With the first of their two lottery picks, the Bucks have drafted shooting guard Brayden Burries at No. 10 overall.
A freshman at Arizona in 2025/26, Burries made an immediate impact for the Wildcats by averaging 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals in just 29.8 minutes per game and compiling a strong shooting line of .491/.391/.805. The performance earned him a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and made him a lock to be a first-round pick in the 2026 draft.
As Jeremy Woo writes for ESPN, while Burries is the oldest freshman in the draft class and is somewhat undersized for a wing, he impressed NBA evaluators with his “well-rounded” game and high floor. The 20-year-old shoots and rebounds well, provides solid defense, and can function as a secondary shot creator, Woo notes.
Burries comes to a Bucks team still reeling in the aftermath of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and will have to find his place among a guard room that could feature Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Gary Harris, along with Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr., both of whom hold player options this summer. It remains unclear whether Herro – or some of those other players – will be with the team by opening night.
Burries’ ability to play on or off the ball should make him a good fit alongside the 23-year-old Rollins, who has similar versatility on both ends. New head coach Taylor Jenkins had success empowering combo guard Desmond Bane during his time with the Grizzlies, and Burries could potentially occupy a similar role in the offense Jenkins will look to implement.
The Bucks have a lot of questions left to answer, but in selecting Burries, they have added a skilled player who should be able to function in any system and roster construction.
