Milwaukee Bucks Rumors: Wanting to sign Elijah Bryant?

It seemed as though the Milwaukee Bucks have filled out their 15-man roster after converting Mamadi Diakite’s two-way contract last month. Yet intrigue still remains in regards to their roster.

First reported by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, the Bucks have may have a late season reinforcement lined up in current Maccabi Tel Aviv guard Elijah Bryant. In order to make room for Bryant, the Bucks may look to waive Rodions Kurucs, who has made just five appearances with the club since arriving as part of the P.J. Tucker trade.

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However, a report from EuroHoops’ Stefan Djordevic showed the potential hurdles the Bucks face in securing Bryant after Macaabi Tel Aviv got bounced out of the EuroLeague recently.

The biggest hurdle is that Bryant doesn’t have a buyout clause in his contract with the Israeli powerhouse and his side would have to negotiate a buyout in order to free him up to join Milwaukee at this stage of the season. As Djordevic notes, the Bucks can negotiate up to $750,000 for a buyout without it affect their salary cap.

The Milwaukee Bucks have long held interest in signing Elijah Bryant

This is not the Bucks’ first rodeo, so to speak, when it comes to potentially signing Bryant, who has spent his entire professional career overseas after going undrafted in 2018.

The Bucks reportedly made a contract offer to Bryant before the start of the 2020-21 season, though it remains to be seen what kind of contract was offered to the 26-year-old. And of course, Bryant had previously played for the Bucks during their run at the 2019 Summer League in Las Vegas that eventually led the way for him to signing a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Despite the long-lasting interest that Bryant has fielded from the Bucks, he has stayed sharp on his game while playing in Israel. Across all competitions, Bryant is averaging 10.9 points on .477/.387/.840 shooting, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals in 51 appearances this 2020-21 season.

While he’s asserted himself as an accomplished player overseas, Bryant knows his time is coming as it relates to making the jump to the NBA. And as he talked to Jeff Call of the Deseret News in June of 2020, Bryant has remained patient as he holds out hope for a better opportunities in the NBA:

"“It went really well with the Bucks. I had opportunities for non-guaranteed stuff in the NBA. But I wanted to play in the Euroleague and play at the highest Euro level of basketball. I think my time will come. I just need to be ready and prepared for it because you don’t get many shots at the NBA, you know?” Bryant said. “It so happened that this was the best situation for me and my career and my family. After praying, we decided this was the best decision for us. It just so happened to be in Israel and it was an easier adjustment for us. It wasn’t necessarily an idea of staying in Israel, it was the best option for us.”"

Whether the continued interest the Bucks have had in Bryant leads to them finally prying the 2-guard away from overseas remains to be seen. But it’s hardly a surprise to see the Bucks hot on Bryant’s proverbial trail once again.