Point guard Jamaree Bouyea had a quick cup of coffee with the Milwaukee Bucks over the past year, but after being waived before the season, he is now heading to Phoenix. The Suns have signed him to a two-way contract, clearing room for the one-time Buck to continue his NBA career after it seemed like his options were running low.
Bouyea will head to Phoenix after stint with Bucks
Right off the bat, it makes sense that Phoenix was in the market for a true point guard. Devin Booker, a two-guard by nature, has been running the point for most of this season. Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin have taken turns handling floor general duties off the bench, but the team is thin at that spot, especially with fellow ball-handler Jalen Green injured.
Even if it's solely for depth purposes, Bouyea is a fine addition to reinforce Phoenix's point guard spot. While he's never played a major role in the big leagues, he's accumulated plenty of experience and been around a handful of big-name players and coaches in stints with the Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Some Bucks fans were upset to see Bouyea go. His chances of cracking the rotation were slim, but he was coming off a strong showing in the Summer League, which included a game-winning bucket. Stashing him in the G League for another season might have been an understandable move, but the Bucks gave his spot to Alex Antetokounmpo, an understandable stance.
The writing was also on the wall that Bouyea might be on the way out following the Milwaukee Bucks' move to pluck fellow point guard Mark Sears out of the undrafted pool. Sears is a decorated college player who has already shown flashes with the Bucks. If they were going to have a point guard on a two-way contract, Sears was the safest bet.
Even without Bouyea, the Milwaukee Bucks have a handful of intriguing point guards in their farm system down in the G League. Former lottery picks Kira Lewis Jr. and Dennis Smith Jr., who is set to join the Wisconsin Herd this week, headline a point guard rotation full of intriguing names running the floor. If the Bucks need to bring anyone up, they won't be struggling for depth.
Time will tell if Bouyea can carve out a bigger role for himself in Phoenix than he did with the Bucks.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.