Leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks are working out a handful of prospects with ties to the state of Wisconsin. Interestingly, though, John Tonje, an electric guard for the Badgers this past season, is nowhere to be found on their workout list. Some mocks have Tonje going to the Bucks at 47th overall, but it's unclear how they feel about him with no workout officially listed.
Bucks eyeing plenty of players with Wisconsin familiarity
Thus far, the Bucks have looked at countless players possessing ties to the state, most notably guard Kam Jones of Marquette. Wisconsin Badger John Blackwell was also on their radar before he opted to return to Madison for another year. Former Badger turned Cardinal Chucky Hepburn also got a foot in the door for a workout. Even Green Bay's Muodubem Muoneke got a workout.
Of the bunch, one could form a valid argument about Jones being better than Tonje, but other than that, he's the best prospect with ties to Wisconsin they've worked out. His exclusion is an interesting development. The Milwaukee Bucks have been working out guards galore ahead of the NBA Draft, so it's eye-catching that they are excluding Tonje, at least publicly.
On paper, Tonje could do a lot for this team, especially with his scoring. At Wisconsin this past year, he averaged 19.6 points while shooting 54.1 percent on twos and 38.8 percent on triples. With the Bucks needing someone to help pick up the scoring slack in Damian Lillard's absence, Tonje could provide some help, in theory.
To be clear, he's not a perfect prospect. There are questions regarding how his defense may hold up at the NBA level, and his athleticism isn't as eye-popping as the Milwaukee Bucks may need. All of the criticisms hold some validity. However, unless they did it behind closed doors and kept it top secret, it is somewhat surprising the Bucks haven't at least worked him out.
Of the ones they have looked at, Jones should be the clear-cut favorite if he's on the board when it's Milwaukee's time to pick. He could immediately fill out some depth at guard and grow further after his best collegiate season yet. Hepburn wouldn't be a bad pickup for Summer League, but his odds of getting drafted seem pretty slim. Blackwell and Muoneke need more college experience.
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