The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly signed undrafted Kentucky sophomore E.J. Montgomery to a two-way contract following the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Milwaukee Bucks came away with a pair of dangerous shooters during Wednesday night’s NBA Draft, but their work is not done just yet.
According to multiple reports, the Bucks have signed undrafted Kentucky forward EJ Mongtomery to one of their two-way contracts ahead of the 2020-21 season.
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While Montgomery didn’t get to hear his name on draft night, getting the security of a two-way contract is a nice consolation prize, especially with the lifted restrictions going into the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That now leaves the Bucks with one open two-way contract slot as the other is currently occupied by reigning G League MVP Frank Mason III. We’ll know of his fate later Thursday as the Bucks will have to tender his qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent, along with Bucks wing Sterling Brown.
What are the Milwaukee Bucks getting with EJ Montgomery after signing him to a two-way contract?
Montgomery is making the jump to the NBA after two seasons in Lexington and playing under legendary head coach John Calipari. That’s after being a five-star recruit, being a McDonald’s All-American and ranking as the 10th-best recruit by RSCI rankings.
Clearly, Mongomery comes carrying a high pedigree from the amateur level, though his body of work at Kentucky leaves a little to be desired. Over his two years with the Wildcats, Montgomery averaged a meager 4.8 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, 3-for-16 from 3-point range, and chipped in 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in19 minutes per game over his 65 appearances.
Standing at 6’10,” 230 lbs and armed with a seven-foot wingspan, the size, length and athleticism Mongomery brings to the table is clearly intriguing. And with that, he acquits himself incredibly well on the defensive side of the ball, between his shot blocking abilities (6.3 career block percentage) as well as cleaning up on the glass.
It’s on the offensive end where Montgomery has to answer a lot of questions, especially as it pertains to being able to make a mark in the modern NBA.
At the top of that list is Montgomery’s inability to shoot away from distance. Watch the highlight video from above and the 21-year-old shows some shooting prowess with his lefty jumpshot from mid-range. However, the lack of a resume he showed from 3-point range in college and the fact that he was a 62.5 percent free throw shooter indicates the lack of shooting touch he possesses at the moment.
All of that explains why Montgomery is signing a two-way contract and to his benefit, he’s landing with a team that boasts a great development team both in Milwaukee and Oshkosh with Wisconsin Herd head coach Chase Buford.
We’ll see what comes of the G League this season, given the uncertainty surrounding the league this year, and how that will affect Montgomery’s development. In the meantime, welcome to Milwaukee, EJ!