One of the beauties with the NBA Draft is that there is always talent to find regardless of the round. Many teams head into the first round hoping to draft the next franchise player, and can find someone they can build around.
While the first round deservingly gets all of the attention, the second round has proven to have notable gems throughout the years. Players like Nikola Jokic , Draymond Green , Dennis Rodman and most recently Jalen Brunson , were players who were overlooked during the draft, but found ways to impact their teams and eventually become household names.
Those are just a few examples of notable second-round picks in NBA history, but the Milwaukee Bucks have also made some picks from the second round that panned out for their franchise.
Here are the three best second-round picks in Bucks history.
Oct 31, 2009; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd (22) looks to pass the basketball in front of Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon (7) defends during the game at the Bradley Center. The Bucks defeated the Pistons 96-85. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After spending three seasons in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michael Redd was drafted by the Bucks with the No. 43 pick in the 2000 NBA Draft.
While playing for the Buckeyes, Redd averaged 19.6 points per game, including leading the Big Ten in scoring during his freshman season. He racked a handful of accolades at Ohio State, such as the Big Ten Rookie of the Year and made the All-Big Ten in his final season.
Redd a solid career with Buckeyes, but still had to wait until the second round to hear his name called by Milwaukee . Like many second round picks, his career got off to a slow start only averaging 2.2 points per game in six games.
It looked like another second round pick lost on a team, but Redd saw significant improvement. In his sophomore season he averaged 11.4 points per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 44.4% from the 3-point line for a 41-win Bucks team that made the playoffs.
Given more opportunities, Redd steadily improved his production for Milwaukee over the next few seasons and started to make a name for himself. In his third season, he was the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2003, then made his first All-NBA selection and All-Star appearance in 2004 after averaging 21.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Those might've been his only accolades of his long NBA career, but his impact for the Bucks was still felt. From the 2003-04 season to the 2008-09, Redd averaged 23.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on 44.7% shooting from the field and 36.9% from the 3-point line.
Redd played in 10 of his 11 seasons in Milwaukee, and finish his career as one of the greatest scorers in the franchise history. He ranks No. 6 in total points , No. 3 in seasons played and No. 3 in 3-point field goals made.
Dec 15, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) drives for the basket against Chicago Bulls guard David Nwaba (11) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Malcolm Brogdon had one of the most accomplished careers in college at the University of Virginia. He was the ACC Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, a three-time All-ACC player, made ACC All-Defense twice and was a two-time consensus All-American, making the First Team in 2016.
The 23-year-old averaged 18.2 points per game and led his team to the Elite Eight before they were upset by Syracuse. Despite the seasoned career with the Cavilers, Brogdon was selected with the No. 36 pick by Bucks in the second round.
He wasted no time to prove that his name should've been called earlier in the draft and won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 after averaging 10.2 points, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.7% from the field and 40.4% from the 3-point line.
He became the only second-round pick to win the Rookie of the Year Award in the modern NBA and won it over notable players like Jaylen Brown , Brandon Ingram , Jamal Murray and Pascal Siakam .
Brogdon only played in Milwaukee for three season where he averaged 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game on 48.4% shooting from the field and 40.8% from the 3-point line. He would join the Indiana Pacers in 2019 through a sign-and-trade, where the Bucks received a 2020 first-round draft pick and two future second-round picks, while Brogdon signed a four-year, $85 million contract.
Dec. 30, 2011; Milwaukee, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) looks to pass as Washington Wizards forward Trevor Booker (35) defends at the Bradley Center. The Bucks defeated the Wizards 102-81. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Milwaukee drafted Ersan lyasova in the 2005 NBA Draft with the No. 36 pick. The 19-year-old was drafted out of Eskisehir,Turkey where he played for Fenerbahe Basketball in the Euroleague.
In his rookie season, lyasova appeared in 66 games for the Bucks and averaged 6.1 points per game on 36.5% from the 3-point line. The next two years, lyasova would return to play overseas for FC Barcelona Bsquet in the Euroleague and Liga ACB in Spain.
He would return to Milwaukee for the 2009-10 season and would remain with the Bucks until 2015. Across the six seasons since rejoining with the team, lyasova averaged 11.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 45.3% shooting from the field and 37.1% from the 3-point line.
He proved to be a solid role player for Milwaukee before he was traded to the Detroit Pistons in June of 2015 for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams . The trade allowed the Bucks to free up cap space and they waived both Butler and Williams after the trade.
lyasova reunited with Milwaukee in 2018 and played for a total of two seasons where he averaged 6.7 points per game while shooting 36.4% from the 3-point line.
He played with the Bucks in nine of his 13 seasons in the NBA, and finished No. 19 in total points, No. 7 in games played and No. 9 in 3-pointers made.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/bucks/onsi as Best Second Round Draft Picks in Milwaukee Bucks History .
