5 Prospects Milwaukee Bucks Should Target In 2025 NBA Draft

Forbes

4 hours ago

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 26: AJ Johnson (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) ... More after being drafted 23rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks during the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by)
After laying out three positions the Milwaukee Bucks should prioritize in the 2025 NBA Draft, allow me to flip the script: at pick No. 47, position hardly matters.
The Bucks won't be on the clock until Thursday, June 26, as the NBA's new two-night draft format means the second round takes center stage on night two. And with the roster in flux, Milwaukee simply needs to take the best player available when their number is called.
The Bucks currently have 10 players under contract, but that number is likely to shrink. Kevin Porter Jr. and Bobby Portis are both expected to decline their player options. Chris Livingston's non-guaranteed deal makes him an easy cut. Damian Lillard will miss most—if not all—of the season recovering from his Achilles injury.
That could leave just six healthy bodies on the cap sheet come opening night. In short: the Bucks need help anywhere they can get it.
With that in mind, here are five prospects Milwaukee should target at No. 47.
Chucky Hepburn, PG, Louisville
Wisconsin fans know Chucky Hepburn well. After three years with the Badgers, he transferred to Louisville for his senior season.
At 6-foot-1, Hepburn isn't the biggest, fastest, or flashiest. But he's the type of guy who glues a team together. He makes winning plays—diving for loose balls, making the right reads, and setting the tone with leadership and effort.
On defense, he's a menace. Hepburn slides his feet with precision, has active hands, and forces turnovers that fuel transition opportunities. As a third ball-handler who can take tough defensive assignments, he'd fit nicely in Milwaukee's backcourt.
Micah Peavy, F, Georgetown
It took five college seasons, but Peavy finally put it all together at Georgetown. After modest scoring numbers in his first four years, he broke out in 2025 with 17.2 points, 5.8 boards, 3.6 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.
His biggest leap came from behind the arc. Peavy had never topped 31 percent from deep until last year, when he splashed 40 percent of his triples. At 6-foot-6, he combines size, defense, and hustle—three traits the Bucks could use on the wing.
Javon Small, PG, Georgetown
Think of Small as a Jevon Carter 2.0. The 6-foot-1 point guard may not wow anyone with scoring or facilitating, but he's a bulldog defensively—built to make opposing guards miserable.
His offensive game is a work in progress, but there are hints he could grow into a passable scorer. If he can become average on that end, his defense alone could earn him minutes.
Hansen Yang, C, China and Rocco Zikarsky, C, Australia
If Milwaukee wants to swing for the fences on a developmental big, Yang or Zikarsky could be the pick.
Yang is a 7-foot-1, 19-year-old with intriguing feel and willingness to shoot from deep—though his results haven't caught up yet. Near the rim, his defense shines, but he lacks the mobility to chase perimeter players.
Zikarsky, at 7-foot-3 and just 18, is even more of a project. His raw tools are tantalizing, but his game needs a lot of polish. He'd be a classic draft-and-stash candidate, giving Milwaukee time to assess his growth overseas.
If the Bucks go this route, bringing back Brook Lopez would provide the perfect bridge—letting the rookie develop while the veteran anchors the paint.