The 10 Wildest what-if scenarios in Milwaukee Bucks history
By Tyler Watts
6. Bucks draft Embiid over Jabari Parker
Milwaukee had the worst record in the NBA in 2014. They won just 15 games with rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo playing a bench role. The Bucks leading scorers were Brandon Knight and Ramon Sessions, but they did not get the number one pick. Cleveland had just a 1.7 percent chance but jumped up in the lottery to land Andrew Wiggins.
Milwaukee slipped to second and regrettably took Jabari Parker. The 6’8 forward averaged over 20 points per game during his third NBA season as he helped the Bucks make the playoffs for the second time in three years, but injuries derailed his career. Parker played just 158 more games and has not appeared in the league since 2022.
There was plenty of debate pre-draft about the top three players. Joel Embiid was viewed by many as the best prospect, but a foot injury created uncertainty about his status. He underwent surgery before draft night and it caused his stock to slip. The Bucks took Parker, but Philadelphia did not let Embiid fall further.
Imagine Giannis and Joel Embiid in the same frontcourt. The only other player to win MVP honors since 2018, Nikola Jokic, was a second-round selection in the 2014 draft. Nobody considered taking him this high, but the Bucks could have selected Embiid and built the best frontcourt in the NBA with some patience.