The Bucks Cannot Afford to Miss in This Draft

Bucks owner Jimmy Haslam has made it known that the team will decide on Antetokounmpo’s future before the draft. “Sometime over the next six or seven weeks, we’ll decide whether Giannis is going to sign a max contract and stay with us or he’s going to play somewhere else,” Haslam said at Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins’s introductory press conference. On Antetokounmpo’s end, the hiring of Jenkins seemingly hasn’t moved the needle on his decision to stay in Milwaukee.

The 2021 NBA Finals MVP gave a simple, “We’ll see,” when asked about playing for Jenkins next year. Whether or not Antetokounmpo is on the roster next season, it is imperative that the Bucks land an impact player with the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft. Lack of Homegrown Talent The last time Milwaukee found themselves in the lottery was 2016, where they also picked at 10th overall.

They selected Thon Maker, who never panned out for the Bucks or anyone else in the NBA. They traded Maker to Detroit midway through his third year with the team, and Maker was out of the NBA after the 2020-21 season. Since selecting Maker, the Bucks have largely failed to utilize the draft in their roster construction.

In fact, the only players on the 2025-26 roster who Milwaukee drafted themselves were Antetokounmpo and Andre Jackson Jr . The absence of homegrown talent on the team stems from repeatedly trading away future draft picks, resulting in a lack of player development. With Tyler Smith getting waived, the Bucks have now gone 11 straight draft classes without signing one of their own picks to a second contract… The last Bucks draft pick to receive a second contract was Giannis pic.