The Milwaukee Bucks have always caught fans by surprise with their draft picks, and the 2025 NBA Draft could follow the trend.
Back in 2013, the Bucks took a chance on a skinny Greek kid with very little experience. Giannis Antetokounmpo turned out to be a pretty good player, according to his nine All-Star selections, two MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year, NBA championship and NBA Finals MVP.
Giannis was, of course, a successful pick, but the Bucks tried it again with Thon Maker in 2016. The hope was that he would bulk up and be a long-standing teammate to Giannis. He hasn't been in the NBA since 2021, and even more recently, the 2024 first-round selection of AJ Johnson was out of the blue. Some draft boards had him going late in the second round or being undrafted. The Bucks took him and packaged him with Khris Middleton in the Kyle Kuzma trade, which has been a huge failure.
This year's draft class is deep, and the Milwaukee Bucks have just the 47th overall selection.
They can go in a variety of directions. Let's take a look at three under-the-radar prospects that the Bucks could take a chance on.
1. Alex Toohey, F, Sydney Kings
Johnson played for the Illawarra Hawks before being drafted by Milwaukee last year, and the Bucks could venture Down Under yet again with Australian forward Alex Toohey of the Sydney Kings. If the Sydney Kings ring a bell, it is because of former Milwaukee Bucks two-way player Jaylin Galloway from the 2023-24 season, who played there.
Toohey is a more complete and NBA prospect than the two mentioned. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals on shooting splits of .465/.340/.738. The 6-foot-8 wing is a brilliant defender, both in effort and in his versatility to guard multiple positions. He is not the primary ball-handler, but has shown a high IQ when in possession of the ball and is a selfless passer.
Where he could help the Bucks is in transition. We know the problems Milwaukee had all season with this. Toohey loves to push the tempo after grabbing a rebound and has the awareness to make the right decision. An area he needs to improve in is his shooting, both from deep and pull-ups in the mid-range. That ability to shoot could make or break his NBA career, but he has plenty of upside. Certainly one to keep an eye on at the NBA Combine.
Yahoo Sports Kevin O'Connor's Big Board: No. 48
No Ceilings Big Board: No. 59
Tankathon Big Board: No. 43
Bleacher Report Mock Draft: No. 37
2. Hansen Yang, C, Qingdao Double Star Eagles
The playoffs showed the Bucks had a serious problem in the frontcourt. Time and time again, Brook Lopez and others couldn't keep up with the more athletic Pacers to the point of Lopez almost being unplayable. Retooling the frontcourt with younger players is integral, and 7-foot-1 Chinese center Hansen Yang could be a surprise pick. In Bleacher Report's latest Mock Draft, they had the Milwaukee Bucks taking Yang at 47.
This would be quite the risk, with Yang not being known for his quick feet and explosion. In 53 games in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), he is averaging 16.2 points, 10 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and a steal per game on splits of .595/.286/.677. The 19-year-old being able to hit threes makes him an intriguing prospect.
Offensively, he tends to catch the ball at the top of the arc, sometimes even bringing the ball up court. He then likes to attack his defender or use his body for a dribble handoff to a teammate. His frame makes it extremely difficult for opponents to get around and is a menace in both paints. As mentioned, he lacks the athleticism, which sees him drop in pick and roll defense a lot, and that was something Lopez did that wasn't effective without a Jrue Holiday-type point of attack defender.
Perhaps the most intriguing prospect of the lot, Yang will likely be one to wait and see how he looks at the combine. NBA teams have been looking to find another Chinese prospect at the level of Yao Ming, with no success as of yet. Yang could change that. With potential college offers due to the new NIL deals, perhaps Yang could head to college and develop for another year before the NBA.
Tankathon Big Board: No. 53
Bleacher Report Mock Draft: No. 47
3. Kobe Sanders, G/F, Nevada
The two international prospects would be under-the-radar selections, but 6-foot-9 guard/forward Kobe Sanders may be the most unique player in this draft class. For the Wolf Pack, he averaged 15.9 points, 4.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and a steal on splits of .460/.342/.795.
After four years at Cal Poly, he went to Nevada for his senior year and showed off a great ability to score at all three levels. He is comfortable being the lead playmaker for his team and can hold up defensively, guarding multiple positions.
Against the Pacers, Kuzma and Taurean Prince were woeful. They struggled to do anything offensively and couldn't stay in front of their man on defense. Doc Rivers didn't trust the younger wings over these two. Sanders is 23 and has plenty of experience now under his belt. That ability to be the primary ball-handler will also alleviate the pressure on the other guards in Damian Lillard's absence.
No Ceilings Big Board: No. 55
Bleacher Report Mock Draft: No. 55
The Milwaukee Bucks' plans with the multiple free agents and players with non-guaranteed deals will ultimately dictate what they do with this pick. The widely desired area would be a center or wing who is a more polished player than those they have drafted in the past, but who knows what will happen.