Just over 12 hours after making the decision to draft him, the Bucks brass introduced Rashad Vaughn to the media. Vaughn was taken with the 17th overall pick last night.
Though the move was a bit of a surprise to some, John Hammond reiterated the appeal of the selection in his opening remarks.
"As we said last night after the pick, when we talked about the needs for our team going into this offseason, we talked about shooting, we talked about trying to get some more size, and maybe the backup point guard spot. Every time that we've talked about that, I think we mentioned it in that order. Shooting first. That was such a need for us, we thought as a team. I can say this; the guy sitting next to me, between Jason and I, this guy has a beautiful jump shot. I think he's going to turn into a great shooter in this league, not that he can't do more things. He's going to be a capable ball handler, he's going to be able to defend. He's going to grow into a great NBA, two-guard prototye type body. But what we liked about him best was his ability to make shots and shoot the ball, shoot the ball with great rhythm, great form, and we're all looking for that."
Vaughn grew up not too far away from Milwaukee in Minneapolis, and has no problems with being back close to home, telling reporters "it was a good feeling to be here and not to be too far away from home. It's just a couple hour drive away. It was a great feeling."
Plus, he's already sending out tweets with the L-word! He'll fit right in with Milwaukee folks.
Been in Milwaukee only a couple hours and I'm already in love with the city and the Fans ! #BucksNation
— Rashad Vaughn (@ShowtimeMr1) June 26, 2015
Vaughn is just 18, which means he'll have tons of time to improve and grow into something potentially special. Vaughn was particularly encouraged by his fit on a young roster that's already making waves in the Eastern Conference.
"Watching them play, for them to be that young and being in the playoffs and playing as well as they were playing, that really impressed me. Just how young the team is is what really impressed me. I think where this team is headed...the sky is the limit."
Though Vaughn was the only one present, he was not the only addition made to the Bucks last night. The team also acquired Greivis Vasquez from the Toronto Raptors last night via trade. Vasquez is currently in Venezuela, but he did try and contact John Hammond. The problem with that was that it was in the middle of the press conference, forcing Hammond to awkwardly answer and get off the phone as soon as possible.
Vasquez is 28 years old and is on an expiring contract of $6.6 million. He's not much more than a backup or spot starter, but he possess qualities that both Hammond and Kidd liked and were looking for heading into this dealing period.
"When you look at his competitiveness, his toughness, his basketball IQ, it fits. He fits our team and we're very excited to have the opportunity to have him."
The addition of Vasquez and Vaughn gives the Bucks a bit more depth and flexibility in the backcourt and a bump in shooting ability, an area of need for Milwaukee going forward. As Jason Kidd told reporters after the press conference, it's always good to have options.