Milwaukee Bucks

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Separated by just a single vote in the race for pick #8, the unilateral decision has been made to award Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse, the eighth spot, followed immediately by C.J. McCollum, G, Lehigh, at number nine. Carter-Williams represents a unique opportunity for whichever team drafts him. Standing almost 6'6" and boasting a big 41-inch vertical, Carter-Williams offers rare size and athleticism for a player who is considered a truly pure point guard. A situational breakdown of his performance last season shows him to be a top prospect in terms of passing, though his ability to find shots for teammates is betrayed by his own occasional carelessness with the ball. That ability is key to his success, since his own scoring numbers are quite poor--his jump shot is quite bad, and he's not as effective around the basket as some may think. Still, his size, skill as a playmaker, and big-time potential should he ever improve his jumper have some scouts viewing him as the top PG prospect in the draft. McCollum, on the other hand, lands high on draft boards by virtue of his sensational scoring talents. A lights-out shooter in the mold of Stephen Curry, McCollum makes up for so-so playmaking (he doesn't pass much in the pick-and-roll) and "tweener-guard" size with sensational jump-shooting and solid skills in the half-court. Some of the percentages from last year are begging to regress, especially since they were racked up in just 12 games--a foot injury ended his senior season early. But the talent is obvious, and getting a highly-efficient scorer who can run an offense to some extent is just fine within the range he's projected to be drafted. The Brew Hoop Big Board1. Ben McLemore - SG, Kansas2. Otto Porter - SF, Georgetown3. Victor Oladipo - SG, Indiana4. Trey Burke - PG, Michigan5. Nerlens Noel - C, Kentucky6. Anthony Bennett - PF, UNLV7. Alex Len - C, Maryland8. Michael Carter-Williams - PG, Syracuse9. C.J. McCollum - G, Lehigh Pick the player YOU would like the Bucks to select, assuming they were drafting at each position. That means you can take everything into account: need, fit, floors, ceilings, window treatments, the whole Shabazz shebang. If the guy you want isn't listed, pick "Write-In" and leave your vote in the comments. Please make your vote clear--something like "My vote for Pick #1 is THIS GUY". Looking for scouting reports on all the top prospects? SB Nation has you covered. Poll My choice for #10 on the Brew Hoop Draft Board is: Giannis Adetokunbo - SF, International Cody Zeller - PF/C, Indiana Shabazz Muhammad - SF, UCLA Dennis Schröder - PG, International Kelly Olynyk - C, Gonzaga Rudy Gobert - C, International Shane Larkin - PG, Miami (FL) Sergey Karasev - SF, International Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - SG, Georgia Write-In (vote in comments) 10 votes | Results

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports By now, a majority of Milwaukee Bucks fans have heard the horrible news that shooting guard Monta Ellis has opted out of his $11 million player option for the 2013-14 NBA season. I say it is horrible news because Ellis was the team’s top scorer and playmaker. With that being said, the Bucks must move on and adapt to their new situation as quickly as possible. The good news for fans in Milwaukee is that the organization knew there was a slim chance they were going to be able to hold on to Ellis. The fact is the 27-year-old is looking for a big contract, and more importantly, a team that can contend for a NBA Championship. Even though the Bucks could have given him the money he is seeking, they are still a couple years away from legitimately contending in the Eastern Conference. Newly hired head coach Larry Drew is disappointed that Ellis will not be returning, but his focus is not on the shooting guard. What he is grateful for is the Bucks have several talented big men that the organization can build around for years to come. Center Larry Sanders, small forward Ersan Ilyasova and power forward John Henson are three players in particular that have bright futures in Milwaukee. “These big guys are going to be big part of the future,” Drew said, according to USA Today Sports. “I think their development is going to be very important, but you can’t teach height, you can’t teach length. John and Larry Sanders, these guys are two guys that can really affect a game, and I’m very excited about the chance to work with both guys.” Sanders had a breakout season in which he averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks (second in the NBA) per game. Henson’s performance against the Orlando Magic on April 10 had showed Bucks fans what exactly he is capable of accomplishing at the professional level. He recorded 17 points, 25 rebounds and seven blocks while shooting 41.2 percent from the field in 41 minutes. Losing Ellis is certainly a big loss, but the good news is Milwaukee still has potential to be great.

