The player who completes the roster of the Milwaukee Bucks to help Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Milwaukee Bucks needed to make a move before the Monday roster deadline and have finally decided. According to Eric Nehm (The Athletic), young power forward Tyler Smith did not take part in the team's open practice this Sunday, and everything indicates that he will be waived in the coming hours.

“Tyler Smith is not here,” Nehm wrote on his X account. “He is expected to be released before the roster deadline, although the move has not been made official yet.”

Selected with the 33rd pick in the 2024 Draft, Smith was viewed from the beginning as a long-term project. The 6’10 power forward, 20 years old, developed in the G League Ignite program, split his first professional season between the Wisconsin Herd and the Bucks. In Milwaukee, he only averaged 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in six minutes per game, over the course of 23 appearances.

During the Summer League and the preseason, his shooting issues became evident. In two preseason games, he only managed to score three points with a 16.7% field goal shooting (1/7) and one rebound in a total of 20 minutes.

Amir Coffey secures the final spot

With 16 players on standard contracts and a salary cap of $174.4 million, Milwaukee was required to cut one spot after deciding to keep Amir Coffey, who entered the training camp on a non-guaranteed deal. The final choice came down to Andre Jackson Jr. or Tyler Smith, but the scales tipped towards the latter, despite his fully guaranteed salary of $1.95 million.

The decision is not surprising considering the Bucks are aiming for a championship. Coffey, a versatile small forward of the “3-and-D” mold, is coming off his best season with the Clippers, contributing with outside shooting, defense, and experience. In the preseason, he made 5 of 11 shots, including 3 of 7 threes (42.9%), leaving a positive impression on both ends of the floor.

Doc Rivers, the Bucks' coach, has already hinted that Coffey will play a significant role in the rotation: “There will be nights when we cannot start with three guards. In those cases, we may choose Kuz, Amir, or TP,” referring to Kyle Kuzma, Amir Coffey, and Taurean Prince.

Coffey is poised to be a key piece of the second unit, capable of playing shooting guard or small forward, and even assuming occasional starting duties.

Despite his departure from Milwaukee, Smith still presents a development potential. His profile fits that of a modern big man, left-handed, with a good outside shooting form (13/30 three-pointers in his short career, 43.3%), and the ability to finish near the rim in fast plays or second chances.

Nevertheless, his offensive impact is still limited. Defensively, he shows promising instincts as a rim protector, but he needs to gain strength, improve positioning, and be more consistent on the boards.

According to Jake Fischer (The Stein Line), Smith will draw interest in the two-way contract market. “I've heard that Tyler Smith will be waived by Milwaukee and will have multiple options on the two-way market. It seems that Andre Jackson Jr. will stay with the Bucks,” Fischer tweeted.

Currently, 13 NBA teams have at least one spot available for a two-way contract, including Brooklyn, Cleveland, Dallas, Clippers, Knicks, Thunder, Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Orlando, Portland, Utah, and Washington.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El jugador que completa la plantilla de los Milwaukee Bucks para ayudar a Giannis Antetokounmpo