NBA draft recap: Bucks select AJ Johnson in round 1, Marquette players wait for round 2
Day 1 of the NBA draft took place and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters Jim Owczarski, Ben Steele and Wynton Jackson will kept you up-to-date on the highlights, interesting developments, who the Milwaukee Bucks selected (and/or traded) and if Marquette's Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro were drafted.
Review the night here:
Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro wait for the second round
Marquette's Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro will have to wait until Thursday to see if they will be picked in the NBA draft.
Kolek was seen by many as a first-round pick, but all 30 selections were made without his name being called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Ighodaro was viewed as a second-round pick before the draft.
Bucks select A.J. Johnson at No. 23
Before the draft, there was a lot of buzz around the Bucks and A.J. Johnson.
That came to fruition, with the Bucks taking the 6-4 guard at No. 23. Johnson is a native of Fresno, Calfiornia, but played last season in the NBL in Australia.
The 19-year-old averaged 2.9 points per game in the NBL, but NBA teams were intrigued by his length with a 6-foot-8 wingspan. However, Johnson is listed as only 167 pounds.
New Orleans Pelicans draft Yves Missi at No. 21 after swap with Bucks
New Orleans was originally supposed to pick No. 23 this draft, but thanks to a swap as part of the 2020 Jrue Holiday trade, the Pelicans moved up to No. 21. With the pick they selected the 6-foot, 11-inch big man from Baylor University. Missi , who was mocked to the Bucks in many drafts, averaged 1.5 blocks per game last season.
Tyler Kolek shows up on ESPN's "best available" list
After 15 picks in the first round of the NBA draft, Marquette's Tyler Kolek made the top 10 list of "best available" players that ESPN runs across the bottom of the screen during the telecast.
That would put Kolek as being picked around the No. 25 pick. Most mock drafts had Kolek being picked between 20-25.
What will Bucks prioritize at No. 23?
There have been two trades in the first round so far but all has been quiet thus far when it comes to the Bucks. At No. 23, mock drafts had Milwaukee taking anyone from guards, to wings to big men. In a draft many consider "flat," meaning there isn't much of a difference between say, the 15th pick and the 23rd, the Bucks could conceivably go best player available and feel they "stole" him at that spot.
A note to remember: Just because the Bucks make the selection, it doesn't mean they will keep it. As long as the Bucks do not sign the draft pick, they can still attach his draft rights to a veteran in a trade and it will not count as an aggregated salary.
Bucks can now trade first-round pick
There were no trades through the first five picks of the draft, and no real surprises with the selections. As a reminder, the Bucks are now allowed to trade their first-round pick now that the draft has begun. Because of the swap with New Orleans from the 2020 Jrue Holiday trade, they were not allowed to move it until tonight.
Oso Ighodaro arrives at draft with girlfriend Liza Karlen
Oso Ighodaro arrived at the Barclays Center in style, dressed in a sharp light-colored suit.
He was accompanied by his girlfriend, former MU women's basketball player Liza Karlen.
Karlen played four seasons at MU, but will use her extra season of NCAA eligibility next season at Notre Dame with a team that should compete for a national title.
Who are the Bucks picking? The latest mock draft results are in
When you're picking No. 23, the mocks will be all over the board. And that's no different in the hours leading up to tonight's first round:
- USA TODAY: Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh
- The Athletic: A.J. Johnson, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
- ESPN: Kyle Filipowski, Duke
- The Ringer: Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor
- NBADraft.net: Jaylon Tyson, California
Oso Ighodaro works out with Wes Matthews before draft
Marquette's Oso Ighodaro and Tyler Kolek are known gym rats.
That is, after all, how they built themselves into potential NBA players after being under-recruited players in high school.
So it's no surprise that ahead of the draft in New York, Kolek and Ighodaro found ways to get some work done.
Kolek was seen on social media working out with famed skills trainer Chris Brickey.
Ighodaro, interestingly, was at a gym with former MU star − and Bucks player − Wes Matthews Jr. The duo were doing work at the the NBPA training facility in Manhattan. They were captured on social media by former MU women's player Erin Monfre, who works closely as a trainer for Matthews.
