With the draft order now set following the NBA Draft Lottery, the focus shifts to who each team will select on June 25. The Milwaukee Bucks and general manager Jon Horst have just one pick this year, No. 47 in the second round. For most fans, this pick might be an afterthought. After all, how many players drafted that late become real contributors? These are the best players from the past 40 years to be drafted at the 47th overall pick.
Gerald Wilkins - New York Knicks (1985)
Gerald Wilkins was selected by the New York Knicks out of UT-Chattanooga with the 47th pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. Wilkins' initial claim to fame was being the younger brother of high-flying superstar Dominique Wilkins of the Atlanta Hawks. Though he didn’t quite reach his brother’s level, he carved out a solid NBA career.
Wilkins played for four teams from 1985 to 1999, spending the majority of his career with the Knicks. He averaged 13 points per game over his 14-year career, with his best season coming in 1986–87, when he averaged 19.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.
Vernon Maxwell – Denver Nuggets (1988)
Vernon Maxwell was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1988 out of the University of Florida. He was almost immediately traded to the San Antonio Spurs on draft night for cash. The 6-foot-4 guard spent his first two seasons with the Spurs before joining the Houston Rockets.
Maxwell played a key role in the Rockets' back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995, averaging 14.5 points per game. Maxwell was known for his clutch shooting, especially during Houston's title run. He ultimately spent 13 seasons in the NBA, playing for eight different teams before retiring in 2001.
Mo Williams – Utah Jazz (2003)
Mo Williams played at the University of Alabama before entering the NBA draft in 2003. He ended up falling into the second round despite a solid college career. He was eventually selected with the 47th pick by the Utah Jazz. He played just one season in Utah before moving on to Milwaukee and eventually Cleveland.
Williams was named an Eastern Conference All-Star in the 2008–09 season with the Cavaliers, when he averaged 17.9 points and 4.1 assists per game. After several seasons with other teams, Williams returned to Cleveland for the 2015–16 season, helping the team capture an NBA title. He retired following that championship season, finishing a 13-year NBA career.
Paul Millsap – Utah Jazz (2006)
Paul Millsap was drafted 47th overall out of Louisiana Tech in the 2006 NBA Draft. He is arguably the best player to be selected at this spot in the last 40 years. If Milwaukee were able to find a Paul Millsap-type player this late in the draft, it would be huge.
Millsap spent his first seven seasons with the Jazz, averaging 12.4 points and seven rebounds per game. He later signed with the Atlanta Hawks, where he became a three-time NBA All-Star in the 2013–14, 2014–15, and 2016–17 seasons. During his time in Atlanta, he averaged 17.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Millsap played 16 seasons in the NBA with four different teams before retiring at the end of the 2022 season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Finding a player who can contribute at a high level has happened before at this spot. With Milwaukee's future draft capital owned by other teams, it would go a long way to nail this second-round pick.
The odds are slim, but who knows, maybe Horst can find the next three-time All-Star at this spot.