Former First Round Pick and Ex-Thunder Signs With Bucks

After being waived from Oklahoma City in mid-August, 2022 first round pick TyTy Washington Jr. signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

TyTy Washington Jr., the No. 29 pick of the 2022 NBA draft, has signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks following Oklahoma City’s decision to waive him on Aug. 18, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Washington will embark on an opportunistic path in Milwaukee, as the Bucks are in desperate need of a reliable backup point guard behind Jrue Holiday next season.

This should be an exciting time for the 21-year-old guard out of Kentucky, as he’s had a stroke of bad luck to begin his professional career. Despite showcasing upside and potential throughout the NBA Summer League, the G League and in regular-season play in the last year, backcourt depth has proved to be an issue in establishing himself on a team thus far.

Drafted to the Memphis Grizzlies before being packaged in a deal to the Houston Rockets, the former consensus five-star recruit entered the NBA after just one year with the Kentucky Wildcats — where he averaged 12.5 points on 45% shooting, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 31 contests as a freshman.

Washington displayed his talent against league-ready competition at NBA Summer League alongside the No. 3 and No. 17 pick in Jabari Smith and Tari Eason, just under a month after being drafted. He’d go on to have a pretty successful stint in July, closing out the summer averaging 9.4 points, 3.8 assists per contest and nearly two steals in five games, though he still battled with shooting inefficiency at times.

𝗢𝗞𝗔𝗬 @tytywashington3! 💥 pic.twitter.com/Q9iAiwJsBQ

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) July 17, 2022

Initially, many believed Washington would be the backup to Kevin Porter Jr. at point guard to start the 2022-23 season, but there was another Rocket guard who was poised to scrap for his own minutes. Daishen Nix, formerly of the G League Ignite, signed with Houston as an undrafted free agent in 2021 where he saw nearly 11 minutes per contest through 24 games.

Nix’s previous on-court experience combined with averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 assists in five Summer League contests helped earn him the backup role entering the season, with Washington being called to Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Washington had suffered a knee sprain prior to the season in fall training camp, which was a prime reason then-head coach Stephen Silas assigned him to the Vipers — to give him valuable play time and get back in shape.

"I want him to play in a way where he isn't trying to score 30 points a game," Silas said following Washington’s first ever G League outing where he posted 10 points and five assists. "I want him to do what he would do in an NBA game. So, when he comes back, I can plug and play."

Subsequently, Washington would not see significant minutes with the Rockets until December as he missed the first 11 games of the season. As he got acclimated to the Vipers, he’d routinely erupt for 20, 25, 30-plus point games in this span.

Even so, the 21-year old Nix proved to be a reliable backup for the Rockets, with Silas visibly appointing him as the No. 2 man for the rest of the season. There was an uptick in minutes for Washington in February, though, since Porter suffered a toe injury in January which would keep him out until March.

This gave Washington a huge opportunity to prove his potential and worth, and he took advantage of it. In the month of February, Washington would average 8.6 points and 2.6 assists while shooting 40% from the field, ensuring he has the ability to be a backup guard in the league.

However, as Porter waded back into the lineup, Washington would be called back down to the Vipers. But it didn’t matter to him, he was playing tenaciously at each level. He’d continue his dominating play in the G League, flirting with triple-doubles and 30-plus point games night in and night out. But as witnessed, Houston didn’t believe the electric guard coincided with their future goals.

This led to the Rockets sending Washington and forward Usman Garuba to the Atlanta Hawks for draft rights to Alpha Kaba, the last pick in the 2017 NBA draft. Four days later, the Thunder would dump Patty Mills’ salary to the Hawks in exchange for Washington and Garuba, landing a possible developmental destination for both young prospects.

Washington suited up in two summer league games for the Thunder following the trade, but did not perform particularly well as he’d average just six points and 1.5 assists in what should have been an improvement from his previous Summer League performance.

This put Sam Presti and Co. in a tough spot, as the guard depth OKC possessed this summer was already deep, but adding rookies Vasilije Micic and Cason Wallace made the window for opportunity even smaller. And with the ramped up play of Tre Mann, it was difficult to see how Washington could have further developed on this team.

So, the Thunder decided to waive Washington on Aug. 18, before even seeing him in training camp, as they did with Garuba three days later. Although, this would eventually be advantageous for Washington.

Just under two weeks of Oklahoma City’s decision, the Bucks swooped in to pick up the much-needed guard who’s looking for an opportunity to make a name for himself in this league. Under Holiday, Washington will be learning from one of the league’s best perimeter and on-ball defenders, while also having the opportunity to claim the spot behind him. And with the time saved from Presti waiving him before training camp, Washington will be able to become accustomed to this team and his teammates.

What has seemed like an unfortunate start to his career has suddenly switched to a state of budding potential. Many are rooting for his success as a young, driven talent, and they may see him bloom into a vital role player for the 2021 NBA champions this upcoming season.

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