Marquette coach Shaka Smart will be at NBA draft to celebrate Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro
Marquette will be well-represented at the Barclays Center in New York.
Golden Eagles head coach Shaka Smart and members of his coaching staff will be in Brooklyn to celebrate if, as expected, MU players Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro hear their names called on Wednesday or Thursday.
Kolek and Ighodaro weren't among those given invitations to the draft's green room, but they will be in attendance with other members of their respective agencies. Kolek is repped by Priority Sports and Entertainment, and Ighodaro signed with Klutch Sports Group.
When is the NBA draft?
The first round starts at 7 p.m. today.
The second round starts at 3 p.m. Thursday.
How do I watch the NBA draft?
Today: 7 p.m. (ABC, ESPN) Note: There will be five minutes between first-round picks.
Thursday: 3 p.m. (ESPN) Note: There will be four minutes between picks in the second round instead of two.
Where is the NBA draft?
The first round will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The second round will be held at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.
What draft picks do the Milwaukee Bucks have?
The Bucks own the No. 23 pick in the first round.
They also own the No. 3 pick in the second round (No. 33 overall)
What is the NBA draft order?
First round:
1. Atlanta
2. Washington
3. Houston (from Brooklyn)
4. San Antonio
5. Detroit
6. Charlotte
7. Portland
8. San Antonio (from Toronto)
9. Memphis
10. Utah
11. Chicago
12. Oklahoma City (from Houston)
13. Sacramento
14. Portland (from Golden State via Boston and Memphis)
15. Miami
16. Philadelphia
17. Los Angeles Lakers
18. Orlando
19. Toronto (from Indiana)
20. Cleveland
21. New Orleans (from Milwaukee)
22. Phoenix
23. Milwaukee (from New Orleans)
24. New York (from Dallas)
25. New York
26. Washington (from LA Clippers via Dallas and Oklahoma City)
27. Minnesota
28. Denver
29. Utah (from Oklahoma City via Toronto and Indiana)
30. Boston
Second round:
31. Toronto (from Detroit via New York and LA Clippers)
32. Utah (from Washington via Detroit and Brooklyn)
33. Milwaukee (from Portland via Sacramento)
34. Portland (from Charlotte via Denver, Oklahoma City and New Orleans)
35. San Antonio
36. Indiana (from Toronto via Philadelphia, LA Clippers and Memphis)
37. Minnesota (from Memphis via Los Angeles Lakers, Washington and Oklahoma City)
38. New York (from Utah)
39. Memphis (from Brooklyn via Houston)
40. Portland (from Atlanta)
41. Philadelphia (from Chicago via Boston, San Antonio and New Orleans)
42. Charlotte (from Houston via Oklahoma City)
43. Miami
44. Houston (from Golden State via Atlanta)
45. Sacramento
46. LA Clippers (from Indiana via Memphis and Milwaukee)
47. Orlando
48. San Antonio (from Los Angeles Lakers via Memphis)
— Philadelphia (forfeited)
49. Indiana (from Cleveland)
50. Indiana (from New Orleans)
51. Washington (from Phoenix)
52. Golden State (from Milwaukee via Indiana)
53. Detroit (from New York via Philadelphia and Charlotte)
54. Boston (from Dallas via Sacramento)
55. Los Angeles Lakers (from LA Clippers)
56. Denver (from Minnesota via Oklahoma City)
57. Memphis (from Oklahoma City via Houston and Atlanta)
— Phoenix (from Denver via Orlando; forfeited by Phoenix)
58. Dallas (from Boston via Charlotte)
Which Marquette players are likely to be selected?
Two Marquette players are projected to be drafted over the next two days.
Tyler Kolek, a 6-foot-3 point guard, was a second-team all-American and first-team all-Big East selection who averaged 15.3 points, 7.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds this season.
Oso Ighodaro, a 6-11 post player, was a second-team all-Big East selection who averaged 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season.
