In hopes of shoring up the center position even further after trading for Samuel Dalembert, the Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent Joel Przybilla to a reported one-year contract.
Przybilla, 32, began his NBA career with the Bucks after Milwaukee acquired him in a 2000 draft-night deal with the Houston Rockets for Jason Collier and a 2001 first-round pick. However, he had little effect on the Bucks the first time around, averaging just 1.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in three-plus seasons. He was traded to Atlanta in 2004 and has played with the Hawks, Trail Blazers and Bobcats since.
With Dalembert expected to start as the Bucks' center, Przybilla will likely play a reserve role — a task that seems in line with his career numbers. In his 12-year NBA career, he's never been much of a scorer, averaging just 4.0 points, but Przybilla has averaged 6.3 rebounds and is a strong defensive presence around the basket.
Przybilla's best season was his first with Portland in 2004-05, when he averaged 6.4 points and 7.7 rebounds in 24.4 minutes.
The new Bucks center was a standout high school and college basketball player in Minnesota, having been named Minnesota Mr. Basketball in 1998 and going on to have a successful two-year stint at the University of Minnesota. Przybilla left the Gophers in the middle of his sophomore season after excelling during a 1999-2000 freshman season in which he averaged 14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.9 blocks.
Przybilla joins a crowded interior rotation in Milwaukee, where he'll fight for minutes with Dalembert, Drew Gooden, John Henson, Ekpe Udoh, Larry Sanders and Ersan Ilyasova.
Follow Ryan Kartje on Twitter.
