With the NBA now allowing teams to carry three two-way contracts, the Milwaukee Bucks can add another young player.
Just for a refresher, a two-way deal does not count toward a team’s standard roster spots, as it’s essentially an extra roster spot that allows a player to spend 50 games with the team, although a good chunk of their time will be spent in the G-League. Milwaukee’s two-way players right now are Lindell Wigginton and Omari Moore.
Let us look at who could join them as the team’s third two-way player before the NBA season.
Milwaukee Bucks’ two-way candidates: No. 1 – Kennedy Chandler
The Milwaukee Bucks should be looking to develop a backup point guard. They currently do not have one on the standard roster; Lindell Wigginton, another two-way player, is the closest thing they have right now. Luckily for Milwaukee, there are several compelling young backup guards on the market, headlined by youngster Kennedy Chandler.
Chandler, the 38th overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies after just one season. He’s just 20 years old and looking for a fresh start, and he’d be the clear-cut definition of a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Bucks on a two-way deal, especially for a unit that could use more ball-handlers on the roster.
He was a nice player in college and someone that a good number of Milwaukee Bucks fans were intrigued with leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft While he didn’t play much during his rookie year in Memphis, Chandler was a nice scorer, passer, and defender in college. With the right guidance and development, perhaps those skills could be unearthed at the NBA level.
To be clear, Chandler has his faults, mainly that he’s a bit undersized at 6-feet tall. Still, on a deal like this one, that shouldn’t be the end all be all. This move would be about bringing in a piece that many believed could have been a lottery pick in 2022. Even if Chandler spends most of his time in the G-League with the Wisconsin Herd, it’d be nice to know that the team is developing talent.
Milwaukee Bucks’ two-way candidates: No. 2 – Jazian Gortman
Jazian Gortman is another compelling candidate to fulfill the Milwaukee Bucks’ need for another ball-handler via a two-way slot. Gortman has an edge over the other candidates on this list due to his familiarity with the Bucks, having played with them in the Summer League. He’s slated to join the Bucks for training camp very soon, which could potentially help him earn a roster spot.
Though he is a bit undersized at 6-foot-2, he makes up for it elsewhere. He’s an electric scorer, but he’s more so known for his imposing defense. At the NBA Combine, he was one of the most vocal and energetic defenders, having picked up the most difficult assignments, per NBA.com. Despite being undersized, Gortman is consistently a flat-out pest on that side of the basketball.
At 20 years old, Gortman is still incredibly young and would be worth adding as a developmental piece for the Bucks. If he impresses in training camp, the team would be wise to add him on their final two-way deal. Even if he spends most of his time in the G-League, he’d be getting excellent reps to work on his game. In time, he could become a nice reserve contributor if given the chance.
Plenty of watchful eyes will be on Jazian Gortman in Milwaukee’s training camp.
Milwaukee Bucks’ two-way candidates: No. 3 – TyTy Washington Jr.
Like the aforementioned Kennedy Chandler, TyTy Washington Jr. is another point guard from the 2022 NBA Draft class who needs a new home after one season. The guard was involved in two trades this off-season before being waived by the OKC Thunder. As he looks for a new home in the coming months, the Milwaukee Bucks would be wise to at least reach out to the guard.
At 21 years old, Washington is the oldest player on this list, but he’s still obviously very young. The youngster was a combo guard at the collegiate level, and he clearly showed enough glimpses to be selected in the first round. His minutes were far from plentiful at the NBA level, but in college, he was a nice scorer and passer who played pesky defense. A player like that could be quite useful.
Like Chandler and Gortman, Washington would be a nice developmental piece who could spend a good amount of their time with the Herd. If the Bucks end up needing a backup point guard during the season, they’d have a nice option in the G-League ready to pounce on the opportunity. These are all interesting names to consider for that final two-way roster spot in Milwaukee.
It will be fascinating to see who the Milwaukee Bucks eventually sign with their final two-way slot.
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