Category: Milwaukee Bucks Blog

The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on Jalen Moore. Undrafted out of Utah State, Moore was originally signed to a Two-Way contract on July 8.

Moore appeared in five NBA Summer League games for the Bucks and averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent guard James Young to a training camp contract.

Young, 22, was the 17th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. He played in 89 games over three seasons with Boston and averaged 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds per contest. In two seasons (2014-16) with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League, Young averaged 18.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 40.6 percent from three-point distance.

Originally from Flint, Mich., Young played one season at the University of Kentucky and averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

The Milwaukee Bucks will tip off their 50th Anniversary season on the road against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Oct. 18, followed by a four-game homestand at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, beginning with a nationally televised game on ESPN against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Oct. 20. The home opener, presented by BMO Harris Bank, is the first of 18 weekend home games for the Bucks in 2017-18 and the first of 10 nationally televised games on ESPN and TNT.

2017-18 BUCKS SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

Eighteen games available to a national television audience, including six on ESPN (Oct. 20 vs. Cleveland, Nov. 10 at San Antonio, Jan. 18 vs. Golden State, March 4 vs. Philadelphia, March 19 at Cleveland and April 11 at Philadelphia), four on TNT (Oct. 26 vs. Boston, Feb. 27 vs. Washington, March 27 at L.A. Clippers and March 29 at Golden State) and the remaining eight on NBA TV (Oct. 31 vs. Oklahoma City, Nov. 7 at Cleveland, Nov. 30 at Portland, Dec. 4 at Boston, Dec. 9 vs. Utah, Dec. 19 vs. Cleveland, Dec. 26 vs. Chicago and Jan. 8 at Indiana)

A pair of home games against the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Oct. 20, and Tuesday, Dec. 19

The lone visit from the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors on Friday, Jan. 12

Two December home matchups against the rival Chicago Bulls on Friday, Dec. 15, and Tuesday, Dec. 26

A Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee at the Washington Wizards on Jan. 15

Two Sunday afternoon home games against New Orleans on Feb. 25 and San Antonio on March 25

The 2017-18 regular season schedule for the 50th Anniversary season features two, season-long four-game road trips (Nov. 22-30 and Feb. 4-10) and the season-long four-game homestand at the beginning of the season against Cleveland, Portland (Oct. 21), Charlotte (Oct. 23) and Boston (Oct. 26).

BUCKS SCHEDULE NOTES

The Bucks will play each team in the Eastern Conference four times with the exception of Atlanta (2 home, 1 road), Brooklyn (2 home, 1 road), Miami (1 home/2 road) and Toronto (1 home/2 road) … They will play each Western Conference team twice … The Bucks have 15 back-to-back sets, down from 18 a season ago (7 home/road, 3 road/home, 3 road/road, 2 home/home) … SCHEDULE BY MONTH (HOME/ROAD): October (5/2), November (4/9), December (9/5), January (8/7), February (5/7), March (7/8), April (3/3) … SCHEDULE BY DAY OF THE WEEK (HOME/ROAD): Sunday (3/5), Monday (6/7), Tuesday (6/4), Wednesday (7/7), Thursday (4/3), Friday (10/7), Saturday (5/8).

The Milwaukee Bucks Basketball Operations department has expanded with the following additions: Milt Newton as Assistant General Manager, David Mincberg as Director of Basketball Strategy, Tony Bollier as Director of Basketball Operations and Ronald Dupree as Scout. The team also named Frank Johnson as Assistant Coach.

“Our basketball operations department continues to take shape and I’m very excited about the additions of Milt, David, Tony and Ronald,” said General Manager Jon Horst. “Together they bring a wealth of experience that will serve our organization extremely well. I look forward to working with them as we continue to assemble a championship-caliber organization.”

Newton brings over 13 years of NBA front office experience to the Bucks including three as the General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves (2013-16). Prior to that he spent ten seasons as Vice President of Player Personnel with the Washington Wizards. He also worked as a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers and in front office roles with USA Basketball and the NBA.

A member of the 1988 NCAA Champion Kansas Jayhawks, Newton graduated in 1989 and played basketball professionally in Belgium and Australia, as well as in the Continental Basketball Association.

