The Milwaukee Bucks have made it a habit over the last several years to find abandoned talent and develop them through the G League before promoting them to the NBA level. Johni Broome, picked up this summer, felt like he was next in line. However, after a quick cup of coffee with the Wisconsin Herd in the G League, Broome is heading to Minnesota on a two-way contract. Experiment over.
Broome made plenty of sense in Milwaukee
The appeal of Broome was clear from the moment the Bucks signed him to a camp deal. While the frontcourt had some potential initially, there were question marks, especially revolving around center Myles Turner—his poor start has justified those uncertainties. It wouldn't hurt to have another option in their back pocket, and Broome's early G League play made him a possible candidate.
In two games with the Herd, Broome averaged 17.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, looking like a legitimate two-way threat. If he kept playing like that, it wouldn't have been surprising if he made his way onto the Milwaukee Bucks roster at some point. However, that dream is dead for the time being, as the Timberwolves have beaten the Bucks to the punch.
Bucks have options to fill Broome's shoes
Broome's exit should open the door for fellow Herd big men John Butler Jr. and Jake Stephens, who should be next in line to earn a promotion to the Milwaukee Bucks if the frontcourt woes persist. Both have shown flashes throughout the Herd's first two games, and they should see an uptick in minutes moving forward. Now, they have an opportunity to show their worth on a greater scale.
This also puts a brighter spotlight on Bogoljub Markovic, who is already on Milwaukee's roster via a standard contract but is spending most of his time in Oshkosh. If the former second round pick has his sights set on making it in the NBA, it's clear that he must earn it in the G League first. He's shown flashes of potential—and even won MVP overseas last season. Now, it's time for it to translate.
Shoutout to Johni Broome for getting another shot at NBA life through a two-way deal, sparked by a hot start with the Herd. This isn't a move the Milwaukee Bucks can or will dwell on, especially with all of the other options they can now sort through.
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