Wisconsin Herd reportedly sign veteran point guard Brandon Jennings
Following plenty of speculation, the Wisconsin Herd have reportedly signed NBA veteran point guard and one-time former Buck Brandon Jennings off waivers.
In the midst of an extended break in play, the Wisconsin Herd have made a notable acquisition that stands as a full circle moment for all fans of their parent club, the Milwaukee Bucks.
On Tuesday afternoon, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported Tuesday afternoon that the Herd have added NBA veteran point guard and one-time former Buck Brandon Jennings via the league’s waiver priority list.
The Wisconsin Herd of the @nbagleague have claimed former Bucks draftee Brandon Jennings, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 13, 2018
The speculation started in earnest Tuesday morning as Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days reported that the 28-year old point guard had signed a G League contract, which is the norm for picking up players and adds them to the league’s player pool.
NBA veteran Brandon Jennings has signed a G League contract, league sources tell @2Ways10Days.
— Jawnzun (@jawnzun) February 13, 2018
Johnson added to the scoop by noting that the Herd sat atop of the G League’s waiver priority list, which acts as the mechanism to add players who have just signed contracts with the league.
Wisconsin Herd sit atop the waiver priority list for the G League. https://t.co/DtsGpGrFKr
— Jawnzun (@jawnzun) February 13, 2018
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The move brings Jennings back stateside as he’s fresh off a stint overseas after spending the bulk of the season so far playing for the Shanxi Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association.
In 13 appearances with the club this season, Jennings averaged 27.9 points on 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 38.2 percent shooting from three, along with 5.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 13 total appearances.
Of course, the Herd’s decision to bring in Jennings reunites him with the organization where he spent the first four years of his NBA career after being selected by the Bucks with 10th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
As all Bucks fans are well aware of, Jennings soared out of the gate during the early days of his stint in Milwaukee, with his 55-point performance against the Golden State Warriors seven games into his rookie campaign standing as one of the most exciting and enthralling single game performances in franchise history.
But the highs of Jennings’ time in Milwaukee certainly came with many low points as he, and eventually the team itself, failed to sustain any sort of consistency by the end of his stay before it came to a close in July 2013 when he was moved to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Brandon Knight, Khris Middleton and Viacheslav Kristov in a sign-and-trade deal.
While some fans may look at the move curiously, especially with 10-day contracts at the disposal of teams around the NBA, Jennings is no stranger to playing on the G League setting.
Back in the 2015-16 season, Jennings played one game with the Grand Rapids Drive as part of a rehab assignment after rupturing his Achilles tendon the previous year during his stint with the Pistons (coincidentally, Jennings tore his Achilles during a late January meeting with the Bucks in Milwaukee in the 2014-15 year).
So although it’s still a rung down from his ultimate goal, the hope on Jennings’ part is that logging time with the Herd will act as a springboard for him to catch a look with an NBA team who’s in need of some guard help for the remainder of the season.
On the Herd side of things, they’re certainly hoping that adding Jennings gives them a shot in the arm they desperately need right now in the short-term, considering they have fallen back down to Earth and then some after their hot start to their expansion campaign.
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No matter how it ultimately shakes out for both Jennings as well as the Herd, it appears that you can go home again, or two hours outside of home, in this case. In any event, we’ll certainly be tuned into Jennings’ first game with the Herd when they return to action on February 21 against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in Menominee Nation Arena.