Bucks Waive Gerald Green
The Bucks have waived veteran forward Gerald Green, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The 10-year veteran signed with Milwaukee last month just before training camp opened. Green’s deal was non-guaranteed, so the Bucks won’t owe him anything. He will now go on waivers and will be free to sign with any team if he is not claimed.
Green played 47 games for the Celtics last season, averaging 5.6 points in 11.4 minutes per night. A first-round pick in 2005, the 31-year-old has experienced a journeyman career, never spending more than two straight seasons with the same team. He has also played for the Timberwolves, Rockets, Mavericks, Nets, Pacers, Suns and Heat.
The move gives the Bucks flexibility as they now have 14 players on their roster, one below the league limit. Milwaukee is the only team in the league without at least one two-way contract.
Bucks Cut Brandon Rush, Joel Anthony, Gary Payton II
The Bucks have parted ways with a handful of players with NBA experience, announcing late last night (via Twitter) that they’ve requested waivers on swingman Brandon Rush, big man Joel Anthony, and second-year guard Gary Payton II.
Of the three players, Rush has the most recent NBA experience, and perhaps had the strongest case to earn a spot on the Bucks’ regular season roster. Last season, Rush appeared in 47 games (33 starts) for the Timberwolves, averaging a modest 4.2 PPG but making 38.6% of his threes. He’s a career 40.2% three-point shooter.
Rather than carrying Rush though, it appears the Bucks may open the season with Gerald Green holding their final roster spot. Currently, Milwaukee has 15 players under contract, with Green and his non-guaranteed deal joining 14 players on guaranteed salaries.
Rush, Anthony, and Payton will clear waivers on Monday, assuming they’re not claimed.
Bucks Waive Xavier Munford
The Bucks have waived Xavier Munford, the team announced on Twitter. The guard had been signed earlier this month after bouncing around NBA circles over the course of the past two seasons.
Munford played 15 games for the Grizzlies in 2015/16 but hadn’t played a game of big league action since.
The news brings Milwaukee’s roster down to 18 players.
Five Looming Team Option Decisions To Watch
NBA rookie contracts for first round picks feature a pair of team options in years three and four, and – unlike standard team options – the deadline for those decisions doesn’t fall on June 30. If a team wants to exercise its 2018/19 option for a player on a rookie contract, that team must do so this month, with an October 31 deadline looming.
Despite being forced to make decisions a year early, most teams simply pick up their club options on rookie-scale players. Even players who have underwhelming rookie seasons deserve an extra year or two to prove their value, and rookie-scale salaries are generally inexpensive, making them a worthwhile investment for NBA teams.
Still, not every former first round pick is worth keeping around for four full seasons on his rookie contract. With the help of our full list of 2018/19 rookie scale team options, here are five players who aren’t locks to have their options for next season exercised this month:
Jarell Martin, Grizzlies (fourth year, $2,416,222): A report at the start of training camp indicated that the Grizzlies had informed Martin he’d be waived, but had given him the opportunity to stick with the club for the preseason to help boost his stock. He has done just that in the early going, scoring 16 points in 22 minutes in his preseason debut, then nearly recording a double-double (eight points, nine rebounds) in just 13 minutes against the Sixers. Even if the Grizzlies remain prepared to move on from him, it will be interesting to see whether the team finds a taker on the trade market — a new team may be more willing to keep Martin around and perhaps pick up his 2018/19 option.- Cameron Payne, Bulls (fourth year, $3,263,294): It seems unfathomable that the Bulls would decline this option just months after making Payne the centerpiece of a deadline-day deal that saw them give up Doug McDermott, Taj Gibson, and their 2018 second-round pick. However, the early reviews on Payne in Chicago were negative, and he continues to be plagued by foot issues. If the Bulls want to maximize their cap flexibility in 2018, they’ll have to think hard about letting Payne become an unrestricted free agent.
- Kevon Looney, Warriors (fourth year, $2,227,081): The Warriors will likely have the NBA’s highest tax bill this season, and figure to be well over the threshold next year too. That means Looney’s fairly modest $2.23MM salary will be worth exponentially more in tax payments. The former UCLA standout has only played 468 total minutes in his first two NBA seasons, so unless the Warriors plan on having him take on a much larger role in year three, it may make sense to turn down this option — the Dubs can get more bang for their buck by signing a minimum-salary veteran.
