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The Milwaukee Bucks are reeling after a second straight playoff exit. With Giannis Antetokounmpo rumored to be growing impatient, it seems like the Bucks have to move heaven and earth to keep their two-time NBA MVP happy. However, it's not promising that they will only have the 47th overall pick to upgrade their roster through the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.
Couple that with their poor draft history and Milwaukee fans have all the reasons to be concerned. Here is a look at the Milwaukee Bucks' 10 worst NBA Draft day mistakes in history.
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10. Brandon Jennings – 2009
Although Brandon Jennings had a productive first few seasons in the NBA, including an explosive rookie year when he went off for 55 points against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, his career was also devastated by injuries in the long run. The biggest came in 2015 when he tore his Achilles tendon that pretty much relegated him to being a journeyman.
9. D.J. Wilson – 2017
Looking for a backup big man alongside Giannis, the Bucks drafted D.J. Wilson with the 17th overall pick at the 2017 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, expectations of him becoming a major contributor easily went down the drain. While he showed glimpses from time to time, Wilson was too inconsistent and lacked confidence to be entrusted with major minutes.
As a result, it only took around 3½ seasons before Milwaukee moved on from him. To make matters worse, the team could've used the pick to select other more successful big men such as Jarrett Allen, John Collins, or OG Anunoby.
8. Rashad Vaughn – 2015
Talk about another waste of a first-round draft pick. At the 2015 NBA Draft, Milwaukee selected Rashad Vaughn with the 17th overall pick. Coming out of UNLV, Vaughn's calling card was his three-point shooting. However, those shots didn't fall at the NBA level. Couple that with his lack of effort on the defensive end, Vaughn quickly turned into a liability. As a result, his NBA career lasted only for three seasons.
7. Larry Sanders – 2010
There's no question that Larry Sanders was initially a good pick by Milwaukee, having been selected 15th overall at the 2010 NBA Draft. He was a defensive force and had the tools to be an elite rim protector. However, the 6-foot-11 big man also carried his own baggage, which paved the way for derailing his career. Soon, Sanders' mental problems coupled with his drug use marred his career. He eventually exited the league when he was only 28 years old.
6. Thon Maker – 2016
After the success story of Giannis, the Bucks were hoping to snag another lanky forward in Thon Maker. Standing at 7-foot tall, Maker had the tools to be another unicorn due to his versatility. However, Milwaukee would be disappointed in the end. Unlike the Greek Freak, Maker failed to develop other facets of his game. His physical tools technically didn't lead to the dominance that everyone expected. As a result, it wasn't long before the Australian big man was forced to take his talents overseas.
5. Jimmer Fredette – 2011
Despite his brilliance with BYU, it was a big mistake drafting Jimmer Fredette with the 10th overall pick at the 2011 NBA Draft. But while trading him on draft night was a better move, the whole thing was a mistake to begin with. The Bucks would soon trade his draft rights to the Sacramento Kings as part of a three-team deal, receiving Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, and Tobias Harris in return.
Fredette turned into a bust, while the Bucks could've used the draft pick to select Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Nikola Vucevic, Jimmy Butler, or Isaiah Thomas. Any would have more All-Star Game appearances than the haul they received combined.
4. Joe Alexander – 2008
Another wasted lottery pick by the Bucks came at the 2008 NBA Draft. Around that time, Joe Alexander was dubbed as the most athletic of his draft class while possessing a great upside. Unfortunately, Alexander wasn't polished enough to carry the team's offensive duties. Moreover, his lapses on defense hurt the team from time to time. Eventually, the West Virginia standout took his talents overseas after just two seasons.
3. Jabari Parker – 2014
The Bucks had four draft picks at the 2014 NBA Draft, a second overall pick to go along with a trio of second round picks. The second overall pick was used to select Jabari Parker out of Duke. Parker would turn out to be injury riddled and exited the league after just eight seasons. On the other hand, the franchise had to be kicking themselves after missing out on two MVP big men in Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, who was selected as low as the second round.
2. Yi Jianlian – 2007
After the success story of Yao Ming, it seemed like the Bucks wanted to get a hold of another 7-footer from China in the form of Yi Jianlian. At the 2007 NBA Draft, Yi was selected sixth overall by Milwaukee. But while the Chinese center was also a 7-footer, he was nowhere near as polished as Yao.
Yi was more of a faceup big man and preferred to get his buckets after posting up high and attacking off the dribble. He leaned a lot on his athleticism to finish around the rim, which eventually hurt him when injuries started to creep in. The Bucks probably regretted making him a lottery pick after his infamous predraft workout with chairs. On the bright side, Yi would eventually return to China as a decorated player with several national team stints and CBA championships.
1. Trading away Dirk Nowitzki – 1998
The biggest mistake the Bucks ever made in draft day history was trading away Dirk Nowitzki. In an agreement before the draft, Milwaukee wanted Robert Traylor, who was selected sixth overall at the 1998 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. The Bucks then selected Nowitzki with the ninth overall pick before swapping him for the big man out of Michigan. Nowitzki arguably became the best European player in the NBA at the time, earning an NBA MVP to go along with an NBA title with the Mavericks.
