Having been both signed and waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Jemerrio Jones looks to be the latest player set to join the Wisconsin Herd.
As the deadline to cut down rosters before the start of the regular season approaches, the Milwaukee Bucks remain active in making moves.
Having signed Trevor Lacey late on Thursday night, the Bucks continued to make use of their Exhibit 10 contracts by making another signing on Saturday.
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The latest player to very briefly join up with the Bucks was Jemerrio Jones, a 24-year-old wing who spent part of last season playing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jones had since been traded to the Washington Wizards as part of the Anthony Davis trade, where he suited up in Scott Brooks‘ team in preseason before ultimately being waived and landing on the open market once again.
As was the case with Lacey, the Bucks then stepped into action, spotting an opportunity to acquire Jones’ G League rights for the Wisconsin Herd.
On Saturday afternoon, the Bucks made that process official, waiving Jones, along with Lacey and Rayjon Tucker.
The Bucks have requested waivers on Rayjon Tucker, Trevor Lacey and Jemerrio Jones.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 19, 2019
Tucker appeared in three preseason contests and averaged 3.3 pts in 9.7 mpg.
Lacey and Jones were signed on Oct. 17 and Oct. 19, respectively, and did not appear in any preseason games. pic.twitter.com/ve18HTq7ni
If, as expected, that trio all opt to sign with the G League for the upcoming season, they’ll know be headed to Oshkosh to play under Chase Buford and the new-look Herd coaching staff.
What will Jones bring to the table, though? First and foremost, he has G League experience, having played 47 games with the South Bay Lakers last season. Jones is accustomed to the rigors and the grind of life in the G League.
The Nashville native’s standout attribute is undoubtedly his rebounding, though. Standing as a 6’5″ wing who struggles with his shot, Jones makes his greatest impact with monumental rebounding efforts, and has done so now at various different levels.
In two seasons with the New Mexico Lobos in college, Jones averaged 10.8 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game, including an average of 13.2 boards per game for his senior year.
If there were any question marks over the ability for Jones’ nose for boards to translate to a pro setting, those were certainly answered emphatically last year.
In 47 contests with the South Bay Lakers, Jones averaged 9.6 rebounds in 24.7 minutes, while when he eventually got the chance to play six games at the NBA level with the L.A. Lakers, Jones delivered 8.2 boards in 23.8 minutes per game.
To get another chance at the NBA level, and to have a realistic chance of sticking there, Jones will have to improve offensively, particularly when it comes to his shooting, but he now knows he’ll at least have a chance to do that under the gaze of NBA organizations when he plays for the Herd.
With Saturday’s transactions, and barring any more signings on Sunday, it appears as if Dragan Bender has held on to his roster spot heading into the regular season. Based on how well he played in the preseason, that’s no real surprise either.