Because the Milwaukee Bucks put together to begin the 2025-26 season, they simply made a transfer that ought to increase alarm bells. The Bucks opted to waive their former first-round choose Tyler Smith forward of the season.
With Tyler Smith getting waived, the Bucks have now gone 11 straight draft lessons with out signing one among their very own picks to a second contract…
The final Bucks draft choose to obtain a second contract was Giannis 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dWZJ6JjFgb
— Bucks Lead (@BucksLead) October 19, 2025
That marks the eleventh straight season that Milwaukee has opted to not signal a former first-round choose to a second contract. It may not seem to be a giant deal, but it surely proves that Milwaukee has struggled to draft good younger gamers in the course of the Giannis Antetokounmpo period.
The Bucks have desperately tried to maintain Giannis blissful. And whereas them waiving Smith is not prone to infuriate him, the bigger pattern ought to concern him.
In spite of everything, a small-market workforce that struggles to draft is at an enormous aggressive drawback. It additionally will be the motive why the Bucks have struggled in current seasons, with them having three straight first-round playoff exits.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ failure to draft is holding them again
The Bucks’ failure to take advantage of their draft picks has put them at a aggressive drawback. Milwaukee largely drafted within the late 20s throughout most of that period—after they truly had a first-round choose to make use of—however they’ve fully whiffed on a number of of the first-round choices.
Doing so has left them with few younger gamers to develop. There are many methods to search out younger expertise. One being the Miami Warmth’s means of discovering undrafted gamers by having them work their means up by way of the NBA G League.
In the meantime, the San Antonio Spurs construct a dynasty by having draft success. They discovered Corridor of Famers Tony Parker with the twenty eighth choose within the 2001 NBA Draft and Manu Ginobili with the57th within the 2002 NBA Draft.
The Bucks should do a greater job including younger expertise round Giannis
Parker and Ginobili helped Tim Duncan win three extra championships and make one other NBA Finals. With Giannis typically being in comparison with Duncan, Duncan had a far superior supporting forged due to the Spurs drafting effectively.
Had the Bucks had related draft or undrafted free company success, Giannis in all probability would have gained a second championship by now. As an alternative, they’re solely the third or fourth finest workforce in a weak Jap Convention. That would weigh on Giannis’ choice whether or not to remain or demand a commerce.
Finally, the Bucks waiving Smith is simply the newest instance of the workforce failing to draft effectively. It might not have an effect on Giannis’ choice to demand a commerce, however the general impact limits the Bucks’ ceiling and their possibilities of preserving him.
