Bucks secure final 2025 draft pick in three-team deal

The Milwaukee Bucks entered the second night of the 2025 NBA draft without a second-round selection, but concluded the evening with the acquisition of the final pick through a complex three-team transaction. The deal, involving the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards, granted the Bucks the draft rights to Malique Lewis, a 21-year-old small forward from Trinidad and Tobago.

Lewis, who stands 6 feet 8 inches with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, is projected as a "3-and-D" player. He spent the 2025-26 season playing professionally for the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Australia’s National Basketball League. During that stint, he averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in approximately 21 minutes per game, shooting 38 per cent from three-point range.

The acquisition adds to a reshaped roster for the Bucks, who also selected guard Brayden Burries and forward Nate Ament in the first round. Ament was obtained using the 13th overall pick as part of a separate trade that sends Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. According to the South East Melbourne Phoenix website, Lewis is known by the nickname "Baby Giannis," a moniker the franchise noted despite the significant differences in their career trajectories.

Lewis’s professional path includes a stint in the NBA G-League with Mexico City during the 2023-24 season, where he averaged 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds. Prior to that, he played for Fuenlabrada in Spain’s Liga ACB after moving there at age 16. Although he declared for the 2025 NBA draft, he opted to return to Australia for another season rather than immediately joining the league.

Despite a slow shooting release, Lewis is described as an above-average defender. His arrival in Milwaukee completes a draft strategy that saw the team secure two first-round selections and the final second-round pick, integrating international experience into a roster undergoing significant structural changes.