Milwaukee Bucks: Looking at Last Year's Departed Players
How have some of last year’s Bucks been doing with their new teams? We take a closer look.
Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Like virtually every team in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks experience roster turnover from season to season. This process is neccessary and often beneficial, as it results in an opportunity to improve weak areas of the roster.
Of course, this also results in the departure of many players who have spent at least some time with the franchise.
This can have varying effects on a given fanbase; in some cases, fans are glad to see a player they see as detrimental leave town, while in other cases, many are sad to see longtime veterans or fan favorites go.
Once these players are gone, however, not much attention is paid to them unless they are of the high-profile variety (one Kevin Durant comes to mind). Their names do not come up often, and when they do, it’s often as an unknown.
We’re here today to highlight the recent exploits of last year’s Bucks: how they left, what they’re up to, and where they are.
Let’s get into it.
Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Jerryd Bayless
Jerryd Bayless was one of the first Bucks to officially leave the team this offseason, signing a three year, $27 million dollar contract with the Philadelphia 76ers shortly after free agency began.
While with the Bucks, he found success in an off-ball, catch-and-shoot role at point guard, upping his three-point percentage from .308 in 2014-15 to .437 last season.
This element of course made Bayless attractive to the 76ers; with the ball-dominant but shooting challenged Ben Simmons projecting to fill a Giannis Antetokounmpo-like role, Philadelphia needed someone that could play the nominal point guard spot without the typical duties of the position.
As fate would have it, both Simmons and Bayless came down with injuries, leaving the 76ers in the hands of Joel Embiid. Simmons looks to be out for an indefinite amount of time due to foot surgery, but Bayless has since made his return, playing in three games thus far and starting one, which he may do going forward.
Over this short time frame, the former Buck is averaging 11 points on 40 percent three-point shooting, which should be exactly what the 76ers were looking for.
Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Carter-Williams
Dealt to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Tony Snell just before the season’s start, Michael Carter-Williams was struck by the same twist of fate as Jerryd Bayless, suffering a bone bruise and sprained wrist that sidelined him for around a month after just three games.
When he did play, it was sparingly, at just 15 minutes per game, which makes sense given that the trade occurred just days before the season opener. A crowded backcourt of Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, and Jimmy Butler, who all have a similar playing style to Carter-Williams, looks to put a damper on the role MCW will have upon his return.
Unfortunately, this return looks like it could take place later than expexted, as Carter-Williams was recently found to have a bone chip in his wrist, which would mean another 4-6 weeks of inactivity.
This is bad news for MCW especially considering his contract, which will be up after this season. All in all, the events of this year have just been another series of bumps in the road for a player whose career has seemingly been full of them.
Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Copeland
Chris Copeland’s stint with the 2015-16 Bucks most likely scores somewhere from forgettable to disappointing in the minds of Bucks fans.
After starting the season opener, Cope played sparingly in the 24 games he was active, shooting only 28 percent from a supposed specialty location behind the arc. Perhaps because of this, the Bucks released him in February to make room for veteran and Milwaukee native Steve Novak.
Given that the Bucks faced little competition in initially signing Copeland, the outlook of his finding another NBA gig was relatively bleak. He did manage to score a non-guaranteed deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, but was released before the season’s start.
It doesn’t look like Copeland has landed with a team for this season, but given that he has played overseas before, his basketball career won’t be over should he want it to continue.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Ennis
Since being drafted in 2014, Tyler Ennis has never gotten a full opportunity to prove that he could make the cut as a full-time point guard.
The former Syracuse Orangeman has played in just under 13 minutes per game during stints with the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and now the Houston Rockets, to whom he was dealt in exchange for Michael Beasley.
The Rockets recently made a personnel switch by slotting James Harden in at point guard, which has been dynamic for the Houston offense but a severe dampener to Ennis’ on-court prospects, as he is averaging a career low 9.4 minutes and 3.3 points per game.
With the return of fellow lead guard Patrick Beverley and an already-solid depth chart, Houston looks like just another stage of a very frustrating process for Tyler Ennis.
Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Damien Inglis
Damien Inglis’ Bucks career ended with waivers after two injury-prone seasons, but all signs point to his NBA dream living on for at least the near future.
The New York Knicks signed him to a training camp deal, but he was soon after released and sent to the D-League’s Westchester Knicks, with whom he played last season.
As it stands now, Inglis is averaging 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds at the combo forward position, including 43 percent shooting from behind the arc and 55 percent overall.
It’s a small sample size of four games but shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Inglis was regarded as a potential NBA rotation player after being drafted 31st overall.
The Bucks may not have has any room for Inglis on their roster, but things are looking up for a return to the big leagues on the part of the Frenchman.
Johnny O’Bryant
Johnny O’Bryant garnered somewhat of a fan-favorite reputation during his tenure with the Bucks, although this perhaps came less from on-floor production than a collective desire to make something out of a fairly disappointing player.
O’Bryant was waived alongside Inglis, and much like his fellow former second-round pick, he caught on briefly with another franchise before being released and sent to the D-League.
JOB was first signed by the Wizards, and looked to have a decent shot at making the regular season roster, but was ultimately cut just before the season.
The power forward was then signed by one of the D-League’s new franchises, the Northern Arizona (NAZ) Suns. Through two games, O’Bryant is averaging 10 points and 7.5 rebounds per game; decent numbers that should improve as he gets more familiar with his new teammates.
It certainly isn’t an ideal situation to be in, but JOB is in a position to find his way back onto an NBA roster soon.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Greivis Vasquez
Many Bucks fans, with this author included, likely have a sour view of Greivis Vasquez based on his short tenure in Milwaukee.
Not only did the point guard miss an extended amount of time due to injury, playing in just 23 games, but the Bucks gave up both a first and second round pick for a one year rental of Vasquez’s services.
Coming off such a disappointing year, Vasquez was only able to sign late in free agency with the lowly Brooklyn Nets on a one-year deal meant to give him a chance to prove his worth in a new salary market.
This contractual vulnerability reared its head when Vasquez became injured, leading the Nets in turn to cut him. Vasquez had only played in three games at that point, and yet to show any flash of value towards scoring a new contract.
It’s not unlikely that Vasquez could find a spot with a new team come next season, but two injury-plagued, largely ineffective seasons have forced a large step back for the former Bucks guard.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jared Cunningham
Jared Cunningham’s stint with the Bucks was short and largely forgettable, spending only the length of two ten-day contracts in Milwaukee after bouncing from team to team.
Since then, he’s left both the NBA and the United States, signing a contract with the Jiangsu Monkey King of the Chinese Basketball Association.
No new news has come out since regarding the former first-round pick, but it looks like his NBA days may be over.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Overview
Out of the eight departed members of the 2015-2016 Bucks, just three are currently under contract with another franchise. Two are currently playing in the NBA D-League, one is stationed overseas, and Chris Copeland and Greivis Vasquez may have seen the end of their NBA careers.
Not mentioned above is OJ Mayo, who as many know was disqualified from the NBA for the next two years due to a drug-related violation and is therefore ineligible to sign with another team.
On the whole, these profiles should highlight exactly how much the Bucks have improved on a personnel level. The Bucks current bench unit would almost certainly garner much more value on the open market than the players mentioned above.
The absence of Khris Middleton may overshadow many trends we see from this year’s Bucks, but an improved bench is just one of many steps that will turn this young franchise into a contender down the road.
More from Behind the Buck Pass
This article originally appeared on 
