Unsigned Draft Picks: Central Division
As the 2016 NBA draft rapidly approaches the term draft-and-stash will be mentioned quite often in regard to international players and late second-rounders. While some of these athletes will eventually sign with an NBA team, it seems like the majority of them stay overseas and never make it to the league. Those players in the latter category aren’t without value as they become trade assets for the teams holding their rights.
While many players fail to work out the way teams expect them to, they can at least become tradeable assets for teams that don’t want to part with a future second-round pick in a deal. Each team must give up something in a trade, which is why many swaps include top-55 protected second-round picks. Older draft rights held players who clearly will never come over to the NBA are essentially the same as flipping those heavily protected second-rounders, for all intents and purposes.
Listed below are the current unsigned draftees for the teams of the Central Division:
Chicago Bulls
- Tadija Dragicevic — Selected No. 53 overall in 2008.
- Milovan Rakovic — Selected No. 60 overall in 2007.
- Vladimir Veremeenko — Selected No. 48 overall in 2006.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Edin Bavcic — Selected No. 56 overall in 2006.
- Ilkan Karaman — Selected No. 57 overall in 2012.
- Milan Macvan — Selected No. 54 overall in 2011.
- Cedi Osman — Selected No. 31 overall in 2015.
- Sir’Dominic Pointer — Selected No. 53 overall in 2015.
- Ejike Ugboaja — Selected No. 55 overall in 2006.
Detroit Pistons
- None
Indiana Pacers
- Stanko Barac — Selected No. 39 overall in 2007.
- Andrew Betts — Selected No. 50 overall in 1998.
Milwaukee Bucks
- Andrei Fetisov — Selected No. 36 overall in 1994.
- Albert Miralles — Selected No. 39 overall in 2004.
- Eurelijus Zukauskas — Selected No. 54 overall in 1995.
Offseason Outlook: Milwaukee Bucks
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise heading into the summer.
State Of The Franchise
The Bucks came into the 2015/16 season with high expectations after finishing at .500 the previous year, reaching the playoffs and then signing coveted free agent center Greg Monroe during the summer. Instead of meeting those expectations, the Bucks took a big step backward, wallowing in last place in the Central Division and winding up 16 games under .500.
Milwaukee does have some quality young players pieces to build around, most notably Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 6’11” Antetokounmpo was a revelation after becoming the team’s primary ballhandler, recording five triple-doubles after the All-Star break. Having a 21-year-old point guard as tall as a center makes him a matchup nightmare for opponents, though Antetokounmpo needs to improve his shooting.
The second pick in the 2014 draft, Jabari Parker, bounced back from a season-ending knee injury during his rookie campaign to average 18.9 points and 6.6 rebounds after the All-Star break. The shooting guard spot is also in good, young hands, as Khris Middleton averaged a career-high 18.2 points and shot 39.6% on 3-point attempts.
Now, GM John Hammond must find better pieces to surround his budding stars. There are plenty of areas for improvement. The Bucks need to develop a defensive mindset, upgrade their perimeter shooting, become a better rebounding team, and add veteran savvy to the mix. They finished 17th in defensive field-goal percentage, 21st in 3-point percentage, and 25th in rebounding.
Big Man Dilemma
The Bucks were eager to upgrade their frontcourt last summer and were thrilled when Monroe chose to sign a three-year max deal with them. They soon learned that Monroe’s shortcomings often outweigh the positives he brings to the table.
Monroe is a solid low-post scorer and rebounder, but lacks the foot speed and athleticism to guard the paint or pick-and-rolls effectively. He also doesn’t block shots. Monroe often sat during crunch time while Miles Plumlee closed out games.
“We got him to help score, and he did that,” head coach Jason Kidd recently told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Charles F. Gardner. “He delivered. I think with our defense, we’ve got to do a better job.”
The best solution would be to move Monroe and find a better rim protector. Milwaukee reportedly shopped Monroe to the Pelicans prior to the trade deadline but couldn’t get the package it wanted for him. The Bucks will surely continue to pursue deals involving Monroe, hoping to find a team willing to live with his deficiencies.
