Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks signing Lindell Wigginton to a two-way

Although it was not a trade, the Milwaukee Bucks made a surprising move Thursday morning.

As first reported by Bleacher Report’s Jake L. Fischer, the Bucks have signed Lindell Wigginton to a two-way deal. To make room for Wigginton, the defending champs have requested waivers on guard Javonte Smart, who previously occupied one of Milwaukee’s two-way deals alongside fellow rookie Sandro Mamukelashvili. Even if it is not a seismic move, it is an interesting one, considering how depleted Milwaukee’s roster is right now.

Who is Lindell Wigginton and how will he help the Milwaukee Bucks?

The Bucks were quite familiar with Wigginton before making this move as he has been playing with the Wisconsin Herd this season, their G-League affiliate. With several members of the Herd getting 10-day NBA contracts amidst the ongoing league-wide health and safety protocol issues, Wigginton is someone who has stepped up with an extended opportunity.

In 17 games with the Herd this season, which included 11 starts, the guard showed off potential by averaging 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 30.6 minutes per game. Wigginton can score and distribute the basketball at an incredibly high level, which is precisely what the Bucks are in the market for right now as they deal with issues in the backcourt and off the bench.

With Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Donte DiVincenzo, Pat Connaughton, and George Hill all missing time for Milwaukee lately, they have been severely short on guards. This has resulted in the front office signing Langston Galloway and Jeff Dowtin Jr. to 10-day deals, but neither has quite panned out like they might have hoped. Although the Bucks are starting to get some of these players back into the rotation, someone like Wigginton could help with their lackluster bench production.

Milwaukee’s bench currently ranks 29th in both points and assists per game this season, which has obviously been a massive hindrance to their success, particularly following the very puzzling decision to part ways with DeMarcus Cousins. Wigginton will not elevate the bench production by himself, but the potential is there for him to earn some time as the team battles through their share of injuries and illnesses.

Ultimately, this is a low-risk move. Although Smart showed some brief glimpses of potential in his playing time with the Bucks, it was telling that he could not get off the bench lately despite both of Milwaukee’s point guards in Holiday and Hill being sidelined. The Bucks will now bring up a player they have likely been monitoring closely with the Herd and aim to develop him moving forward. He will still likely see playing time with the Herd, but if the Bucks’ current guard issues persist as the year goes on, Wigginton could earn some time with the champs.

It will be interesting to see if Wigginton will be in uniform for tonight’s must-see clash between the Bucks and the Golden State Warriors. With Hill ruled out and Holiday listed as doubtful, the guard could see time out on the floor.

Welcome to Milwaukee, Lindell!