As the Milwaukee Bucks get ready for the 2024–25 NBA season, they find themselves in an intriguing situation. On the one hand, they have Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, two of the best 75 players in NBA history. They also have Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, two outstanding but aging role players. Sixth man Bobby Portis, who was the focus of trade speculations this summer, is also a vital member of the club that contributes both on and off the court.
Nevertheless, the main players for the Bucks are not getting any younger. For this reason, general manager Jon Horst made the decision to concentrate on picking NBA players in 2024 that Milwaukee could develop. Tyler Smith and AJ Johnson, the two players they selected, are both only 19 years old.
The team’s lone real center, Lopez, is entering his 37th season after turning 36 in April. This is significant. Milwaukee signed an intriguing Latvian free agent to give some potential depth and a potential replacement.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that the Bucks and free agency center Anzejs Pasecniks have reached a two-way contract agreement.
Since the Bucks’ final NBA Championship was won in 2020–21, Pasecniks has not participated in any NBA games. He was a player for the Washington Wizards, as Wojnarowski points out. In 28 career games, he has averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds.
Pasecniks played a majority of his time with the NBA G-League’s Capitol City Go-Go during his tenure with Washington.
In the 2017 NBA Draft, Pasecniks was originally selected by the Orlando Magic with the 25th overall choice. On draft night, though, he was moved right away to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a 2020 first- and second-round selection.
Pasecniks, though, never donned an NBA uniform for the 76ers. Rather, he carried on playing professionally for Herbalife Gran Canaria in Spain.
In 2019, Pasecniks signed with the Wizards after the 76ers forfeited his draft rights. He got a two-way contract after representing Washington in the NBA Summer League.
The seven-foot-one center has played for Real Betis and Palencia in Spain as well as Metropolitans 92 in France since being cut go by the Wizards in 2021.
Pasecniks averaged a career-high 13.0 points and 4.8 rebounds while playing for Palencia last season.