- Josh Huestis, Thunder (fourth year, $2,243,326): Even after being stashed in the G League for his first professional season, Huestis hasn’t proven ready to contribute during his first two years with the Thunder — he has played in just seven regular season NBA games. Oklahoma City doesn’t have a deep roster this season after completing a pair of two-for-one trades for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, so now would be the time for Huestis to step up. If the taxpaying Thunder aren’t confident he can do so, they should re-allocate their 2018/19 money elsewhere.
- Rashad Vaughn, Bucks (fourth year, $2,901,565): The Bucks’ roster is littered with promising young players expected to be part of the long-term core in Milwaukee, but Vaughn has remained on the outside of that group looking in. A former 17th overall pick, Vaughn has struggled mightily during his first two NBA seasons, with a shooting line of just .327/.303/.700 in 111 games. Still, the 6’6″ guard has looked good in the preseason, and is still just 21 years old, which will make the Bucks reluctant to give up on his potential quite yet.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucks Rumors: Parker, Henson, Teletovic
- Bucks forward Jabari Parker is unlikely to return before February, at the earliest, according to Lowe. The former No. 2 overall pick continues to recover from a torn ACL as his October 16 contract extension deadline nears.
- The Bucks – who got out of the tax this year – would risk going back over the tax threshold for 2018/19 with an extension for Parker. Sources tell Lowe that Milwaukee has discussed dumping John Henson and/or Mirza Teletovic, but teams are “squeezing hard.” Henson and Teletovic are on the books for about $10.5MM each in 2018/19.
[SOURCE LINK]
Bucks Waive Kendall Marshall
11:02am: The Bucks confirmed the move in a tweet.
10:46am: The Bucks have waived veteran point guard Kendall Marshall, tweets Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Velazquez noted Marshall’s absence from this morning’s Fan Fest scrimmage, as the team only had 19 players participating.
Marshall, 26, signed a training camp deal with Milwaukee last month. He was a lottery pick in 2012, but hasn’t been able to find an NBA home, going through brief stays with the Suns, Lakers, Bucks and Sixers. He put up good numbers with the Reno Bighorns last season and may be heading back to the G League.
This is the third roster move of the week for Milwaukee, which waived James Young Wednesday and signed Xavier Munford Thursday. Y0ung officially become a free agent after clearing waivers Saturday.
2017 Offseason In Review: Milwaukee Bucks
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Milwaukee Bucks.
Signings:
- Tony Snell: Four years, $44MM. Fourth-year player option.
- Jason Terry: One year, minimum salary.
- Jalen Moore: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed. (Waived)
- Bronson Koenig: Two-way contract. Two years. (Waived)
Camp invitees:
- Brandon Rush: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract.
- Kendall Marshall: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract.
- Joel Anthony: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract with exhibit nine.
- Gerald Green: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract with exhibit nine.
- JeQuan Lewis: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract with exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- James Young: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
- Xavier Munford: Exact details not yet known.
Trades:
- Acquired cash ($2MM) from the Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Sindarius Thornwell (No. 48 pick).
- Acquired the draft rights to Sterling Brown (No. 46 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for cash ($1.9MM).
Draft picks:
- 1-17: D.J. Wilson — Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-46: Sterling Brown — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. Third year non-guaranteed.
Departing players:
- Michael Beasley
- Spencer Hawes (waived)
Other offseason news:
- Lost general manager John Hammond to Magic.
- Promoted Jon Horst to replace Hammond as GM.
- Hired Milt Newton as assistant general manager.
- Introduced new G League expansion team, the Wisconsin Herd.
Salary cap situation:
- Operating over the cap, but under the tax. Carrying approximately $116.8MM in guaranteed salaries. Most of mid-level exception ($7.59MM) and bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) available.
Check out the Milwaukee Bucks’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
The Bucks’ offseason began with the loss of longtime general manager John Hammond, who elected to take a job in Orlando’s front office. Although the Bucks indicated at the time that they’d conduct a search for a replacement, the choice seemed clear. Assistant GM Justin Zanik had been brought to Milwaukee and groomed to be Hammond’s successor, and he was named the team’s interim GM while the team explored its options. His eventual promotion seemed inevitable.
Within a matter of weeks, the Bucks reportedly narrowed their options to Zanik and Nuggets executive Arturas Karnisovas, and when the Nuggets gave Karnisovas a promotion to keep him in Denver, Milwaukee’s choice once again seemed obvious. However, rather than promoting Zanik, the Bucks – whose co-owners were at odds over the decision – passed over the assistant GM to name director of basketball operations Jon Horst their new general manager.
It was a surprising decision, one that cost the team Zanik. The former Jazz executive – who had reportedly received support for the GM position from two of three Bucks co-owners and head coach Jason Kidd – decided to return to Utah after being passed over in Milwaukee.
