Milwaukee Bucks' Top Needs After 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Results
The NBA Draft lottery is in the books, and the Milwaukee Bucks are now set at pick No. 10.
As they continue to evaluate the prospects who may be available there, we're here to break down the biggest needs for Milwaukee to address in the draft.
A New Offensive Engine
Given the way the last few years have gone for the Bucks, you almost have to assume the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo era will be starting soon.
And if that's the case, regardless of who's left on the roster after he leaves, Milwaukee should almost certainly prioritize raw talent over fit or need. Whether the best player on the board is a guard, wing or big, the Bucks will have to take him and hope he's eventually capable of carrying the load Giannis did for years.
A Shooter
If, on the outside chance Giannis sticks around Milwaukee for a few more years, the draft strategy would have to be dramatically different.
In that case, the Bucks would need to prioritize adding players who fit his game. And the most obvious fit with his downhill driving would be a high-level catch-and-shoot threat to play off of him.
Realistic Draft Targets at No. 10 Pick
- Karim Lopez (New Zealand, PF)
- Nate Ament (Tennessee, PF)
- Mikel Brown, Jr. (Louisville)
As B/R NBA Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman put it in his post-Lottery Mock Draft: "This team will likely be looking for youth and upside, and Karim Lopez, who just turned 19 years old, had a productive season in the NBL, building on last year's flashes with more signs of expanding scoring versatility and physical growth."
Wasserman continued: "He's being discussed in the same range/tier as NCAA prospects expected to compete for looks in the late lottery."
Then again, someone like Nate Ament, who is a big, scoring wing archetype—or Mikel Brown Jr., who is a 6'5" lead guard with shooting range, pick-and-roll creativity and vision—could be a big swing the Bucks need sitting at an important crossroads for the future of the franchise.
*Check out full scouting profiles for Karim Lopez, Nate Ament and Mikel Brown Jr.