Plumlee is a restricted free agent and the Bucks have expressed their desire to re-sign him. But he’s nothing more than a complementary piece and the Bucks will still need a starter to replace Monroe if they’re successful in moving him and his $17.14MM salary for next season.
Free Agent Targets
With approximately $61.6MM committed to guaranteed salaries next season, the Bucks have plenty of cap room to sign free agents. Dwight Howard and Hassan Whiteside will be the top big men available, though it would be a big surprise if either would want to spend their winters in Milwaukee.
The Bucks could certainly use a forward with a consistent long-distance stroke to improve spacing. Ryan Anderson, Marvin Williams or Harrison Barnes could fill that need but they’ll all come with hefty price tags.
It’s more likely Milwaukee will chase second-tier free agents. The Bucks had one of the worst benches in the league last season and have vowed to improve it. They especially need to find shooters — Middleton and oft-injured point guard Jerryd Bayless were their only reliable 3-point threats last season.
The Bucks have to decide whether to pursue any of their unrestricted free agents, a quartet of backcourt players who had injury issues last season — Bayless, O.J. Mayo, Steve Novak and Greivis Vasquez. They will reportedly try to retain Bayless and Novak while letting Mayo and Vasquez find new homes.
Potential Trades
Besides Monroe, the Bucks must figure out what to do with Michael Carter-Williams, who is now in an awkward situation with Antetokounmpo essentially taking his job. Carter-Williams is a subpar shooter, so playing him off the ball doesn’t work. He’s still on his rookie contract, so a potential suitor could acquire the 24-year-old to audition him at the point without committing to him beyond next season.
Draft Outlook
- First-round pick: No. 10
- Second round picks: Nos. 36, 38
The Bucks could go any number of ways with their lottery pick, but the smart money has them taking a big man. Jakob Poertl and Skal Labissiere are the top centers expected to go in the bottom half of the lottery. Should they target a stretch four, Marquette product Henry Ellenson and/or Domantas Sabonis could still be on the board when their pick comes up.
Coaching Outlook
Anyone who thought the Bucks might sour on Kidd after their subpar season were proven wrong when the team agreed to a contract extension with him this week. Kidd still has one year left on his original deal before that new three-year, $18MM extension kicks in.
Final Take
The Bucks aren’t a typical last-place team. They have some real hope of getting back into the playoff picture next season, thanks to the talented young trio of Antetokounmpo, Parker and Middleton. But they’ll need to make shrewd decisions while restructuring their roster around those players. Milwaukee must find a defensive stalwart in the middle and more perimeter threats. Monroe and Carter-Williams don’t seem like a part of the long-term plan and need to be moved. The Bucks also need to acquire some veterans who can help nurture the talented young core
Guaranteed Salary
- Greg Monroe ($17,145,838)
- Khris Middleton ($15,200,000)
- John Henson ($12,267,606)
- Jabari Parker ($5,374,320)
- Michael Carter-Williams ($3,183,526)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo ($2,995,421)
- (Larry Sanders $1,865,547) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Rashad Vaughn ($1,811,040)
- Tyler Ennis ($1,733,880)
- Total: $61,577,178
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Damien Inglis ($980,431)
- Johnny O’Bryant ($980,431)
- Total: $1,960,862
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Miles Plumlee ($3,113,318/$5,273,235)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- O.J. Mayo ($12,000,000)
- Greivis Vasquez ($9,900,000)
- Jerryd Bayless ($3,900,000)
- Steve Novak ($980,431)
- Total: $26,780,431
Other Cap Holds
- No. 10 pick ($2,140,500)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Bucks Like Thon Maker, Brice Johnson
- Like Diallo, Thon Maker has also seen his draft stock rise during pre-draft workouts, according to Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. While most big boards project Maker as a late first-rounder, one Western Conference scouting director believes the seven-footer could come off the board “as high as 12.” An Eastern Conference assistant GM is slightly less bullish, suggesting to Woelfel that he sees No. 15 as Maker’s ceiling. According to Woelfel, the Bucks are fans of Maker and UNC’s Brice Johnson, though No. 10 is probably too high for either player.
