Milwaukee Bucks reportedly sign Trevon Duval to two-way contract

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly signed undrafted former Duke Blue Devil Trevon Duval on a two-way contract.

Having waived Marshall Plumlee in recent days, the Milwaukee Bucks have wasted little time in making further deals when it comes to their two-way roster spots.

According to a report from Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Bucks have signed former Duke point guard Trevon Duval on a deal that will see him spend most of next season in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd.

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The Bucks were reported to have extended the qualifying offer to Herd standout Xavier Munford heading into free agency, and it’s unclear if or how this deal may affect his future with the franchise. It’s still possible he may remain as a two-way player alongside Duval.

Duval is still an incredibly young prospect at just 19 years of age, having entered this year’s draft in the hopes of finding a landing spot in the second round, only to go undrafted.

As The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks laid out, the imminent arrival of Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cameron Reddish in Durham likely pushed Duval into that situation as his opportunity to flourish would have been significantly more limited if he’d stayed for his sophomore season.

Still, Duval was very recently seen as a top prospect in his own right and he’s only a year removed from being a McDonald’s All-American and pegged as a five-star recruit too.

That single year under Mike Krzyzewski proved to be a disappointment, though, as in 37 games, Duval averaged just 10.3 points, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 29.7 minutes per game.

Particularly damaging to Duval’s draft stock was likely his 29 percent three-point shooting. Duval’s shooting stroke is far from smooth, and will likely undergo a full overhaul in the NBA. That may need to take effect to guarantee his long-term future in the league, but that’s not to say there aren’t plenty of other positives to counteract those struggles either.

Duval is physically well-equipped to be an NBA point guard at 6’2″ with a 6’9″ wingspan, and a sturdy 195lb frame in spite of his still tender years. With a combination of great vision, handles, and athleticism, there’s still plenty of room for Duval to flourish into a very intriguing young pro.

Chris Johnson of Sports Illustrated gave a sense of that with a very encouraging appraisal of Duval’s future heading into the draft:

"“Top-tier athleticism and physical tools give Duval the outline of a starting point guard in the NBA, but right now, it seems more likely that he tops out as a backup. His progression as a shooter will be critical.”"

More recently, Duval suited up for the Houston Rockets in Summer League. During his time in Vegas, Duval averaged 9.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists across 16.9 minutes per game in five contests.

Writing about the potential for the Rockets to keep him around on a two-way deal, Colin Connors over at SB Nation’s The Dream Shake noted:

"“Duval has been praised throughout his career as an intelligent individual who is eager to learn. He is self-aware. He supposedly watches a lot of film and works to diligently to fortify the holes in his game. In fact, he has already began working to change his infamously poor form.”"

All in all, it’s safe to say Duval fits a very different profile to the Bucks’ previous two-way signings. Rather than an instant contributor who could help the Herd and fill in capably as a backup for the Bucks if called upon, Duval is a young player who may still have plenty of potential left to be uncovered and developed.

Signing him to a two-way gives the Bucks the luxury of controlling his rights without having to give Duval a full spot on their NBA roster, and will also provide a chance for him to work and develop in an NBA setting while getting regular game reps in the G League.

Two-way players can provide 45 days of service for their NBA franchise, counting both games and practice days, while spending the rest of the season in the G League.

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If the Bucks can do a better job of optimizing those days than they did with their two-way players last year, while also working closely on a development plan with the Herd staff, Duval could prove to be a gamble worth taking for Milwaukee’s future.