The Milwaukee Bucks usually don’t have a surplus of anything intriguing (unless you have some unhealthy admiration for the power forward position). This summer, however, the Bucks do have something they haven’t had in quite some time: Options. They are at a unique crossroads where they could legitimately choose any direction for the franchise to head in and have it be justifiable. With the arrival of a new head coach and a sizable amount of money to spend (or not spend) however they please, this Bucks offseason could be one of the most important ones in recent memory. Disclaimer: Having a lot of options isn’t necessarily a good thing.  Some directions that may be explored or experimented with may not be very wise.  Please keep that in mind when we dive in to the scenarios. As with any team, there are really three directions your franchise can head: the rebuild (more commonly known as tanking), the stick with what you have/make minor tweaks/hope for the best, and the ”go for it” scenarios.  The Bucks technically can make a play at all three scenarios, but which one is the most likable and likely? Which one is the best?  Let’s dive in. “GOING FOR IT” The 1971 Milwaukee Bucks. The last edition to win the NBA title. It’s important to stress here that the phrase ”going for it” is completely relative to where you stand right now. For most playoff teams (excluding Milwaukee, Boston, and Atlanta), ”going for it” means making the necessary adjustments and signings to make a run at the title eventually. As is the case in Milwaukee, ”going for it” would be making a charge towards the second round and, maybe if all things go absolutely perfectly, becoming a surprise conference finals participant. That is highly unlikely, considering the current competition in the top half of the Eastern Conference and Milwaukee’s track record since 2001, but crazier things have probably happened. Likability factor:  10 out of 10.  Nobody in Milwaukee would be upset if the Bucks were suddenly in the mix to do damage in the playoffs.   Likelihood: .5 out of 10.  Don’t even think about thinking about getting your hopes up. How it would happen:  The Bucks would have to overpay Free Agent X and Free Agent Y to ensure they agree to come to Milwaukee, fill out the roster with average complimentary parts,and hope that regressions to Miami and Indiana occur, and hope that Brooklyn, Chicago, and New York don’t make any sort of progress to the top of the conference.  Examples:  Think of last year’s Nets, ideally with less future sacrificing. This simply is not something the Bucks could or should explore. They are not capable of making such an effort wisely, even if they think they can field a pretty good team in the next few years.  That leads me to the next category. STAYING (AND TWEAKING) THE COURSE AND HOPING FOR THE BEST The Bucks are no strangers to this view. The “we’ll field the best team possible each and every year” recycled quote has nearly become the masthead of the franchise for the better portion of the last decade. The idea behind it is relatively respectable, but it can get difficult with the constant flurry of players moving from one team to the other. Also it never really guarantees that the unit you assemble is going to be around long enough to maximize its potential.  However, this may be considered the most safe option, so let’s see if the best plan for the Bucks is in here. Option A: Bucks pair Brandon Jennings with free agent X and/or Y Option B: Bucks pair Monta Ellis with free agent X and/or Y Likability factor: 3 or 4 for Jennings, 4 for Ellis Likelihood:  6/7 How it would happen: The Bucks decide to keep one of the back court tandem, decide to make a big-but-not-huge splash in free agency, fill in roster with complimentary parts. Note:  The split vote for Jennings is dependent on what deal he is sign

