Milwaukee could find an immediate contributor if they choose from this crop
The 2025 NBA draft is less than one week away. If you haven’t yet done your research on this year’s class, don’t worry—Brew Hoop is here to help you cram. For the last month, we’ve been covering every prospect the Bucks have worked out. Now, we’re breaking down players the team should be targeting with the 47th pick. While Milwaukee may try to move up in the draft or trade out of it entirely, history also says Jon Horst likes to have at least one second-rounder each year.
While uncovering a star in the depths of the draft is unlikely, there is still real value available. Ryan Rollins was the 44th pick in 2022. Jericho Sims was the 58th pick in 2021. Recent 47th picks include Antonio Reeves (2024), Vince Williams Jr. (2022), and Svi Mykhailiuk (2018). The goal of this series will be to identify 47th pick targets for the Bucks who have a chance at becoming rotation-caliber players or at least sticking in the league for multiple seasons. It will be split up into three parts, each one covering a different position. First, we talked about guards, and now we’re moving on to wings/forwards.
Why should the Bucks draft a wing? A team can never really have too many 6’6”-ish guys who can shoot and defend. Wings can be easily plugged into any ecosystem, meaning if Milwaukee picks the right guy, they could likely find a rotation role for him in the regular season, regardless of what the rest of the roster looks like. Also, Taurean Prince is a free agent, and Kyle Kuzma, Pat Connaughton, and Andre Jackson Jr. could be on the move via trade, so picking a wing would be good insurance in case the depth chart at that position thins out.
Here are six wing/forward prospects the Bucks should be considering at 47:
Noah Penda (dream target)
Photo by Laurent Coust/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Height: 6’8”
Pre-draft team: Le Mans (France)
Age: 20
ESPN big board rank: 28
Bucks workout participant? No
Penda is considered by many to be a firs- round lock, and some people even view him as a lottery talent. However, he hasn’t received much real, mainstream buzz recently, and there could be a world where he slips down all the way to Bucks range. Getting him at 47 would be a major steal, making this a dream target.
Strengths
- Positional size
- Connective passing
- Defensive versatility
- Off-ball defense
- Offensive rebounding
- Cutting
Weaknesses
- Shooting consistency
- On-ball creation
- Free throw shooting
Fit with Bucks: Penda is a strong, versatile four man who could play a number of roles for the Bucks. He’d be the ideal power forward in a lineup with Giannis at the five because he’s comfortable playing on the perimeter on both ends and can help out on the glass. Picture a quicker Grant Williams with a better handle, and that’s what Milwaukee would be getting in Penda. The Frenchman just needs to refine his shooting to really pop.
John Tonje
Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Height: 6’6”
School: Wisconsin
Year: Graduate
ESPN big board rank: 42
Bucks workout participant? No
This is a pick that a lot of Wisconsin-based Bucks fans would be ecstatic about. Tonje was a breakout superstar for the Badgers last season, averaging 19.6 points and making the All-American Second Team. After six years in college, The Madison Hammer is polished and ready to be a pro.
Strengths
- Catch-and-shoot ability
- Pullup shooting
- Finishing
- Drawing fouls
- Athleticism
Weaknesses
- Age
- Defensive consistency
- Playmaking
Fit with Bucks: It’s easy to project Tonje being Milwaukee’s version of Aaron Wiggins, who is currently making big contributions for a Finals team. He’s a flamethrower from behind the arc who also excels at carving out driving lanes and getting to the free-throw line. He shot 38.8% from deep and 90.9% from the charity stripe at Wisconsin. Tonje isn’t a standout defender or passer, but he’s not a liability in those categories either.
Sion James
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Height: 6’6”
School: Duke
Year: Graduate
ESPN big board rank: 46
Bucks workout participant? No
James is a well-rounded dribble-pass-shoot wing who was an important member of Duke’s 2025 Final Four squad. As the fourth option on that team, he averaged 8.6 points on 52/41/81 shooting splits and also earned ACC All-Defensive honors. As a senior at Tulane in 2023–24, James had much more responsibility than he did at Duke. He played 37 minutes a night and averaged 14.0 PPG on 51.4% from the field.
