6. Terrence Shannon Jr., SG/SF, Illinois (ESPN 33rd pick)
Terrence Shannon Jr. from Illinois is coming into the draft after five years of college (three of those at Texas Tech) and will turn 24 on July 30. The 6-foot-5 wing is a great defender both on and off-ball, with a crafty ability to finish at the basket. ESPN's draft experts (subscription required) think he would be a good fit for the Bucks.
His speed and ability to change the pace of a game could be useful to the Milwaukee Bucks, but whether his veteran teammates can keep up is the question. The Indiana Pacers were just too quick and athletic for the Bucks throughout this season, and Shannon Jr. would address that somewhat.
In the 2023-24 season at Illinois, he averaged 23 points, four rebounds, 2.3 assists and a block on splits of .475/.362/.801. His experience with those five years in college could help him be a league-ready player, with his skills more finely tuned than some of the freshmen going straight into the draft. This does, however, question what his ceiling is and how much further his game can grow as a player, as he will not have the extra years that the 19 and 20-year-old prospects will have.
Defense is his strong suit and where he excels. His ability to be explosive in transition with chase-down blocks and crashing the boards is key. The reason he is sixth on this list is that the Bucks took both Jackson Jr. and Livingston in last season's draft, so it would add to the logjam at the wing position. Khris Middleton is still on the roster, and Pat Connaughton, Green and Beauchamp will still feel they have a role to play. Jae Crowder is a free agent, but he tends to play the four.
He missed out on the combine due to an injury, and there is also a cloud over his season as he is facing rape allegations with a court date of June 10. NBA teams will be focused on that date and the result. Shannon was suspended in late December by Illinois, having been charged. In January, a judge then ruled that the university violated his civil rights, so he was reinstated.