ESPN | Chad Ford Mock Draft 5.0No change from the Bucks' perspective in Chad Ford's latest mock--he once again has the Bucks going with diminutive Miami PG Shane Larkin, this time over Shabazz Muhammad (16) and Dennis Schröder (21) among others. With their starting backcourt of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis both heading into free agency, the Bucks likely will focus on point guard. Larkin and Dennis Schroeder are the two most interesting candidates. Schroeder has more upside, but after dealing with Jennings for the past few years, they might opt for a more traditional guard like Larkin. Murray State's Isaiah Canaan also has a shot here. His impressive workout turned heads in Milwaukee. The interesting new name here is Canaan (DX #41), Murray State's scoring point guard who worked out on May 31 with both Larkin and Schroder. Ford suggests he's also in the mix at 21 (Utah) and 23 (Indiana), but he's not in Ford's first round mock and 28th in Jonathan Givony's latest at DraftExpress. So I'm really not buying the notion that he's going to be the pick at 15, but keep the name in mind should the Bucks move down or acquire another pick later in the round. So who is this guy? Well, the 22-year-old lit up the Ohio Valley Conference last season (22.4 ppg, 4.3 apg, 58% true shooting), but he brings all the usual question marks that you'd expect of an older prospect who tore up a lesser conference. He's also not particularly big (6'0" in shoes, 6'4.5" wingspan) and finished rather poorly last season (56%) considering his competition and the fact that he can jump out of the gym (40.5" vertical, does stuff like this). Also working in his favor: his last name is pronounced CANNON. Sheridan Hoops: Larkin it isOur bud Joe Kotoch also has the Bucks going with Larkin, though he has both Schröder and Muhammad off the board by the time the Bucks pick. Fox Sports Wisconsin: Former Hawks assistants Nick Van Exel and Bob Bender join Drew's staffAs expected, Larry Drew has added a couple of familiar faces to his bench, bringing former Washington head coach Bob Bender and Kenosha native and one-time all-star Nick Van Exel with him from Atlanta. Brandon Jennings has been compared to the gun-slinging Van Exel on more than one occasion, so it was of course interesting to see the Bucks' restricted free agent tweet something positive about Van Exel ("Nick Van though. Def was a big fan growing up. I gotta go bald w/ eyebrows 3 lines this year" h/t K.L. Chouinard) only to delete it a short while later. WSSP | John Henson interviewThings change quickly in the NBA. A few months ago, John Henson was a promising rookie struggling for burn on a team led by two ball-dominating guards. Now? He's regularly mentioned as the Bucks' second-most important asset and a key building block for the immediate future, which is a big reason why the Bucks had him make the radio rounds on Tuesday starting with Chuck and Wickett on WSSP (here's Part 2). Nominally it was to pitch the "Fish with John Henson" promotion they're running, but in a broader sense it was a marketing pitch for the latest iteration of the Milwaukee Bucks. Henson's a pro at it, too, as he chatted casually about a wide array of topics: his positive start with Larry Drew, how he's managed to add 12.6 pounds, his affinity for Sidney Moncrief, his friendship with workout partner Larry Sanders, how he's in Milwaukee because he likes it here (!) and a bunch of other stuff. Note to the Bucks: we need to hear more from Henson going forward. Bucks.com: Free Agent mini-camp kicks offThe Bucks kicked off their three day veteran free agent mini-camp last night, and the list of familiar names in attendance is fairly interesting. Among the names are a host of semi-recent first and second round picks, most of whom never panned out with their original teams and have seen significant time in the D-League. Among them: Craig Brackins (#21 in 2010), Damion James (#24 in 2010), Dominique Jones (#25 in 2010),

Monta Ellis had a decision to make. And on Monday the Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard officially opted out of the final year of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Kentucky center Nerlens Noel was the presumed No. 1 choice for next week’s NBA draft, but nobody could say for sure.

