As the NBA Conference Finals are locked in, the other 26 teams in the league are looking towards June 27 and the NBA Draft. The Milwaukee Bucks have a first and second-round pick, so they will look to add help to a roster that needs freshening up and youth implemented into the locker room.
Some teams come into the draft looking for that franchise-altering pick that can change the outlook moving forward; the Bucks are perhaps looking for someone who can come in and contribute now or be the long-term replacement for one of the veterans on the team. The team's salary makes it difficult for any big free agent splashes so being clever in the draft to find guys that can contribute now is key for general manager Jon Horst and the front office.
The Bucks and the 2024 NBA Draft
Milwaukee ended the season with eight players on the roster who were over the age of 30. Andre Jackson Jr. contributed in his rookie season but found consistent minutes hard to come by when Doc Rivers came in as head coach in January.
MarJon Beauchamp had a solid rookie season but then tailed off in his sophomore season and also found minutes hard to come by. Both players have shown glimpses of potential to be regular rotation pieces moving forward.
At center, Brook Lopez is now 36 and heading into the final year of his contract, so the Bucks need to find the next center to take over.
Another issue the Bucks had all season was the backup point guard position. Cameron Payne started the season there and was traded for Patrick Beverley, who is a free agent this off-season.
Beverley had a great impact defensively, but he turns 36 in July, and the way he acted in the Game 6 defeat to the Pacers when he threw the ball into the stands could cause the Bucks to look elsewhere for their backup point guard when Damian Lillard is off the floor.
Defense was always a cause for concern for the Bucks after they traded away Jrue Holiday, so they will need to find a competent backcourt defender who can also partner Lillard in the backcourt, with Malik Beasley now heading into free agency as well.
Beverley averaged six points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 20.9 minutes in his 26 games in Milwaukee. Payne averaged 6.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14 minutes during the 47 games he played for the Bucks. Finding a guard who can help defend and provide some offense off the bench could be key to the Bucks going further in the playoffs next season.
With that being said, here are three draft prospects who can help the Milwaukee Bucks at the point guard position.
Isaiah Collier, USC
Isaiah Collier is a 6-foot-4 point guard from USC and has a wide range of mock drafts. Some publications have him going in the later picks of the lottery, with others seeing him potentially dropping into the 20s. In The Ringer's mock draft, they have Collier going at 19, so there is the chance he drops to the Bucks in the early 20s.
He started 26 of 27 games for the Trojans, averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds on 49 percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent from three. His physicality is something that separates him apart from many point guards and enhances his ability to finish through contact.
His shooting is solid from within the arc, but his 3-point and free-throw shooting does need work. Defensively, his frame sets him up for success to be physical when guarding on-ball, and his ability to lock in and rip away from defenders led him to averaging 1.5 steals per game for USC.
The biggest concern regarding Collier is the turnovers. He averaged 3.3 turnovers per game, so bringing that down may be tough in the NBA with the way he likes to playmake and fire the ball to his teammates, but it is something that someone like Lillard can help with.
Collier's energy and spirit he plays with are what makes him so great, so the Bucks would not want to take away from that. Instead, it would be about fine-tuning those skills to make him more composed in key moments and cut out the reckless mistakes.
To get Collier, trading up may be the way to go for him if the Bucks really see him as a player for them. He has huge upside, and at 19, there is plenty of potential. He could go well before the Bucks can even get anywhere near him, but still, Isaiah Collier should be on their radar.
Mark Sears, Alabama
In The Ringer's mock draft, they have Mark Sears falling to the Bucks with the 33rd pick. Sears is a smaller guard at 5-foot-11 but can bring energy and athleticism to a team that already has their big men sorted with Lopez, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis all in the frontcourt.
Sears is a slightly older guard coming into the draft at 22, but those four years in college bring experience and make him more league-ready than other prospects. At Alabama in 2023-24, he averaged 21.5 points, four assists and four rebounds with 1.6 steals per game. He put up this stat line on great efficiency of .508/.436/.857.
As the backup to Lillard, Sears could bring an offensive spark to the game when the veterans sit, and his ability to score at all levels is something the Bucks were missing from their bench unit this season. When Lillard was traded to the Bucks, the pick-and-roll between him and Giannis was highlighted as being a deadly play and perhaps was not utilized as much as it could have been. Sears is great in the pick-and-roll and could follow suit with the offensive set when Lillard sits.
Shooting is the strongest part of his game, but he is also a crafty finisher at the rim despite his size. Defensively, he is also solid off the ball, but on the ball, he likes to bring intensity and manages to hold his own. Despite this, his size will always bring teams looking for a mismatch at the NBA level, and he also needs to work on adding more footwork to his offensive game in order to create better shots off the dribble.
Overall, Sears may be the most realistic pick for the Bucks, and if they get him in the second round, he could be one of the steals of the draft. His college experience has him NBA ready in some areas, but there is still enough room for growth.
Ajay Mitchell, UC Santa Barbara
Another experienced college player in Ajay Mitchell could be a point guard available for Milwaukee in the second round. He is a 6-foot-5 combo guard, and the 22-year-old's skillset is NBA-ready.
In the 2023-24 season at UC Santa Barbara, he averaged 20 points, four rebounds and four assists on splits of .504/.393/.858. At his size, he is a great finisher at the rim and allows for a great threat with a guard with such physicality. The ability to play at both positions in the backcourt could be of use for the Bucks to partner with Lillard and have a bigger guard to work alongside him.
Being a near 40 percent shooter from deep is another great asset of his and is another area the Bucks' bench needs to improve in. Mitchell's shot creation off the dribble is another great part of his game and should translate to the NBA, with the aid of his size allowing him to tower over other guards.
Kevin O'Connor says, "playmaking may actually be his best skill," and if he were to come off the bench, he could form a nice two-man game with Bobby Portis but also find shooters like A.J. Green to give the Bucks the bench production they need. Defensively, he is sound and shows great on-ball effort, with him averaging 1.2 steals per game in college.
One of the questions regarding Mitchell does come with his deep shots, as he shot less than 33 percent in his first two seasons of college. Debating whether in his 2023-24 season he stepped up his shot or if it was a fluke is valid. He is also not the quickest of guards in the draft, but his physicality gives him so much upside and compensates when driving to the rim.
Similar to Sears, Mitchell could be there in the second round for the Bucks to go after. The two guards have very different styles, skill sets and physical attributes. It would be difficult to decide between the two, but either would be a great pick, and their experience brings them in at a good level to learn from Lillard.
What the Bucks do in the draft will be interesting, as there are a couple of areas they will look to address. Lillard is, of course, set in the backcourt, but with Beverley and Beasley both free agents, they will likely look to add a backup point guard to the roster.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks draft content as the event edges closer.