The two-way contract, a new roster enhancement in the NBA these days, can become a one-way ticket out of town if the thing unspools too quickly. That’s what happened for NBA legacy guard Gary Payton II with the Milwaukee Bucks through the first two months of this 2017-18 season.
Because Payton has used up most of the 45 days of NBA service permitted in the two-way deals, the Bucks are planning to waive him and fill his roster spot with another backcourt player to help see them through a rash of injuries. Here’s some info from Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Sean Kilpatrick is the player the Bucks are seeking to add. Kilpatrick was released by Brooklyn last week as part of the Jahlil Okafor trade. Kilpatrick, who played for the Bucks’ summer league team in 2015, has averaged 11.3 points over 121 NBA games with three teams.
Per NBA rules, a two-way player added during the season will not be eligible for the full 45 days of service with the NBA squad. Rather, that player will be able to play a pro-rated amount, which at this point in the season is expected to be around 30. The rest of that player’s time would be spent with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate
Payton hardly spent any time with the Herd, logging 96 minutes over three games in the G League. He’s played 105 minutes for the Bucks over 12 games, averaging 2.7 points per game. He’s been around the Bucks nearly every day for the past six weeks, going on trips and participating in practices and shootarounds in addition to playing in games.
A member of the Bucks since being picked up in April, Payton has drawn praise from his teammates for his hard work and willingness to fill in when called upon.
The Bucks made the move official on Monday.
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