In his Milwaukee Bucks Summer League debut, Cormac Ryan splashed onto the scene with 18 points and a 3-for-6 mark from downtown. In five summer games, the former Tar Heel wing averaged 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
He showed enough to earn a training camp contract from the Bucks. While there isn't room for Ryan on an already crowded roster, it's an opportunity to show the league his worth. Emulating the career trajectory of another Bucks youngster, combo guard Ryan Rollins, would serve him quite well.
Camp deal with Bucks is Ryan's stepping stone to next stop
Ryan completed his fifth year of college at North Carolina in 2023-24, then signed with the Thunder. He did not carve out a spot on the 15-man roster, but he played reasonably well for the G-League affiliate Oklahoma City Blue. Including the G League Showcase Cup, Ryan shot 38.4 percent on a high volume of threes, averaging 7.9 points and 3.7 rebounds overall. He also converted 97 percent of his free throw attempts.
It's a small sample size, but he followed up by going 22-of-24 from the charity stripe in Summer League. Typically, free-throw line precision from prospects is a good indicator of NBA-level shooting ability. While Ryan put up rather mediocre 39.5/35.2/.82.5 splits in college, it's worth noting that his best season from the stripe came as a senior. Alongside his G-League data, it's enough to suggest he has polished his skills and is trending in the right direction as a reliable sharpshooter.
If he does pan out, it likely won't be for the Milwaukee Bucks. That's ok, though. An impressive preseason could create opportunities elsewhere. Rollins, for one, knows something about capitalizing on second or third chances.
After suffering a season-ending foot injury and being let go by the Warriors and Wizards, Rollins came to Milwaukee at the end of his second year. In 2024-25, he played his way into the rotation and went from a two-way contract to a standard one. In free agency, the Bucks re-signed him for three years and $12 million. Doc Rivers believes in him. As a young player who struggled to stick out in college, he is an encouraging example for prospects in similar circumstances.
Ryan's situation, of course, is a bit different. Whereas Rollins had his name called midway through the second round, Ryan joined the Thunder as an undrafted free agent. Rollins entered the league at 20 after a breakout sophomore season at Toledo. He immediately put up good numbers in limited G-League reps.
On the other hand, Ryan turns 27 at the end of next month. While he played for higher-profile programs in Notre Dame and UNC, he never broke out like Rollins. He needed five years of college ball to build up his resume.
With lower prospect stock, Ryan faces more of an uphill battle to capture teams' attention. Still, Rollins' resilient career path could serve as a model if the former ends up looking for his third team in two years - just like the Bucks were for Rollins. A strong showing in camp could be Ryan's ticket to gaining a foothold for another interested franchise.