2024 NBA mock draft has the Milwaukee Bucks taking college's "most dominant player"

The NBA Playoffs are on the horizon, so contenders such as the Milwaukee Bucks are not currently thinking about who they might select in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.

Yet, Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer recently dropped his newest mock draft for this coming summer, and his choice for the Bucks was certainly worth discussing. With the 25th overall pick. O'Connor has the Bucks selecting Purdue senior Zach Edey.

2024 NBA mock draft has the Milwaukee Bucks taking college's "most dominant player"

There's no denying how good Edey has been in college, as he's got a decorated resume that includes a Wooden Award (He is currently nominated to win again and would be the first repeat winner in over 40 years), 2022-23 AP Player of the Year and 2022-23 Big Ten Player of the Year honors, among so many other awards he's picked up over the last several years.

He's currently having a career year by posting 24.2 points 11.7 rebounds, two assists, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 61.9 percent from the floor. At 7-foot-3, Edey is a massive center who thrives directly at the basket, utilizing his height to score on one end and provide resistance defensively on the other.

As O'Connor noted, Edey could be a potential Brook Lopez replacement down the line whenever they lose the 36-year-old big man. Like Lopez, Edey has established himself as a strong rim protector and could slide into a drop coverage system nicely, something Lopez has found great success with as a Buck since he came aboard.

Yet, one aspect of his game that has made Lopez so valuable is his perimeter shot. In order to play next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lopez worked tirelessly on his shot to better space the floor, and he's become above average from out there. In 130 collegiate games, Edey has attempted just two triples, so it's not controversial to say that asking him to extend his range would be a tall order.

Of course, people will point out how Lopez began his NBA career as a post scorer who many thought could never develop a long-range shot, and he shattered that mold. Could Edey follow in those steps? It's possible, but unlikely unless the big man is willing to alter his game completely, which makes Edey an awkward fit for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Athleticism is also a concern here. At 7-foot-3, Edey does not have a ton of it due to his massive size. A common complaint about the Bucks over the last several years has been that they getting up there in age and that they lack athleticism. Adding a towering center who fits a similar mold would not do a ton to fix that concern for Milwaukee.

In short, Edey wouldn't be a seamless fit for the Bucks. There are still several months before the draft, so the front office has plenty of time to do their homework and assess several targets. Bringing in a fresh-faced youngster to shadow Brook Lopez would not be the worst idea in the world, but there may be better fits out there for the Bucks than Edey.

To be clear, none of this is a knock on Edey; he was labeled college's "most dominant" player for a reason in this article. However, he's just not the greatest fit for Milwaukee, given their current needs.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.