Could 6-Year Veteran on Milwaukee Bucks Summer League Squad Sneak His Way onto Roster?

Milwaukee Bucks Need Wings

In addition to the three names above, the Bucks filled out the roster with the likes of David Joplin of Marquette, Michigan State’s Frankie Fidler, and of course a handful of youngsters already linked the organization: forward Tyler Smith, guard Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance, Jamaree Bouyea, and the recently waived Chris Livingston.

Smith and Jackson Jr., both of whom saw the NBA court last season, should return to the team. Sears has a promising shot. Bogolijub could take a roster spot but what seems more likely, since Smith also plays power forward, is a G League stint or a stash year overseas. With a frontcourt of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and Myles Turner, the Bucks have scant playing time available for youngers.

There could, however, be an opportunity at the wing position. Right now, the Bucks don’t have a lot of bench depth there. They re-signed Taurean Prince and brought in Gary Harris, but the latter lacks size and is more of a standard guard anyway. While Jackson might eat up some minutes, the roster clearly has a need there. In today’s NBA especially, teams can never have enough wing players. In these circumstances, Bates-Diop has a shot.

Bates-Diop Must Show Bounceback Potential

While material, though, his chances aren’t great. Bates-Diop spent all last season playing for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association. He last played American ball in 2023-24, when he logged 53 games between the Suns and Nets. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in a fringe reserve role. In 283 career games, he’s accumulated 6.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 7.4 win shares.

Bates-Diop entered the league in 2018 as the 48th pick, taken by Minnesota. He peaked in 2022-23 with the Spurs, where he started 42 games and scored a career-best 9.7 points per night. He hit threes at 39.4% clip and shot 50.8% from the field overall. That season is an outlier; Bates-Diop is a career 33.3% three-point shooter.

What he’s known for is his defense. A solid 6-foot-8, he has the size to defend smaller fours and the agility to take on guards. What will he look like after a year out of the league?

He’ll only have four summer league games to win a training camp invite, but compared to guys like Joplin or Fidler, unspectacular college players who went undrafted for a reason, Bates-Diop has a far better chance of making the roster as a depth piece.