Milwaukee Bucks Blog – Page 11 – NBA Blog

Bucks hire Mike Budenholzer as head coach

The Milwaukee Bucks today named Mike Budenholzer as the team’s new head coach.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mike Budenholzer as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst. “Mike has played a key role in building successful teams throughout his career. He’s widely respected and has shown a special ability to teach and develop players. His leadership, basketball intellect, championship-level experience and communication skills make him the right fit to take our team to the next level.”

“After a thorough coaching search, it was clear that Mike was the ideal choice as we enter into a new era of Bucks Basketball,” said Bucks owners Wes Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan. “Mike has demonstrated the ability to lead and communicate, and understands what it takes to build a winning culture. This move puts our organization in a terrific position as we work together toward our collective goal of sustained success and winning championships.”

Budenholzer, 48, most recently served as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks where he guided the team to a 213-197 (.520) record over the last five seasons, including four playoff appearances and a franchise best 60-22 record in 2014-15. He was named NBA Coach of the Year following the 2014-15 campaign that saw the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

“I’m extremely grateful to the Bucks ownership group and Jon Horst to be named the next head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks,” Budenholzer said. “There are terrific people throughout the organization and together we have a tremendous opportunity to take the Bucks to the next level. I look forward to working with our group of young and exciting players and helping us evolve in many ways to succeed on the court. The venues are also in place with an incredible, new state-of-the art arena and first-class Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center. The tremendously supportive fans in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin are waiting and ready. Now it’s up to us to put all the pieces together, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Prior to joining the Hawks, Budenholzer spent the previous 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, including the final 17 seasons as an assistant coach. During his time with the Spurs he was part of one of the most successful eras in NBA history. As an assistant coach, he helped lead San Antonio to a league-best 908-438 (.675) regular season record and four NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007). Budenholzer spent his first two seasons with the Spurs as a video coordinator and also served as the team’s summer league head coach on numerous occasions. He served as an advance scout for Team USA for the 2004 Olympics.

A native of Holbrook, Ariz., Budenholzer is a 1993 graduate of Pomona College where he received a bachelor’s degree in politics, philosophy and economics and was a four-year letterman in both basketball and golf. Following college, he played professionally in Denmark for the Vejle Basketball Klub, averaging a team-high 27.5 points per game during the 1993-94 season and getting his start in coaching, serving as the head coach for two different teams in the Vejle system.

Bucks sign Brandon Jennings

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Brandon Jennings to a multi-year contract.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Jennings’ new deal keeps him with the Bucks on a guaranteed contract for the remainder of this season, including being eligible for the playoffs. His contract for next season is unguaranteed, though that allows him to stick with the team during the summer, into training camp and potentially into next season. “I think it’s just all the hard work that I put in when I was in China, getting myself back healthy and getting my (mentality) right,” Jennings said of being in this situation after starting the season in China. “Just to be back in a Bucks uniform and going to the playoffs in a Bucks uniform is definitely special.”

In 10 games for the Bucks this season, Jennings is averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per contest. He signed his first 10-day contract on March 11 and a second 10-day contract on March 21.

Bucks sign Brandon Jennings to 10-day contract

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Brandon Jennings to a 10-day contract.

Jennings, 28, most recently played for the Wisconsin Herd, the NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks. In seven games with the Herd, Jennings averaged 21.4 points, 7.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 37.0 minutes per contest. He was acquired by the Herd on Feb. 13.

Prior to his stint in the G League, Jennings played with Shanxi Zhongyu in the Chinese CBA. He appeared in 13 games, averaging 27.9 points, 6.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.

The Bucks selected Jennings with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The 6-1, 170-pound guard appeared in 291 games with Milwaukee over four seasons and averaged 17.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Jennings recorded a franchise-rookie-record 55-point game with the Bucks on Nov. 14, 2009 vs. Golden State.

An eight-year NBA veteran, Jennings has played in 541 career games (429 starts) with Milwaukee, Detroit, Orlando, New York and Washington. He holds career averages of 14.3 points, 5.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Bucks sign Shabazz Muhammad

The Bucks signed Shabazz Muhammad today.

Muhammad appeared in 32 games (two starts) with the Minnesota Timberwolves this season and averaged 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game before being waived on March 1. The 25-year-old has spent his entire NBA career with the Timberwolves after being selected by Minnesota with the 14th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft out of UCLA. In 267 games (16 starts) over five seasons with the Timberwolves, Muhammad averaged 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 47.0 percent from the field.