TOP PROSPECTS<br /><br />

It feels like we've been snowballing down this hill for some time, but Monday afternoon made it official: Monta Ellis has opted out of his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, and will head for the open waters of unrestricted free agency. To call this news surprising would be a disservice to gullible ignorance everywhere. Ellis already turned down a "max" deal from the Bucks (three years, $36 million, including the opt-in), both of which sound certifiably insane (the offer and the rejection) when stats and efficiency admitted into the discussion (career-low 44.8% eFG, 49.3% TS in 2012-13). Right now, the situation is a win for both sides. Ellis will certainly get a new long term deal that will, sooner or later, churn the collective stomach of a fan base. Milwaukee (for the moment) has money to play with elsewhere, and Bucks fans (for the moment) can sleep easy now that their favorite team ran against the grain of history, finally ducking the possibility of overpaying for an underwhelming veteran. For the moment. Still, there's a good chance the Bucks keep Ellis' cell on speed dial should they choose to jettison Brandon Jennings for assets or a couple of those nifty Tek moister-wicking towels (or Danny Granger? Let's not go down that rabbit hole right now. I'm in a good mood.). If the Bucks had already offered Ellis the most money they could within the constraints of their situation, and made it known they prefer Ellis to Jennings anyways, it's reasonable to assume they'd re-visit the idea when/if Ellis realizes his true market value. To that end, it's worth noting that the Bucks will retain Ellis' Bird rights so long as they can stomach his $16 million cap hold, though their ability to create significant cap space makes that somewhat academic. According to Chris Broussard's "sources" report, Ellis is likely to be courted by the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Lakers, who could only get "it all" through an unpossible sign-and-trade that could pair Ellis with the enigmatically indifferent Dwight Howard. Oh, the storylines! The storylines! While the sign-and-trade possibility is likely to spawn a litany of Trade Machine spins and blissful proposals in article comment galleries, it's important to remember just how ugly the Lakers' cap situation is. Go to Lakers Nation and read Andrew Ungvari's brilliant article before succumbing to the temptation of the Trade Machine. But like any good horror movie, we can't rest easy after initial reports of a monster/killer's first supposed demise. Not until the ink is dry on Ellis' next contract, and #monte makes another appearance on Twitter, will we breathe easy knowing our exhausting nightmare of contested jumpers, early possession shots, and quiet, confident hubris have been quelled. Bottom line: We knew this was coming, it came, and I'm still flabbergasted that Chris Broussard still erects a middle finger at that journalism 101 class he skipped in college.

The Brew Hoop community has selected Alex Len, C, Maryland, for the #7 spot on its draft board. Len made a name for himself as a teenager in international competition with his home country of Ukraine before earning a scholarship to Maryland. While his freshman season underwhelmed, Len blossomed as a sophomore, boosting his per-minute scoring and rebounding while maintaining solid-though-not-fantastic 57% true shooting. He's a good shot-blocker and is generally seen as a more polished player, particularly on offense, than most big men of his age. That two-way potential has a few scouts wondering why he isn't being discussed more as a possible first-overall pick. Questions about his motor and toughness--two elements notably absent from Nerlens Noel profiles--have given some people pause. One look at his measurements, though, and you'll know why plenty of teams would be willing to roll the dice on Len. The Brew Hoop Big Board1. Ben McLemore - SG, Kansas2. Otto Porter - SF, Georgetown3. Victor Oladipo - SG, Indiana4. Trey Burke - PG, Michigan5. Nerlens Noel - C, Kentucky6. Anthony Bennett - PF, UNLV7. Alex Len - C, Maryland Pick the player YOU would like the Bucks to select, assuming they were drafting at each position. That means you can take everything into account: need, fit, floors, ceilings, window treatments, the whole Shabazz shebang. If the guy you want isn't listed, pick "Write-In" and leave your vote in the comments. Please make your vote clear--something like "My vote for Pick #1 is THIS GUY". Looking for scouting reports on all the top prospects? SB Nation has you covered. Poll My choice for #8 on the Brew Hoop Draft Board is: C.J. McCollum - G, Lehigh Giannis Adetokunbo - SF, International Cody Zeller - PF/C, Indiana Shabazz Muhammad - SF, UCLA Michael Carter-Williams - PG, Syracuse Dennis Schröder - PG, International Gorgui Dieng - C, Louisville Kelly Olynyk - C, Gonzaga Mason Plumlee - C, Duke Write-In (vote in comments) 15 votes | Results