By: Marques Eversoll
There are 82 games in the NBA regular season; the 2013-14 Milwaukee Bucks won 15. But despite their league-worst record, the Bucks are loaded with optimism headed into the offseason.
Herb Kohl, who bought the team in 1985 for $18 million, did the state a big favor by selling the Bucks to hedge-fund billionaires Marc Lasry and Wes Edens for $550 million. Kohl reportedly refused to sell the Bucks to someone who wanted to move the team out of Milwaukee.
Kohl’s parting “gift” of $100 million towards a new arena guarantees the team will stay in Milwaukee for the near future, provided the franchise follows through and raises enough money to build a much-needed new facility to replace the outdated BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Armed with the league’s best odds (25 percent) at winning May 20’s NBA Draft Lottery, the Bucks enter the offseason with hopes of landing someone to build the team around. Playing in a small market is an obvious disadvantage in the NBA, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have proved that championship-caliber teams can be built through the draft, despite the fact that large-market teams will forever dominate free agency.
In a span of three years, the Thunder, formerly the Seattle SuperSonics, drafted All-World forward Kevin Durant, point guard Russell Westbrook, big man Serge Ibaka and shooting guard James Harden, who has since been traded to the Houston Rockets. The Thunder drafted so well that it couldn’t feasibly fit all four players into its payroll.
Rarely in the NBA do teams find a “star” outside the top of the draft, so in order for the Bucks to give themselves a shot at following the Thunder’s small-market blueprint, they needed to be (really) bad in a year when the draft was (really) good. And here they are.
The Bucks helped themselves in the 2013 draft by landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, a raw but incredibly talented then 18-year-old swingman from Greece. Pairing Giannis with Duke freshman Jabari Parker or Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins could put the Bucks back on the national radar, but finding that “franchise player” is an absolute must.
Holding the league’s worst record guarantees the Bucks will pick no later than No. 4 overall. Throw Kansas big man Joel Embiid and Australian guard Dante Exum into the mix, and it would be a massive upset and an utter disaster if the team failed to land a significant rookie contributor with its top pick in June’s draft.
On top of their guaranteed top four pick, the Bucks also hold three selections in round two. In regards to talent, this year’s second round is comparable to the mid to late-first round in last year’s draft. Remember, Anthony Bennett was the No. 1 overall pick a year ago. So, yeah.
In January, Forbes valued the Bucks’ franchise at $405 million. Edens and Lasry paid a pretty penny ($550 million) for a franchise that has won a total of seven postseason games in the past 13 years. Edens’ and Lasry’s Bucks have yet to take the court, and the fan base knows all too well to harbor its excitement, but the new owners should be commended for committing, both financially and otherwise, to the city of Milwaukee.
The Univeristy of Wisconsin’s Final Four run this season drilled home the fact that Wisconsin is more than just a football state. The state’s basketball fans will get on board with a team that evolves with the times and puts a winning product on the court. The past week may be a baby step, but it’s a baby step in the right direction.
