The NBA Draft Combine is currently in full swing, and John Tonje is participating in drills and scrimmages to showcase his NBA talent. Yesterday, the NBA lottery announced the order of the picks, and the Dallas Mavericks are officially on the clock ahead of Wednesday, June 25th, when the draft officially starts.
Since the order is now known, mocking the NBA Draft became a whole lot easier. ESPN came out with their latest mock draft last night. John Tonje is the 47th pick and 17th pick in the second round. Wisconsin fans will love who holds that 47th pick: the Milwaukee Bucks.
John Tonje has been mocked as the 47th pick in the NBA Draft to the Milwaukee Bucks
Wisconsin fans fell in love with Tonje all last year as he dominated for Greg Gard and the Badgers. He played with passion, energy, and exceptional skill. He truly was an amazing transfer portal pickup in so many ways. His humble demeanor behind the scenes made him all the more likable. The hardest part as a Badger fan is that Tonje was only with us for one short year. Yet, he was out of eligibility completely as a fifth-year player in the NCAA.
Now, there's a chance he stays with us a little longer, in a way. Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks would keep him home (even if he's not actually from Wisconsin) and allow Wisconsin fans to continue to root for him.
While mock drafts rarely work out to where the picks are suggested, the dream scenario of John Tonje coming to the Milwaukee Bucks can live in our minds for the next month as we imagine going to the Fiserv Forum with our green "Tonje" Bucks jerseys, buying our overpriced beers, and cheering on a Badger legend even if he only was a Badger for one year.