The Milwaukee Bucks recently put the finishing touches on their 18-man roster by signing guard TyTy Washington to a two-way deal.
Many were surprised that Washington, a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, was available in the first place. Yet, after being traded twice and waived this past off-season, the 21-year-old was in the market for a new home, and the Milwaukee Bucks obliged. Most experts and fans have been quite high on the move, but one expert in particular stands out due to his comments.
NBA Draft expert is quite high on the newest Milwaukee Bucks’ signing
The Athletic NBA Draft expert Sam Vecenie recently sat down with Bucks beat writer Eric Nehm to talk about the team’s young players (Subscription required). Vecenie has been incredibly high on Washington since before the 2022 Draft, having ranked him in his top 15 prospects, and he didn’t cease his praise of the young guard while talking to Nehm.
Looking at Milwaukee’s three two-way players, Vecenie said that he’d bet Washington is the likeliest name among the bunch to receive a standard deal at some point this season. Quite unlike his brief stint with the Houston Rockets, Vecenie thinks Washington could thrive in Milwaukee due to the role he could play as a secondary ball handler rather than a primary next to other Bucks.
The Milwaukee Bucks very much need a backup point guard right now, so picking up Washington made perfect sense. While he likely will not play an overly prominent role this coming season, the guard could see occasional minutes to alleviate pressure off of Milwaukee’s other ball-handlers in Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton.
Some will say, “Well, there’s a reason that Washington was traded twice and cut this off-season.” To that, Vecenie said that he believes not only did Houston misuse the guard while he was there, but he also thinks they moved him to try and clear cap space to sign Brook Lopez away from the Bucks in 2023 NBA Free Agency. Of course, that did not happen.
Ultimately, the TyTy Washington signing will not be a game-changer for the Milwaukee Bucks, but it’s nice to add a young point guard who can develop behind some reputable names. The cherry on top is that one of the most well-known draft experts out there is rather high on the move. It’ll be an interesting year for TyTy Washington in 2023-24.
The Milwaukee Bucks could very well have a diamond in the rough on their hands here.
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