Bucks Pre-Draft Workouts
- The Bucks held workouts today for Troy Williams (Indiana), Thon Maker (Australia), Daniel Hamilton (UConn), Chinanu Onuaku (Louisville) and Darnell Harris (Middle Tennessee), the team announced.
Malachi Richardson Works Out For Bucks
- Former Syracuse wing Malachi Richardson is taking part in workouts with the Bulls, Bucks, and Raptors this week, writes Mike Waters of Syracuse.com.
Latest Draft Workout News
- The Bucks held a group workout this morning for Max Landis (IPFW), Carrington Love (UWGB), Tyrone Wallace (California), Kyle Collinsworth (BYU), Derrick Jones (UNLV) and Kyle Wiltjer (Gonzaga), the team announced. Milwaukee also held an individual workout this afternoon for Marquette big man Henry Ellenson, the team relayed in the same announcement.
Bucks To Meet With Henry Ellenson Tuesday
- Marquette power forward Henry Ellenson will meet with the Bucks on Tuesday, Gery Woelfel of Woelfelspressbox.com reports. The Bucks have the No. 10 pick and the 7’0” Ellenson is rated No. 11 by Ford and No. 13 by Givony.
Draft Updates: Zizic, Zubac, Korkmaz, Washpun
The deadline for prospects to withdraw from the 2016 NBA draft is today at 4:00pm central time, which means this year’s draft class will get a little smaller by tonight. The majority of the NCAA underclassmen who have decided not to remain in the draft made their decisions final several weeks ago, since the NCAA’s cut-off for retaining eligibility came earlier. Today’s deadline will have an impact on plenty of international players, however, as they decide whether it makes more sense to keep their names in the draft this year or try their luck down the road.
Here are some of Monday’s latest NBA draft updates, including a handful of notes on those international prospects…
- Croatian big men Ante Zizic and Ivica Zubac will both remain in this year’s draft, and both players project to be selected in the 15-25 range, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Twitter links). Ford also provides an update on Serbian wing Rade Zagorac, who will keep his name in the draft. According to Ford (Twitter link), Zagorac figures to be picked in the 25-40 range.
- Ford adds (via Twitter) that French wing Timothe Luwawu will remain draft-eligible as well, though his value is a little harder to pin down — Ford suggests that Luwawu could come off the board in the back half of the first round or early in the second.
- Eighteen-year-old Turkish shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz will remain in the draft, reports ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla (Twitter link). Korkmaz will likely be one of the first international prospects to come off the board, perhaps even in the lottery.
- Former Northern Iowa guard Wes Washpun is set to work out for the Timberwolves, Bucks, and Bulls this week, league sources tell Michael Scott of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link). Washpun didn’t earn a spot in Jonathan Givony’s or Chad Ford’s top 100 lists, so he projects as a potential undrafted free agent.
- Ben Leibowitz of Graphiq (link via The San Jose Mercury News) takes an in-depth look at which NBA franchises have had the best and worst luck in the draft lottery since its introduction.
Bucks To Sign Ronald Roberts
The Bucks have reached an agreement with D-League standout Ronald Roberts, reports Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. The 6’8″ power forward averaged 18.1 points and 12.1 rebounds last season with Raptors 905, Toronto’s affiliate in the D-League.
Roberts, 24, went undrafted out of St. Joseph’s in 2014. He signed contracts with the Sixers and Raptors, but was waived by both teams and has yet to appear in an NBA game.
Roberts is recovering from a patellar tendon strain in his right knee that cut short his 2015/16 season. He is an undersized power forward with a reputation as a relentless rebounder, and Woelfel writes that several teams were interested in signing him. The Bucks plan to use Roberts on their summer league team.
Bucks Announce Hiring Of Justin Zanik
- We heard in May that the Bucks would hire Justin Zanik as their general-manager-in-waiting, and the team made Zanik’s hiring official today, announcing it in a press release. While Zanik’s title for now is assistant general manager, the plan is for him to eventually take over for John Hammond as Milwaukee’s GM.