Strengths
- Defensive versatility
- Catch-and-shoot ability
- Passing
- Defensive playmaking
- Finishing
Weaknesses
- Low-volume shooter
Fit with Bucks: Oftentimes, high-usage college players who can buy into smaller roles in the NBA find a lot of success. For example, AJ Green’s career usage rate in college was 29.9%, but that’s fallen to 13.7% with the Bucks. Sion James already showed he can scale down and still be effective when he transferred from Tulane to Duke. The Georgia native was practically built in a lab to be the ideal role-playing wing and could fit in smoothly with the Bucks or any other team.
Koby Brea
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Height: 6’7”
School: Kentucky
Year: Graduate
ESPN big board rank: 48
Bucks workout participant? No
Throughout his five-year college career, Koby Brea was primarily known for one thing: shooting. As a senior at Dayton, he led the entire NCAA by shooting 49.8% from three on six attempts a game. His 43.5% success rate from downtown led the SEC this past season. Brea won two A-10 Sixth Man of the Year awards during his time at Dayton.
Strengths
- Catch-and-shoot ability
- Movement shooting
- Pullup shooting
- Decision making
- Positional size
Weaknesses
- Defense
- Athleticism
- Two-point scoring
Fit with Bucks: Brea knows his strengths and sticks to them. His all-world shooting would suit him well for a microwave role off the bench, similar to the one AJ Green played as a rookie. The sharpshooter could replace some of Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince’s value if they leave in free agency.
Jamir Watkins
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Height: 6’6”
School: Florida State
Year: Graduate
ESPN big board rank: 39
Bucks workout participant? No
Watkins was a projected second-round pick for the 2024 NBA draft, but he ended up returning to school for one more season. Here we are, a year later, and his stock hasn’t risen very much. Watkins averaged 18.4 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 42.7% from the field as a graduate at Florida State. He was named to the 2024–25 All-ACC second team alongside projected top-ten pick (and Wisconsin native) Kon Knueppel.
Strengths
- Athleticism
- Finishing
- On-ball defense
- Defensive playmaking
- Motor
- Shooting range
- Cutting
Weaknesses
- Scoring efficiency
- Shooting consistency
- Decision-making
Fit with Bucks: Watkins would give the Bucks a big boost athletically and defensively. He could provide similar value to Andre Jackson Jr. in those departments while also being a much more confident and aggressive scorer than AJax is. Watkins will need time to work on his processing and his jumper, but that’s fine because he already has stuff that you can’t teach.
TJ Bamba
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Height: 6’5”
School: Oregon
Year: Graduate
ESPN big board rank: Not ranked
Bucks workout participant? Yes
You may have noticed that none of the guys we’ve discussed so far have worked out for the Bucks. So, in lieu of Micah Peavy, Brice Williams, and others, let’s talk about one guy who the team has directly shown interest in: TJ Bamba. As a graduate, Bamba averaged 10.5 ppg, 3.0 APG, and 1.8 SPG and made a Big Ten All-Defensive team. His best college season came with Washington State in 2022–23, where he posted 15.8 PPG and 3.7 RPG per game.
Strengths
- On-ball defense
- Off-ball defense
- Physicality
- Connective passing
- Athleticism
Weaknesses
- Shooting consistency
- Scoring efficiency
- Rebounding
- Shot blocking
Fit with Bucks: Bamba’s viability as an NBA player is contingent on one thing: his jumpshot. For his college career, he shot 35.4% from three. He even had a season where he hit 37.2% on 4.8 attempts. However, in his graduate campaign with Oregon, he shot an abysmal 25.3% from outside. If he can bring that number back up to league average, then Bamba could be a quality energy guy off the bench for the Bucks. The team could really use more defenders of his caliber.
Which of these prospects would you draft at 47? Who was left off this list? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for the big man edition coming next!