As the start of the 2025-26 season nears, the Milwaukee Bucks are undoubtedly in a tough spot. Much of the offseason dialogue around this squad was centered around Giannis Antetokounmpo trade speculation. The Bucks have now lost in the first round for three straight seasons, and the supporting cast around Giannis has simply been underwhelming.
Even despite having Damian Lillard for the past two seasons, the Bucks' role players weren't good enough. Now without Lillard, the Bucks' backcourt is set to be a key flaw. Sure, Myles Turner is an upgrade over Brook Lopez, but the Bucks seem destined for another first-round exit. At some point it feels like that Giannis will ask out or he will leave in free agency in 2027.
One stat making the rounds on social media highlights the Bucks' shortcomings in maximizing the roster around Giannis. After waiving Tyler Smith, their 2024 second-round pick, the Bucks have gone 11 consecutive years without signing a draft pick to a second contract. Giannis, who was drafted in 2013, was their last draft pick who earned a second contract, yikes.
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…
— Bucks Lead (@BucksLead) October 19, 2025
The last Bucks draft pick to receive a second contract was Giannis 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dWZJ6JjFgb
The Bucks' poor drafting helps explain their situation with Giannis
The first three drafts after Giannis don't look great, but they are fairly understandable. Jabari Parker was a promising prospect and projected to be an intriguing co-star next to Giannis. While they could have had Joel Embiid, Parker was a top-three pick and wasn't a bad selection at the time.
Rashad Vaughn was a whiff with the No. 17 pick in 2015, but the Bucks were outside of the lottery in a weak class. Thon Maker was a risky swing in 2016, but the Bucks weren't competing for a championship at the time.
However, the Bucks' drafting during the time that Giannis has been a clear star is the real issue.
Balancing developing young talent and competing for a title is a difficult task. Admittedly, the Bucks haven't had great picks either, with Donte DiVincenzo (17th overall, in 2018) being their last pick inside the top 20. Nevertheless, it's remarkable just how poorly the Bucks have drafted in recent years.
The main problem has been that they have prioritized upside over NBA-ready talent. A strategy that makes sense for rebuilding teams but not teams trying to compete for a title. Their last three first-round picks, AJ Johnson, MarJon Beauchamp, and R.J. Hampton, all fit this high-upside mold. Targeting experienced multi-year college players would have been a more ideal strategy, and unfortunately, Jon Horst never learned this.
And even when they drafted NBA-ready players like DiVincenzo, they moved on from them too quickly. DiVincenzo was a solid contributor for three and a half years with the Bucks, but they opted to trade him for an aging. Serge Ibaka. Notably, Ibaka would retire after one and a half seasons with the Bucks.
With Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton being older co-stars next to Giannis, even four or five years ago it was clear the Bucks would need an influx of young talent at some point. Luckily the Bucks won a championship with this core. However, unfortunately, the Bucks' horrible drafting prevented them from sustaining this success, and they are now left with an underwhelming roster next to Giannis.