Milwaukee Malique Bucks-bound after draft breakthrough

The champagne corks are popped and the Phoenix flags are waiving as Malique Lewis’s dreams became reality after being picked up in the 2026 NBA Draft.  

Lewis was confronted with an agonising wait, taken at pick 60 by the Washington Wizards (which was then on-traded to the Milwaukee Bucks) which signalled the final draft choice and the end of the night in Brooklyn.

The 6”8 forward from Trinidad and Tobago spent two years with the South East Melbourne Phoenix as an NBL Next Star and completed a reported six pre-NBA workouts with various clubs, eventually landing at the Bucks.

Phoenix General Manager of Basketball Operations Simon Mitchell lauded Lewis’s rise to the NBA as a testament to his hard work and strong will.

“Malique came to us as an athletic talent, and through his dedication to his craft and from the support from our Performance team, he has exited as a really strong package at that wing spot,” Mitchell said.

“The Bucks are getting a great three-and-D player, someone who can make decisions off the dribble, but above all else they’re getting a really great person.

“On behalf of the whole Phoenix organisation, our heartfelt congratulations go to Malique and his family, he’ll always be a part of the Heartland.”

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Lewis played 63 games with the Phoenix, scoring 431 points, reigning in 264 rebounds alongside 93 assists and 37 blocks.

Lewis’s impact was felt far beyond the court, winning the Community Impact Award and fast becoming a fan-favourite in the Heartland.  

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