3 Sizeable roadblocks the Milwaukee Bucks face in upgrading their roster
By Dalton Sell
The Bucks have little draft capital
The Milwaukee Bucks have been burning through draft capital at a rapid rate over the past few years, which is to be expected for a franchise as active as they are. Following last season's acquisitions of Damian Lillard and Patrick Beverley as well as the recent draft picks of AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith, Milwaukee has few tradable picks to work with.
As it stands, the Bucks currently possess a first-rounder in 2026 that New Orleans holds the rights to swap with, a 2028 first-rounder that Portland can swap with, a 2030 first-rounder that Portland holds the rights to, and a first and second-round pick in 2031 that no other team has control over. Those swaps are what happens when you take such massive swings, such as the Damian Lillard trade.
Given that they are Milwaukee's own selections with no external control, the two picks in 2031 are the team's best bet in making a move. Teams may be drawn to those picks because with one of the NBA's oldest rosters, there's no telling what the Milwaukee Bucks could look like in 2031, and those picks could be rather high in the NBA Draft order.
While a first and a second could help the Bucks net something in return, it's unclear exactly what that could be, especially with the second apron limitations. With that 2031 first being so valuable, it would also likely take a game-changer for the Bucks to consider trading it, further complicating matters in their quest to upgrade.