The Bucks could reach for someone at 10.
Milwaukee hasn't picked this high in a long time.
The Bucks are sitting at No. 10 in the 2026 NBA Draft after finishing the season at 32-50, their worst record since 2015-16 and their first time missing the playoffs in eight years.
It's an unfamiliar place for a franchise that spent most of the last decade competing for championships, and it puts them in a tricky spot heading into what's been called one of the deepest draft classes in years.
The headliners will be off the board well before Milwaukee's name is called on June 23 at Barclays Center.
AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer are all expected to go in the top five, and the next tier should fill out picks six through nine.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo's future still hanging over the organization and the Bucks unlikely to control another first-round pick until 2031, whoever they take at 10 needs to matter.
Nate Ament, F, Tennessee
Ament is the name most mock drafts have slotted to Milwaukee at this pick, and there's a real case for it.
The Tennessee freshman was once seen as a borderline top-five talent, but an inconsistent year that included a 39.9 percent clip from the field and some questions about his physicality pushed him down boards throughout the season.
What tends to get overlooked is how rare his profile actually is.
Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while starting all 35 games for the Vols, showing face-up scoring ability and ball-handling skills that almost never come from a player standing 6-foot-10 with a 6-foot-11.5-inch wingspan.
The shooting will likely improve once he isn't shouldering an entire offense on his own, and his size gives him real defensive upside down the line.
Aday Mara, C, Michigan
This would be the outside-the-box play.
Mara helped lead Michigan to a national championship this past season, averaging 12.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 2.4 assists while shooting 66.8 percent from the floor.
His combine measurements backed up the hype, too.
The 7-foot-3 Spaniard posted the second-tallest standing reach on record behind only Tacko Fall.
What separates Mara from most big men in this class is his passing.
He finds cutters out of the high post, processes the game at a high level, and gives teams a connector on offense to go along with elite rim protection.
Most boards have him somewhere between 11 and 14, but a rebuilding Milwaukee squad might see enough two-way upside to take the swing a few picks early.
Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State
This one would be a genuine reach, but Jefferson's senior year at Iowa State shouldn't be ignored.
He put up 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals while earning consensus second-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 honors.
His improved three-point shooting and playmaking give his game real NBA translation, and unlike most prospects in this range, Jefferson wouldn't need a two-year runway before contributing.
If the Bucks want someone ready now over someone with a longer development timeline, he's worth a hard look.