Muhammad will wear No. 15 for the Bucks.

Milwaukee’s roster now stands at 17 players.

Bucks waive Sean Kilpatrick

The Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday requested waivers on guard Sean Kilpatrick.

Kilpatrick was signed to a Two-Way contract with the Bucks on Dec. 18. On Jan. 7, Kilpatrick’s contract was converted to a standard NBA contract. Appearing in 23 games for Milwaukee, he averaged 4.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game.

Kilpatrick began the season with Brooklyn and played in 16 games for the Nets, averaging 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per contest. He was waived by Brooklyn on Dec. 7.

The Bucks roster now stands at 16 players.

Nets trade Tyler Zeller to Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have traded guard Rashad Vaughn and a second round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Tyler Zeller. Milwaukee will convey its 2018 second round pick provided that the pick falls between No. 31-47. If the pick is not conveyed in 2018, it will become an unprotected 2020 second round pick.

Vaughn (6’6”, 210) has played in 22 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 2.7 points in 7.9 minutes per game. Selected by Milwaukee with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 draft, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas product holds career averages of 3.1 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 12.3 minutes per contest in 133 games.

According to the New York Daily News, “Zeller has started 33 games for the Nets this season, averaging 7.1 points on 54.6% shooting from the field to go along with 4.6 rebounds. The 28-year-old big man is on a team-friendly two-year, $3.6 million contract with the second year non-guaranteed.”

Zeller, 28, is in his sixth season in the NBA and holds career averages of 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field. This season with the Nets, Zeller appeared in 42 games (33 starts) and averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game while shooting 54.6 percent overall. Zeller was in his first season with Brooklyn after spending three seasons (2014-17) with the Boston Celtics, and his first two seasons in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2012-14). The North Carolina product was drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, but was traded the following day to the Cavaliers where he began his NBA career.

Bucks center John Henson and Zeller were teammates at North Carolina from 2009-12 where they advanced to the Elite Eight in consecutive seasons in 2011 and 2012.

Report: Nets trading Tyler Zeller to Bucks

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Milwaukee Bucks will be acquiring center Tyler Zeller from the Brooklyn Nets.

In return, the Nets will reportedly receive a protected 2018 second round pick along with Rashad Vaughn, a former first-round draft pick.

Zeller adds frontcourt depth for Milwaukee. The Nets did start Zeller for 33 of the 42 games he played for them this season, but he was still averaging just 16.7 minutes per outing.

The Bucks, through Sunday’s games, are 29-23, which is the fifth best record in the Eastern Conference. And are trying to improve right now. The Nets, at 19-35, are 12th best in the conference and focused more on the future.

Malcolm Brogdon injured, out 6-8 weeks

Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon suffered a left quadricep tendon injury during the second quarter of last night’s game at Minnesota. This morning, he underwent an MRI and subsequent examination by team physician Dr. William Raasch at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. The exam revealed a partially torn left quadricep tendon that is expected to sideline Brogdon for 6-to-8 weeks.

This season, Brogdon, 25, has played in 46 games (20 starts) and averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30.5 minutes. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, Brogdon joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-70) as the only players in team history to win the award. He is the first player not drafted in the first round to win Rookie of the Year since 1966.

Bucks sign Marshall Plumlee to two-way contract

The Milwaukee Bucks last night (Monday) signed center Marshall Plumlee to a Two-Way contract.

Plumlee, 25, played in 27 games (25 starts) this season for the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, the NBA G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 8.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game with Agua Caliente while shooting 58.3 percent from the field.

The 7-0 center went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Duke, but made 21 appearances (one start) for the New York Knicks in 2016-17, averaging 1.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game. Plumlee also played 15 games (all starts) with the Knicks’ G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, last season where he averaged 12.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.

The Bucks roster now stands at 17 players.

Bucks keep Sean Kilpatrick, waive Joel Bolomboy

The Milwaukee Bucks yesterday converted guard Sean Kilpatrick’s contract from a two-way deal into a standard NBA contract.

The team also parted ways with Joel Bolomboy, waiving the forward.

Since signing a Two-Way contract on Dec. 18, Kilpatrick has played in five games with the Bucks. He’s averaging 5.2 points on 52.6 percent shooting, in 9.2 minutes per game.

Kilpatrick was waived by the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 7 after averaging 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds over 16 games.

Bolomboy played in six games with the Bucks this season, averaging 1.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game. Bolomboy was also on the active roster for 10 games with the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, and averaged 15.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54.3 percent from the field.

The Bucks roster now stands at 16 players.