Remember when draft night used to be the highlight of the summer for Bucks fans?
For a team that picked in the lottery eight times in a thirteen-year span between 2001-2014, draft night was it.
Free agents had zero interest in Milwaukee. Trades would yield overpriced veterans on expiring contracts. Not much to get excited about there.
It was all about the draft.
I recall the buzz at Summerfest in 2014 when the Bucks selected Jabari Parker with the second overall pick. Bucks fans exploded when Milwaukee won the draft lottery in 2005 and selected Andrew Bogut.
There was the draft night trade that sent Stephon Marbury to Minnesota in exchange for Ray Allen. And who could forget the most famous coin flip in NBA history. The one that landed the upstart Bucks Lew Alcindor?
Since 2016, the NBA Commissioner has called ten names technically drafted by the Bucks. Only five of those players ever put on a Bucks uniform. In other words, these days, for the Bucks, drafting a player is as common as trading the pick.
Watch parties no longer exist. There won’t be much draft night buzz at Summerfest. The Bucks own the 24th pick and I’d be shocked if they keep it.
If you’re a Bucks fan, this is exactly what you were hoping for.
