
The Atlanta native made a strong backcourt partnership with Jason Terry, leading to him earning his only All-Star selection. Other accolades include being named to the All-Rookie First Team in 1997, and he was part of the USA gold medal team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Milwaukee is no stranger to NBA families being a part of their franchise. Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, of course, spring to mind, along with Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez. Former Buck Jrue Holiday has his two younger brothers, Justin and Aaron, in the league. Head coach Doc Rivers used to coach his son, Austin Rivers, with the Los Angeles Clippers.
It would be quite the story for Jabri Abdur-Rahim to be drafted and continue adding to the long list of NBA families. At the moment, he is expected to go undrafted and spend more time as a two-way player and in the G League, with his father watching on. There is no doubt about his athleticism and talent, but as it stands, the Milwaukee Bucks are likely to look elsewhere with their draft selection.