As the Milwaukee Bucks remain active in trade rumors across the NBA, they just made a much smaller move, parting ways with Mark Sears. Per HoopsHype NBA insider Michael Scotto, the Bucks have waived the two-way guard in a somewhat surprising move. What does this mean for the Bucks? Let's break it down.
Bucks part with potential-filled two-way guard, next move inevitable
Sears always faced an uphill battle to make the leap from two-way player to standard roster player. Milwaukee's point guard room is currently full, with Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins starting for the Bucks and Cole Anthony serving as the break glass in case of emergency floor general. There was simply no opportunity for the guard to spread his wings at the NBA level.
Sears' departure clears room for the Milwaukee Bucks to fill a two-way roster spot. They cannot use that contract to sign anyone, as any candidate must have three or fewer years of NBA service to find themselves eligible. Given that they made this move out of the blue, one would think that they have a target in mind to fill Mark Sears' place. Only time will tell exactly who that might be.
The move is surprising, given that Sears had been playing well with the Bucks' G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. In nine Tip-Off Tournament games, Sears averaged 15 points, 5.1 assists, and one steal per game. There were glimpses of potential sprinkled throughout his play, as the guard showed signs of being a legitimate floor general.
Sears felt like he could have been a hidden gem for the Milwaukee Bucks when they picked him out of the undrafted pool last summer. After seeing AJ Green go from an undrafted two-way contributor to a standard rostered player making a nightly impact, many Bucks fans hoped Sears would be next in line to defy the odds.
Now, the question is who the Milwaukee Bucks will select to join Alex Antetokounmpo and Pete Nance in their two-way room. Perhaps the Bucks will look to reward someone in-house, such as Herd guard and former lottery pick Johnny Davis. Perhaps they look externally and aim to fill a position of need, which is small forward at this point in time. No matter what, they now have the needed flexibility.
It won't be surprising if another team takes a look at Sears soon, hoping to see what he can bring to the table for them.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.