Last Thursday against the Pistons may have been Tyler Smith's last game in a Milwaukee Bucks jersey. If so, the franchise would yet again ditch a promising draft pick after one season. There's good reason to believe they will.
Smith's preseason minutes went from 13 in game one to eight versus Detroit to none at all in the last two contests. With opening night less than a week away and other players stepping up around him, Smith's fate in Milwaukee seems all but decided.
Time and chances ran out quickly in the NBA
Before training camp began, Smith still seemed like a decent bet to make the roster. He didn't do much as a rookie, but then again, the Bucks didn't give him much of a chance. He was solid, if unastounding, in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd. He is a floor spacing big with impressive athleticism and still just 20 years old.
Things have changed. The Bucks signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo, then brought in Amir Coffey on a camp deal. Coffey's non-guaranteed salary left his roster status up in the air, but after a strong first impression, it appears he's here to stay. Even Andre Jackson Jr. showed some preseason pizzazz, creating for teammates and making hustle plays that don't show up in the box score. Perhaps most tellingly, he had his name called every game, as did Coffey. Smith and Chris Livingston did not.
Regardless of what the Bucks do with Jackson, Smith seems unlikely to beat out both him and Livingston. It doesn't help that he struggled for most of Summer League, salvaging a 2-of-23 start from beyond the arc with a 4-of-6 night and 21 points in the finale.
As it stands now, that isolated outburst is the only leg he has to stand on. In preseason play, Smith went 1-of-7 and racked up as many fouls (three) as points. There isn't much to say about his minutes against the Heat and Pistons. That's kind of the point.
For a player the Bucks drafted 33rd overall in 2024, it would be a disappointing way to cut ties. It would also fit right in with where their draft picks of any hype or promise have seemingly ended up, which is to say not in Milwaukee. Their other selection from the '24 draft, guard AJ Johnson, was shipped to Washington in the Kyle Kuzma trade.
Smith only appeared in 21 games for Milwaukee last season, averaging 5.3 minutes and 2.9 points per contest, and it would hardly be fair to write him off just yet. He just turned 20 in June and could take time to develop. His range, length, and bounce at the rim make him an appealing prospect to work with for a team that has playing time available. Unfortunately, the Bucks are not one of those teams. If they do let him go, though, casting off yet another wasted draft pick, it's going to hurt.