The Bucks will need to evolve beyond the Eric Bledsoe era at some point. While that evolution likely comes via trade — R.J. Hampton is not starting for a title contender in 2020 — Milwaukee has reason to invest in the future. Hampton brings more upside than most this late in the draft.
A five-star recruit who made the transformational decision to play overseas in New Zealand, Hampton’s stock has been on a steady decline of late. He’s a tremendous athlete with a lot of desirable tools, but his inconsistency overseas — spurred in part by injuries — has made it hard to reconcile his most recent performances with his high school tape.
A twitchy athlete with a lot of juice scoring off the bounce, Hampton has a future in NBA offenses. He can explode for points out of the pick-and-roll, and he has room to grow as a facilitator. The first step, however, is proving to NBA teams he can hit jumpers — most importantly 3-point jumpers — at a league-average rate.