The Bucks have made it official with Marvin Williams, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed the veteran forward. Terms of the deal weren’t revealed, but it figures to be a one-year contract worth the prorated veteran’s minimum.
After remaining in Charlotte through the trade deadline, Williams quickly negotiated a buyout with the Hornets, clearing the way for him to join a contending team. Before that buyout with Charlotte was even official, Williams’ camp had lined up a deal with the NBA-leading Bucks, who released little-used big man Dragan Bender in order to create an opening on their 15-man roster.
Williams is unlikely to play major minutes in Milwaukee, but he’ll provide veteran leadership in the locker room and is still capable of playing a three-and-D role off the bench.
The 33-year-old has averaged a career-low 19.7 minutes per game in 41 contests for the Hornets in 2019/20, but has made 37.6% of his three-point attempts, slightly better than his career rate of 36.2%. He also contributed 6.7 PPG and 2.7 RPG in Charlotte this season.
Williams, who is in his 15th NBA season, suggested last month that he may consider retirement at season’s end. Before he seriously weighs that decision, he should get a legit chance to compete for a championship for the first time in his career — he has never made it beyond the second round in any previous postseason.
Williams’ new minimum-salary deal with the Bucks will pay him $956,348 for the final 66 days of the regular season — that’s the exact amount he gave up in his buyout with the Hornets, per Jeff Siegel of the Early Bird Rights (Twitter link). Milwaukee will carry a $604,278 cap hit for Williams.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer noted that Williams will be listed as active for tonight’s game against the Kings but will probably not play, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Matt Velazquez (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Don’t understand this move at all, why mess with something that’s not broken…
Bender never played so it’s not
Like they are losing a key piece to their rotation. Also the one thing this team lacked was a backup athletic forward who can defend and hit 3’s. Ilyasova has struggled against quicker power forwards all season. This move simply adds even more quality depth to an already stacked bench.
Until someone else wins the east, it will still be the Raptors conference to lose. Milwaukee was 60-22 last year and failed to reach the Finals. It doesn’t matter how many regular season games they manage to win.
I would agree with you IF the Raptors didn’t lose their best player in free agency. If you think they are the same team without Kawhi Leonard then you didn’t watch the playoffs last season because he was clearly the difference maker for them.
Toronto is good, the team to beat in my opinion outside shooting depth a unstoppable player good coaching good defense, but their getting old fast with Gasol ibaka Lowery and with Van Fleet and OG Ananoby being free agents makes this prabaly the last run at a title doesn’t take much to upset the chemistry of a champion