The Milwaukee Bucks have officially announced its lineup ahead of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Bucks announce 2021 NBA Summer League Roster: https://t.co/NCdDO0TmHa
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 8, 2021
Per a press release from the team, the 14-man roster is set to consist of:
- Brandon Randolph G/F (#28)
- D’Mitrik Trice G (#17)
- Jalen Crutcher G (#31)
- Mike Smith G (#12)
- Theo Pinson G (#6)
- Mamadi Diakite F (#25)
- Paul Eboua F (#44)
- Steven Enoch F (#19)
- Jemerrio Jones F (#30)
- Sandro Mamukelashvili F (#54)
- EJ Montgomery F (#23)
- John Mooney F (#35)
- Jordan Nwora F (#13)
- Tyree White F (#27)
It is yet unclear why midseason addition Elijah Bryant is not on the roster. Bryant signed a two-year, $1.5 million contract with the Bucks this year, with just under $25,000 guaranteed, according to Spotrac.
First reported by Harris Stavrou of Greek outlet SPORT24, 60th overall pick Giorgos Kalaitzakis also has yet to submit a letter of clearance, which is required in order to evaluate him in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Save for the existing Bucks, Pinson is the only other NBA player after having spent the last three years with the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets.
Milwaukee Bucks are still waiting to get Giorgos Kalaitzakis' letter of clearance, in order to evaluate him in Las Vegas Summer League. Unfortunately FIBA is not operating 24/7.
— Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) August 8, 2021
Summer league games are typically an opportunity for rookies to demonstrate their skills ahead of the NBA season.
Let by their promising rookies, the Milwaukee Bucks are slated to tipoff their five-game Summer League run on Monday, August 9 against the Los Angeles Clippers at 8 p.m. CT.
Young Bucks to look out for
Of note, the Bucks will be fielding second-round picks Mamadi Diakite, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Jordan Nwora.
Nwora is coming off an excellent performance with Team Nigeria at the Tokyo Olympics, where he impressed with 21.0 points per game on 48.0% shooting from deep.
In just 9.1 minutes per game and 30 appearances, Nwora put up averages of 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and a fifth of an assist per game on .459/.452/.760 shooting splits.
For his part, Diakite had a significantly smaller opportunity but dominated the NBA G-League as he posted norms of 18.5 points, 10.3 boards, and 2.1 dimes per contest on .583/.500/.750 efficiency.
The 6-foot-9 forward appeared in 19 games for the Lakeland Magic en route to selections for the All-NBA G League First Team and NBA G League All-Defensive Team.
A rookie out of the University of Virginia, Diakite tallied nine double-doubles as he carried the Magic to a spot in the G-League Playoffs.
Both Nwora and Diakite were fondly received by fans for their energy on the bench as part of the Rookie Trenches, a term they coined.
Playoff Mamadi. pic.twitter.com/3LF9jXr8FA
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) May 25, 2021
Draft pick Mamu set to play, too
Mamukelashvili, a 6-foot-11 Georgian big man out of Seton Hall, showed promising playmaking and floor-spacing skills for his position. His breakout year as a senior saw him average 17.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game en route to a Big East Player of the Year plum.
With his unique blend of size and agility, the 54th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will be among the more intriguing players to watch in this year’s summer league.
"I think he's a potential multi-positional defender in the switch game. High, high-level passer which usually translates to IQ." – Horst on Mamukelashvili @johnsoncontrols | #BucksDraft pic.twitter.com/Kcs1R4zyC8
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 30, 2021
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