Is it too early to speak about a Milwaukee Bucks Mock draft? Of course! But it is still fun to look at some early possible draft picks, especially since the Bucks have a couple picks. Here, our site expert Dalton Sell did a deep dive on an intriguing prospect for the Bucks in Zach Edey.
In what is widely regarded as a “down year” for drafting new players, it still is way too early to even know where Milwaukee will be picking. So, our aim today is to name-drop three players who seem like they are consistently around where the Bucks will most likely pick.
Where will the Milwaukee Bucks be picking?
The Bucks' first-round pick will be based on how far they’ll go in the NBA playoffs. For the purposes of this mock draft, we’ll pretend the Bucks make and lose in the Eastern Conference Finals (Pick 28).
The Bucks also have the Portland Trail Blazers' second-round pick, which seems like it will be a higher second-rounder (projected to be around pick 35).
It is nice to know that the Bucks have some picks. Lots of NBA teams have moved out of the first round of this year’s draft. The Clippers, Kings, Warriors, Nets, Mavericks and Lakers are among the teams who do not have a first-round pick in the draft.
The Damian Lillard trade will not impact this year’s draft.
Let’s look at some options. Here are three “possible picks” for the Bucks. All three of these players should be able to play right away- a plus.
Tidjane Salaun
The 18-year-old French player could help keep the international player success this franchise has had going. A very “natural” looking shooter, he can shoot well from the outside. A big downside here of course is how young Salaun is. At 18, is he someone who will end up more like Kevin Garnett or someone who will end up more like Darko Miličić.
Salaun is playing in a highly competitive French League, albeit not exactly the one Victory Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs played in.
Salaun appears to be a well-rounded athlete who has good perimeter skills. That is impressive given his height. He draws, in my mind, some comparisons to Giannis Antetokounmpo. He just seems to have a little more of a polished outside shot and less bulk.
The 6-foot-10 wing would be a nice fit for Milwaukee, especially given that this hasn’t been a position of strength of late for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Why hasn't everyone jumped at the chance to draft him? Again, the downside is his age. On NBA draft night, he still won't even be 19 years old. In any professional sport, that remains extremely young.
If Bucks fans are worried about comparisons to former first-rounder MarJon Beauchamp, don’t be; there are some marketed differences in their shooting ability. Again, the major risk here appears to be Salun's age. Beauchamp is 23 years old which, surprisingly, is not all that young by NBA standards.
Dillon Jones
The 22-year-old from Weber State has his detractors, but he did have a game this season where he had 30 points, 23 rebounds and nine assists. That is one heck of a stat line.
Jones played a ton of point guard in college, but he projects out more as a shooting guard or small forward. He has a “thick” and tough to move frame with a decent outside shot. He really could project as nice bench player. From South Carolina, Jones has been playing AAU ball all his life.
For Jones to really make the jump to the NBA, he will need to continue to develop and improve his perimeter shot. He will also need to make sure he is developing better and quicker on ball speed and defense. The worst thing for Jones to be a player who looks slow and gets beaten off the dribble time and time again.
Some mock drafts have him going higher than this; others project him as falling out of the first round. Either way, he’d be an intriguing prospect for the Milwaukee Bucks and would be able to come in and play right away.
Jones could really help Milwaukee add some scoring at the guard position.
Zach Edey
The 7-foot-4 center is probably the most familiar of these three potential late first round draft picks. Here, the thinking would have to be to look at Edey as a potential replacement for Brook Lopez in a year or two. The 21-year-old Canadian basketball star also would be a great stopper for Milwaukee.
“You can’t coach size” as the expression goes. That is certainly something Edey has. He is a big, big man.
But does he have the ability to move fluidly? Sure, he scored 30 points against Michigan State, but he looked more like a bully than someone equipped for today’s step-back NBA game.
Of course, the idea of drafting him is certainly intriguing, and it is why he seems to be rising up on most NBA mock draft boards.
The NBA draft is all about finding value and this year, with the draft extending out over two nights, it is all about spectacle. If you have plans to watch the draft with some buddies, here are some fun facts.
Things to tell your buddies as you are watching the draft
~ The Bucks would have to swap picks with New Orleans if, for some reason, Milwaukee exits in the playoffs before New Orleans. The Pelicans have a remaining pick swap with Milwaukee from the Jrue Holiday trade.
~ Teams in this year’s draft seemed to trade away a lot of their picks, but every team in this draft has at least one pick.
~ Michael Jordan was drafted third overall in the 1984 NBA draft.
~ The Bucks have had a few number one overall picks: Andrew Bogut in 2005, Glenn Robinson in 1994, and Kent Benson in 1977. Of course, drafting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar first overall in 1969 helped put the team on the path to its first NBA championship.