Draft day is finally here, and overnight leading up to it, there was the blockbuster NBA trade that has held the league hostage for months as teams waited for clarity.
Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was finally traded on Monday night, with the Milwaukee Bucks sending him to the Miami Heat in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one future pick swap, and a second-round pick.
One of those first-round picks is the No. 13 pick in Tuesday night's draft. That's where Labaron Philon comes in.
Both the Bucks and the Heat had shown interest in Philon during the pre-draft process. He conducted private workouts with each of them over the last few weeks. Obviously, the Heat are out of the picture following the Giannis trade, but the Bucks now hold picks No. 10 and No. 13 in the lottery. One of those picks could be used on the star guard from Alabama.
The Giannis trade could indirectly send Labaron Philon to the Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks could represent a better opportunity for Philon than a lot of other options. The Oklahoma City Thunder, for example, are a team that some experts have had landing Philon with one of their two first-rounders, but the Thunder are loaded with young guard talent, and it would be difficult for Philon to find real minutes.
The Bucks would offer a big opportunity right away, even if they aren't likely to be a factor in the Eastern Conference race for a couple of years as they rebuild following the Giannis trade.
Herro is likely to spend plenty of time on ball, but they aren't flush with creative young guards. Philon could change that. His ability as a three-point shooter would fit nicely next to Herro, too, because Philon is comfortable with the ball in his hands and comfortable either attacking close-outs or knocking down open shots from distance. Philon took a huge leap as a shooter during his sophomore season at Alabama, increasing his three-point shooting percentage to 39.9%.
The 10th pick was always probably a little too rich for the Bucks for Philon, but 13th is about right. They could take a high upside swing on someone like Tennessee's Nate Ament or New Zealand's Karim Lopez at No. 10, and then take Philon at 13. That would give Milwaukee a pair of impressive young talents to assist in their post-Giannis rebuild.
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