Mincberg comes to Milwaukee after a five-year stint with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he began as Team Counsel before later serving as Director of Scouting. A native of Washington, D.C., Mincberg received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida and has a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Bollier most recently was the Manager of Player Personnel and Coach Relations for the NBA G League. He also worked as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at his alma mater, Wheaton College (2012-14), and the Director of Basketball Operations at Georgia State University (2011-12). He began his basketball operations career with the NBA in 2007. Bollier received his undergraduate degree in 2006 and was a member of Wheaton’s Men’s Basketball team.

A native of Biloxi, Miss., Dupree spent last season as Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Nevada, Reno. Undrafted in 2003 out of LSU, Dupree went on to an 11-year professional playing career, including six seasons in the NBA with Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Seattle and Toronto. Following his retirement in 2014, he returned to LSU as a student assistant on the men’s basketball team.

Johnson took over head coaching duties of the Phoenix Suns during the 2001-02 season and held that position for 134 games, compiling a 63-71 (.470) record over parts of three seasons (2001-04). He enjoyed a 10-year NBA playing career with Washington, Houston and Phoenix averaging 8.3 points, 4.2 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 596 games. Johnson was the 11th overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft out of Wake Forest University.

“Frank is an excellent teacher and brings great enthusiasm for the game,” said Head Coach Jason Kidd. “He understands the hard work necessary to be successful in the NBA and I know he will fit in well with our terrific coaching staff.”

The team also made the following staff appointments: Drew Franklin as Senior Director of Player Development, Harold Hichez as Manager of Player Development, Daniel Marks as Manager, Minor League Operations, Nick Papendieck as Strength and Conditioning Coach (Bucks and Wisconsin Herd), Trevor Poulson as Equipment Manager, Andrew Small as Senior Physical Therapist, Laura Tietjen as Senior Physical Therapist and Nic Turner as Coordinator, Minor League Operations.

The Milwaukee Bucks have re-signed restricted free agent guard Tony Snell.

“Tony was an integral part of our team’s improvement last season and we’re excited to re-sign him,” said General Manager Jon Horst. “He is a tireless worker, a terrific teammate and a man of great character. We look forward to having him back with the Bucks as we continue to build toward a championship.”

Snell had the best season of his four-year NBA career in 2016-17 – his first with the Bucks – as he set new career-highs in points (8.5), rebounds (3.1), assists (1.2) and minutes (29.2) per game while playing and starting a career-high 80 games. Snell also set new personal bests in 3-point percentage (.406) and field goal percentage (.455) during the 2016-17 season after he was acquired by the Bucks in October.

“I’m grateful to the Bucks ownership and everyone in the organization for believing in me,” Snell said. “We’re building something special here and I’m fortunate to work with great coaches and teammates. I can’t wait to get the season started and continue our positive momentum from last season.”

A 6-foot-7 guard, Snell has career averages of 6.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 21.4 minutes per game. Originally selected out of New Mexico with the 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, Snell has appeared in 293 games (147 starts) in four seasons.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed rookie Sterling Brown to a contract.

Additionally, the Bucks signed undrafted rookie Jalen Moore to a Two-Way contract.

Brown, the 46th overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, was acquired by the Bucks on July 6 from Philadelphia for cash considerations. A 6-foot-6 guard from SMU, Brown played four seasons with the Mustangs, appearing in a program-record 136 games with 106 starts. As a senior in 2016-17, he was named to the All-AAC Second Team after averaging 13.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting a conference-high 44.9 percent from 3-point range. In his four seasons at SMU, Brown set the school record for career wins (109) and is second all-time with a 45.1 3-point shooting percentage for his career. Brown is a native of Maywood, Ill., and is the brother of Shannon Brown, who spent nine seasons in the NBA from 2006-2015.

Moore was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team after averaging 17.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 31 games (all starts) for Utah State as a senior. A 6-8 forward, he is one of only three players in program annals to lead the Aggies in scoring and rebounds for three seasons. Moore started in 91 of 92 games over his last three seasons. Over his four years at Utah State, he shot 47.4 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3-point range.

NBA rules permit teams to have two Two-Way players on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. A Two-Way player for the Bucks will provide services primarily for the team’s NBA G League affiliate – the Wisconsin Herd – but can spend up to 45 days with Milwaukee, not including any time prior to the start of the Herd’s training camp and at the conclusion of his season.

