3 2024 NBA Draft prospects the Milwaukee Bucks should hope fall to them
By Dalton Sell
Ryan Dunn, Virginia
The Milwaukee Bucks need more strong defenders on this roster, particularly versatile ones who can defend multiple positions consistently. It's something the roster lacked mightily this last season. That makes Virginia's Ryan Dunn an eye-catching prospect for them, as he could be the do-it-all defensive player the Bucks need.
The 6-foot-8 wing just had a monstrous defensive season, averaging an astounding 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game while earning an ACC All-Defense nod. Dunn has the height and length to guard everyone from guards to big power forwards at the next level. He's also a strong rebounder, hauling in 6.9, including 2.2 on the offensive end, per game in 2023-24.
In the aforementioned NBA.com mock draft, Dunn was compared to Portland wing Matisse Thybulle. In The Athletic's mock draft from earlier this year (Subscription required), Sam Vecenie said that the youngster is as good as New Orleans' Herb Jones was defensively when he entered the league. Bucks fans have been clamoring for those two in trades, so it'd make sense to add a similar player.
The big concern with Dunn is his offensive output. He averaged just 8.1 points per game while hitting 20 percent of his outside shots and 53.2 percent of his free throws. With an essentially non-existent jump shot, there could be fit concerns with the youngster, especially next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Yet, if he can be an elite defensive chess piece for the Milwaukee Bucks, it could be worth the gamble.