Right now, it is a quiet period for Milwaukee Bucks for the most part. But what’s beginning now is the NBA Draft combine. It’s not as serious as the NFL Draft combine because the season is still going on plus many of the elite-level players do not even show up. Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant made an interesting comment about how it’s not effective for players. But we, sometimes, get interesting comments like the one from UCLA standout T.J. Leaf who talked glowingly about Bucks and the new arena. Which got me thinking can new digs pull in new talent?

TJ Leaf said w/ Jabari back Bucks can compete with the best in the East. Cited new arena as something exciting about possibly going to MKE. https://t.co/Yo9fCtP9gB

— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) May 11, 2017

It’s exciting to hear prospects talk about Milwaukee in this kind of way. Long gone are the days of Todd Day who bemoaned getting picked by Bucks, and more guys want to play for this team. I think the arena has something to do with it, but more so, it’s the chance Milwaukee could be really great in their first couple years as a pro. For free agents, the investment on new facilities matters especially to older players. Bucks treatment centers will be right new to arena starting in 2017-2018. No more Cousins Center trips making everything centrally located. It’s not just the big-ass burrito-looking building, rather, it’s the things around it that make it an appealing destination for some free agents. It will never be Miami or Los Angeles, but they’re doing the right things.

Good start for Bucks from an interview perspective with Leaf and Justin Patton who is also in that tweet. I saw Dillon Brooks mentioned for Milwaukee which was another one that I could fully get behind. The more and more, I think Bucks are in a nice spot in the draft. It’s a loaded one so being somewhere near the lottery as a playoff team trying to build a franchise is a good thing.

Charlie.