Brown and Moore are currently competing with the Bucks entry in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed undrafted rookie Bronson Koenig from the University of Wisconsin to a Two-Way contract. Additionally, the Bucks have signed undrafted rookie JeQuan Lewis from Virginia Commonwealth University to a free agent contract.

Koenig played four years at the University of Wisconsin, appearing in 148 games (94 starts), while making the Final Four twice (2014, 2015) and the National Championship game in 2015. As a senior, he played 36 games (35 starts), led the Badgers in scoring (14.5 ppg) and made a single-season, school record 103 3-pointers. He finished his collegiate career with the school record for 3-pointers made (270). A La Crosse, Wis., native, Koenig earned All-Big Ten Second Team and the Big Ten All-Tournament Team accolades following his senior campaign.

NBA rules permit teams to have two Two-Way players on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. A Two-Way player for the Bucks will provide services primarily for the team’s G League affiliate – the Wisconsin Herd – but can spend up to 45 days with Milwaukee, not including any time prior to the start of the Herd’s training camp and at the conclusion of his season.

Lewis averaged 15.2 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 35 games (all starts) as a senior at VCU and earned All-Atlantic 10 First Team and All-Atlantic 10 Tournament Team honors. A 6-0 guard, he is the only player in VCU annals to record 1,400 points, 500 assists and 200 steals during his career. He ranks fifth in program history in steals (203) and sixth in assists (503).

Koenig and Lewis are both set to compete for the Bucks entry in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed first-round draft pick D.J. Wilson to a rookie scale contract.

Wilson, a 6-foot-10 forward, was selected by the Bucks with the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Sacramento-native averaged 11.0 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game as a junior with the University of Michigan in 2016-17. He led the team in blocks with 57 and shot 53.8 percent from the field with a 37.3 percent mark from 3-point range. Wilson helped Michigan to a Big Ten Tournament championship and an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament in 2017 after averaging a combined 15.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over seven games in both tournaments.

Wilson, 21, is currently competing at the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Milwaukee Bucks have fortified the team’s basketball operations staff for the 2017-18 season, naming Ryan Hoover as Vice President of Global Scouting and Matt Bollero as Director of Scouting. The team also promoted Dave Dean to Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager of the Wisconsin Herd.

In addition, the Bucks have made the following appointments: B.J. Domingo as Scout, Patrick Haneman as Basketball Strategy and Operations Manager, and Lexi Phillips as Basketball Operations Coordinator.

“As our basketball operations department takes shape, I’m very excited to add Ryan and Matt to our staff,” said General Manager Jon Horst. “Additionally, Dave has been a trusted colleague during my tenure with the Bucks and will be a great resource as we begin our G League team operations in Oshkosh. They are all exceptional talent evaluators and well respected among their peers in the NBA. I look forward to working with them as we continue to build a championship-caliber organization.”

Hoover spent the last 13 seasons with the Detroit Pistons, including seven (2006-12) as Director of Player Development and two (2012-14) as Pro Personnel Scout. He was a part of five Eastern Conference Finals teams, two Eastern Conference Championship teams (2004-05) and won an NBA Championship in 2004. Most recently, he worked as the Pistons’ Director of Corporate Partnerships (2015-17) and served as an on-air contributor for Pistons Television and Radio broadcasts. Hoover joined the Pistons in 2004 as a basketball operations intern. A native of Mount Clemens, Mich., Hoover graduated from Oakland University in 2003 and played four years on the Oakland men’s basketball team.

Bollero comes to Milwaukee after an eight-year stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, most recently as the Pro Personnel Scout. He started with Minnesota as Basketball Operations Assistant in 2009 and was promoted to Manager of Basketball Analytics in 2013. Bollero helped coordinate basketball scouting efforts for Team China in the 2012 Summer Olympics and participated as a Team Director and Assistant Coach at EuroCamp in Treviso, Italy, in 2010 and 2011. A native of Chicago, Ill., he received his undergraduate degree from DePauw University in 2008 where he was a member of the men’s basketball and golf teams. He earned a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from Xavier (OH) University in 2009.

Dean spent the last nine seasons as the Director of Basketball Administration with the Bucks. He began his NBA career with Milwaukee in 2001 as a Public Relations intern and was promoted to Player Personnel/Scouting Assistant in 2002. A Greendale, Wis., native, Dean graduated from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 2000.