While we don’t know all the details of the Bucks’ unusual GM search, we’ve heard enough to make me seriously question the club’s process. If it had happened in a major market (imagine the Knicks conducting a similar search after Phil Jackson‘s ouster), it would’ve been viewed as a sign of dysfunction, but it has flown mostly under the radar in Milwaukee.
It remains to be seen whether the front office shuffle represents a blip on the radar for the Bucks as they work their way up the Eastern Conference standings, or if it’s an omen of future problems. But the good news for the team is that there’s far less turnover on the roster than in the front office. Thirteen of the 15 players who finished last season with the Bucks – including nine of the club’s top 10 scorers – remain on the roster. That level of continuity is a great sign for a team that appeared to be coming into its own at the end of the 2016/17 campaign.
Bucks Sign Xavier Munford
12:31pm: The Bucks have officially signed Munford, the team announced today in a press release. The club’s roster is now full once again.
10:54am: After clearing a spot on their 20-man preseason roster, the Bucks are expected to sign free agent shooting guard Xavier Munford, a source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link).
Munford, 25, made his NBA debut in 2015/16, appearing in 14 games for the Grizzlies. He hasn’t seen NBA action since then, having spent time last season in the G League and with a team in Spain.
Although Munford, who received a camp invite from the Clippers last fall, had yet to catch on with an NBA team this year, he had an eventful summer. The University of Rhode Island alum was part of the USA Basketball squad that won a gold medal at the FIBA AmeriCup tournament last month.
The Bucks created an opening on their roster by waiving James Young on Wednesday night. Still, the timing of their deal with Munford is somewhat unusual. At this point, Munford is unlikely to earn a spot on the Bucks’ regular season roster, with players like Brandon Rush, Gerald Green, and Gary Payton II likely ahead of him in the pecking order, and the Bucks don’t hold his G League rights.
Milwaukee may envision Munford as a player whose contract can be converted to a two-way deal later this month. Currently, the Bucks don’t have any players on two-way contracts, so both of those spots are up for grabs.
Bucks Waive James Young
10:29pm: The Bucks have officially requested waivers on Young, the team announced in a tweet.
9:35pm: Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters he expects James Young to be released tonight, tweets Matt Velasquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kidd said Young will likely join the Bucks’ G League affiliate if he clears waivers.
Young, 22, agreed to a training camp contract with Milwaukee four weeks ago. He had been searching for a new team since the Celtics elected not to re-sign him after the end of last season, playing for the Pelicans in the summer league and attending a free agent mini-camp conducted by the Bucks.
A first-round pick by Boston in 2014, Young spent most of his time in the G League, appearing in just 89 NBA games over three seasons. The 6’6″ shooting guard got into 29 games last year and averaged 2.3 points per night.
Milwaukee has the maximum of 20 players in camp, so there will be one opening if Young does get released. The Bucks have just 14 guaranteed contracts, so there’s an opportunity for one of the non-guaranteed players to make the roster.
Central Notes: Parker, Jackson, Stephenson
Bucks GM Jon Horst said the team has had positive discussions with Jabari Parker‘s camp about a contract extension, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The franchise places a high value on Parker, though Velazquez relays that former No. 2 overall pick’s injuries will play a role in the contract negotiations.
If Milwaukee can’t sign Parker to an extension by the deadline, the forward will become a restricted free agent at year’s end and the team can match any offer sheet he signs. Horst signals that the front office is negotiating with this in mind, as Velazquez relays in a full-length piece.
“Hopefully, the goal is to come to an extension agreement,” Horst said. “If we don’t, we want to be in a place where we can have the same type of productive conversations again as a restricted free agent with a player who we value significantly in our franchise.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- While Parker “definitely” wants to be in Milwaukee, he admits that it’s out of his hands, Velazquez passes along in the same piece. “I have no clue [what’s going on] and that’s why I pay [my agent],” Parker said of his contract negotiations with the Bucks. “I let them do all the madness.”
- Reggie Jackson, who has dealt with knee troubles since coming to the Pistons, will begin the season on a minutes limit, Rod Beard of the Detroit News relays via Twitter. “He will be on a minutes limit,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “It will be progressive as the season goes on.”
- Despite the lack of firepower on the offensive, it appears the Pacers plan on unleashing Lance Stephenson as their sixth man, Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star writes.“I love him in that position,” said Pacers General Manager Kevin Pritchard. “It reminds me of [Manu] Ginobili a long time ago. You can’t always get everybody the opportunity to score and make plays in the first five minutes.”