Category: Milwaukee Bucks Blog

The Milwaukee Bucks today named Justin Zanik the team’s new assistant general manager. In his role within the organization, Zanik will participate in all areas of day-to-day basketball operations management.

Zanik joins Milwaukee after spending three years as the assistant general manager for the Utah Jazz, where he helped facilitate contract negotiations, managed the team’s salary cap and oversaw the scouting of international prospects, among other duties.

“We are thrilled to welcome Justin Zanik to our basketball operations department,” Bucks General Manager John Hammond said. “He is a proven executive who brings a diverse background and wealth of basketball knowledge to the Bucks family. We look forward to his contributions to our organization.”

Zanik has been involved in all aspects of athlete representation for the past 15 years, and has been a certified agent for the National Basketball Players Association since 2003. Prior to his experience with the Jazz, he served as Vice President of ASM Sports, where he oversaw all levels of career management for ASM’s basketball clients.

The 41-year-old was also Vice President of Basketball Operations for Priority Sports & Entertainment from 1998 through 2002, where he managed European player contract negotiations and assisted in the negotiation, research and recruitment of Priority’s NBA clients.

The Milwaukee Bucks today signed guard Jared Cunningham to a 10-day contract, pursuant to the NBA’s hardship exception.

Cunningham, 24, most recently played in the D-League for the Idaho Stampede, where in three games (all starts) he averaged 17.3 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per outing. Cunningham began the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where in 40 games (three starts) he averaged 2.6 points in 8.9 minutes per game before being traded to and then waived by Orlando on February 18.

The NBA’s hardship exception is a temporary roster spot that allows teams to exceed the 15-man maximum roster. A hardship can be deemed to exist when a team has four players who are sick or injured and have missed at least three consecutive games, and will continue to be unable to play as determined through an independent physician.

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd said after practice today that the team has no current plans to add a player under the NBA’s injury exception rule.

The Bucks are down to just 10 available players but could be back to 11 soon if forward/center John Henson can return. Henson practiced for the second straight day today.

Milwaukee lost another player for the remainder of the season – in strange fashion – when guard O.J. Mayo informed the team he fractured his right ankle in a home accident. Mayo said he tripped on the stairs at his home.

Mayo, guard Michael Carter-Williams and forward Steve Novak are out for the rest of the season. Henson (sore lower back) and Greivis Vasquez (right ankle surgery) also are out but intend to return. Vasquez worked out after practice Friday with assistant coach Joe Prunty and the veteran guard was able to run but not at full speed yet.

— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel blog

Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams will undergo season-ending surgery on Thursday (Mar. 10) to repair the torn labrum in his left hip, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Surgery will be performed by Dr. Marc Philippon at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo. Recovery time for Carter-Williams is expected to be three months.

In 54 games (37 starts) this season, Carter-Williams has averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, a team-high 5.2 assists and 1.48 steals in 30.5 minutes per contest.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Steve Novak suffered a left knee injury during the fourth quarter of last night’s game vs. Detroit. He underwent an MRI examination this morning that revealed a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL). Novak is expected to miss the remainder of the 2015-16 season.

Novak was signed by the Bucks as a free agent on Feb. 21 and averaged 2.3 points over three games.