2005-06 Milwaukee Bucks Roster

The 2005 NBA Draft Lottery is over. The Bucks made Andrew Bogut the #1 Pick of the draft. Prior to the draft, the Bucks obtained SF/SG Jiri Welsch from the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 2006 2nd Round draft pick. Later, the Bucks drafted a 18-year-old forward from Turkey, Ersan Ilyasova in the 2nd round. Ilyasova was projected as a lottery pick until injuring his ankle sometime this summer.

With all of that movement, here is what I have as projected to be the 2005-06 Milwaukee Bucks roster:

Starting Line-Up:

PG - T.J. Ford - 5' 11" 162 lbs. - 22 years old

SG - Michael Redd - 6' 6" 214 lbs. - 26 years old

SF - Desmond Mason - 6' 5" 222 lbs. - 27 years old

PF - Joe Smith - 6' 10" 225 lbs. - 29 years old

C - Andrew Bogut - 7' 0" 245 lbs. - 20 years old

Bench:

SF - Toni Kukoc - 6' 11" 235 lbs. - 36 years old

C - Dan Gadzuric - 6' 11" 240 lbs. - 27 years old

PG - Mo Williams - 6' 1" 189 lbs. - 22 years old

SG - Jiri Welsch - 6' 7" 207 lbs. - 25 years old

SF - Ersan Ilyasova - 6' 9" 235 lbs. - 18 years old

PF - Zaza Pachulia - 6' 11" 265 lbs. - 21 years old

PG - Reece Gaines - 6' 6" 205 lbs. - 24 years old

Cut / Not Re-Signed / Injured List:

PF - Marcus Fizer - 6' 8" 260 lbs. - 26 years old

C - Daniel Santiago - 7' 1" 256 lbs. - 29 years old

C - Calvin Booth - 6' 11" 231 lbs. - 29 years old

PG - Anthony Goldwire - 6' 2" 182 lbs. - 33 years old

PG - Erick Strickland - 6' 3" 218 lbs. - 31 years old

I am not completely sure on the last 3 spots on the bench.

According to General Manager Larry Harris, the Bucks are planning on 18-year-old Ilyasova contributing off from the bench this season, as either the 9th or 10th man in the rotation.

From what I have been able to parse together from Harris's off-season comments, the Bucks are going to make attempts to re-sign Redd, Kukoc, Gadzuric, and Pachulia. Harris has not commented on pursuing Fizer, Santiago, Goldwire, or Strickland. As far as Booth, I do not see how the Bucks could re-sign Kukoc, Gadzuric, and Pachulia, and have room for another C/PF on their bench.

I am not completely sold on Gaines. However, I do believe that he has the versatility and potential to be a guy who occupies the 12th spot - until the Bucks are sure that he is never going to develop into anything other than a tweener. The players I had previously mentioned do not share this potential. Plus, he is from Madtown.

That being said, the Bucks roster looks good. Young, inexperienced, talented, but good. Probably, playoff good. The Bucks may have picked up two lottery picks in Bogut and Ilyasova, and when combined with the Pachulia and Gadzuric, create a great potential rotating backcourt for years to come.

Other than their own free-agents, here are some other names I could potentially see the Bucks pursue:

SF - Jason Kapono - 6' 8" 213 lbs. - 24 years old

PF - Scott Williams - 6' 10" 260 lbs. - 37 years old

PF - Stromile Swift - 6' 9" 230 lbs. - 25 years old

PF - Eddie Griffin - 6' 10" 240 lbs. - 23 years old

PG - Travis Best - 5' 11" 182 lbs. - 32 years old

SF - Joe Johnson - 6' 7" 230 lbs. - 23 years old

SG - Maurice Evans - 6' 5" 220 lbs. - 26 years old

PG - Antonio Daniels - 6' 4" 205 lbs. - 30 years old

SG - Ronald Murray - 6' 3" 197 lbs. - 25 years old

SF - Donyell Marshall - 6' 9" 230 lbs. - 32 years old

PG - Howard Eisley - 6' 2" 185 lbs. - 32 years old

SG - Juan Dixon - 6' 3" 164 lbs. - 26 years old

Finally, depending on what happens with Michael Redd, I wouldn't be surprised if the Bucks went back to one of these two players to take over some of the scoring burden:

SF - Glenn Robinson - 6' 7" 240 lbs. - 32 years old

SG - Ray Allen - 6' 5" 205 lbs. - 29 years old