When the Milwaukee Bucks selected Malique Lewis with the 60th pick in this past draft, the belief was that he would be a draft-and-stash. Per ESPN's Olgun Uluc, Lewis is nearing an agreement with the Cairns Taipans, which would keep him overseas this coming season. As the team looks to sort out its roster jam, this is unsurprising.
Malique Lewis is nearing a deal with the Cairns Taipans, sources told ESPN. Discussions between the Trinidadian forward and Taipans are in the advanced stages; there’s confidence a deal will soon be agreed for #NBL27. Lewis would be an import, and Cairns’ final roster spot.
— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) August 20, 2026
Lewis is yet another Bucks project player
Considering the Bucks have 17 players on standard contracts—15 is the allowed number once the regular season begins—Lewis always faced an uphill battle to get one of those. Unless he put up an incredible display in Summer League, which he didn't, the team was almost certainly going to take this route.
That way, rather than not earning any legitimate NBA reps with the team, the wing can now spend his season actually earning playing time and working on his craft. It worked wonders for last year's pick, Bogoljub Markovic, who won MVP honors after taking massive strides across the pond last season before inking a four-year pact with the Milwaukee Bucks this summer.
That's the blueprint Lewis should look to follow as he is poised to spend a year overseas. If he can take strides like Markovic, there could very well be an opportunity for him in Milwaukee next year as the team remains locked in on developing its youth.
Bucks' roster cutdown looms large as offseason nears an end
With Lewis heading overseas, the Milwaukee Bucks can keep an eye on him from afar. On this side, though, they still need to figure out who will actually be on the roster. Cutdowns are coming, though there is no telling who it will be. Two players who are currently on standard deals will find themselves elsewhere in due time.
Pete Nance, as painful as it would be after his emergence last season, feels like a clear candidate, but after him, there are no certainties. Markovic feels safe after inking his four-year deal, while the quartet who came over in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade are all likely safe. As sign-and-trade talks linger, perhaps the Milwaukee Bucks are looking at ways to get under the legal limit via that route.
No matter how they tackle the rest of the summer, Malique Lewis doesn't appear to be in Milwaukee's plans at this point in time. It's best for his development. We'll pick back up next year.
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