The NBA Draft is inching nearer to opening night on June 25. The Milwaukee Bucks won’t be picking that day, but they do have a second-round selection, no. 47 overall, for day two. Now that the draft withdrawal deadline has passed for players who want to stay another year in college, updated mocks are popping up everywhere. In the magazine’s revised predictions, Sports Illustrated linked the Bucks to a name outside the usual suspects.
Milwaukee Bucks Land Wooden Award Finalist in SI Mock Draft
John Tonje, Wisconsin’s sixth-year senior, and Darrion Williams, a junior from Texas Tech, are two players that have been connected to the Bucks leading up to the draft. Sion James, Duke’s senior shooting guard, is another name. Of the above prospects, Tonje in particular would be an excellent fit for Milwaukee, offering rotation-ready talent and a mature scoring profile. The 24-year-old, named to the All-America second team, led the Badgers with 19.6 points per game, good for fourth in the Big Ten.
SI’s latest mock, however, has the Bucks selecting an ever bigger name from the college stage: Auburn forward Johni Broome, an All-America first teamer and a finalist for the Wooden Award.
Milwaukee Bucks, Johni Broome, NBA Draft
Mar 14, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) celebrates the basket plus the foul against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Despite his college dominance, Broome, who turns 23 in July, is an older guy as far as draft picks go; the most coveted prospects tend to be freshmen or sophomores with room for substantial growth. His stock is also depleted by his lack of solid three-point shooting. Last season, he shot 27.8% from beyond the arc on 2.5 attempts per game. He is a 30.2% career shooter.
Still, he supplied elite production for the Final-Four-bound Tigers, averaging 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks. He grabbed a staggering 3.7 offensive boards per contest.
Listed at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, positionally speaking he is not especially versatile, as he lacks a small forward’s shooting and an NBA center’s size. For the Bucks, though, he could fill the four-spot just fine and play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in lineups without a traditional five.
Johni Broome, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA draft
Auburn forward Johni Broome reacts after a basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Alabama, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)
Imperfect But Intriguing
His profile, that of an experienced player who can create his own shot, rebound and contribute immediately in the NBA, aligns with the type of player assigned to the Bucks across mock drafts. It is not as if the pick, despite Broome’s elite college status, is unrealistic.
The Auburn big man also demonstrated admirable grit in his team’s March Madness run. In the Elite Eight against the Spartans, an awkward fall injured his ankle and possibly his elbow, but Broome returned to close out the game through obvious hindrance. He was not clearly not himself in Auburn’s Final Four loss to Florida but still ground out 34 minutes, contributing 15 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
One issue with taking Broome is that Milwaukee already has a young power forward on the roster, Tyler Smith, a draft pick from last year. While Smith appeared in just 23 games as a rookie, the team has high hopes for his development. Only 20, Smith has significantly greater potential for development.
Tyler Smith, Milwaukee Bucks, Johni Broome, NBA Draft
Milwaukee forward Tyler Smith (21) dunks the ball past Oklahoma City forward Jaylin Williams (6) in the fourth quarter during an NBA game between Oklahoma City and Milwaukee at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.
That said, rostering Smith isn’t reason alone to avoid drafting Broome. SI projects Tonje going 42nd (Kings), James 43rd (Jazz) and doesn’t list Williams at all. If the others are gone or undesirable and Broome falls to 47th, the Bucks could do worse than drafting a unanimous All-American.
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