Tyreke Evans signing with Bucks' G League affiliate ahead of potential NBA return, per report

Former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans is moving closer to an NBA return. He will sign a G League contract and join the Milwaukee Bucks' affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. If Evans impresses, it could pave the way to an NBA contract with the Bucks.

The No. 4 overall pick in 2009, Evans got off to a flying start to his NBA career, averaging 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in his first season with the Sacramento Kings. He joined Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James as just the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, and ended up beating out Steph Curry for the 2010 Rookie of the Year Award.

Unfortunately for Evans and the Kings, that was not the beginning of his road to stardom. In fact, it was the high point of his NBA career. While he was still a productive player for many years, he never blossomed in the way that you may have expected given his talent and rookie season. He was eventually traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, then returned to the Kings and also spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers.

Then, in 2019, he was handed a two-year ban from the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Evans was not banned for a performance-enhancing drug or marijuana, but rather a drug of abuse. Examples of such drugs include amphetamine, cocaine and LSD. Evans was eligible to apply for reinstatement in 2021 but did not do so until earlier this year. He was officially reinstated on Feb. 14.

He was a free agent at the time of his suspension, and once again entered the free agent pool when he was reinstated. He had spent the past few weeks working out for numerous teams, including the Golden State Warriors, but seems to be closing in on an opportunity with the Bucks.

Still only 32 years old, Evans could potentially be a useful bench player. He has the size to play multiple positions on the wing, turned himself into a solid 3-point shooter in his previous few seasons in the league and has some definite playmaking skills. But after three years away from the league, it's no surprise the Bucks want to see him in action before signing him to an NBA contract.

Even then, it might be too much to ask to jump right into the rotation of a team looking to defend a title. The Bucks need wing depth, though, especially after Deandre' Bembry tore his ACL, and Evans is certainly one of the most talented options around. It won't hurt to give him a shot in the G League and see if he could give them some help down the stretch.

Comments

Klay Thompson to sit out Warriors preseason games in Japan as Kerr says he needs more time to ramp-up

Klay Thompson may have returned healthy to the Golden State Warriors last season, but the scars from his two missed seasons are still quite visible. The Warriors played their first of two preseason games against the Washington Wizards on Friday and will play another on Sunday, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that Thompson will not be playing at all during the trip to Japan. "Just feel more comfortable giving him a little more of a ramp up," Kerr said before Friday's victory over Washington. "He's just not quite ready to play at this point just based on where, you know, we're so early in camp. We just want to be safe and make sure he gets a good ramp-up before he plays in games." Typically, so little time to ramp up wouldn't be a problem for a veteran in a preseason context. The games tend to be so low-impact and demand so few minutes out of a team's best players that they can safely jog through them. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green played 1...

Shaquille O'Neal says Dennis Rodman was his worst teammate: 'He was a great player, but he made it hard'

Shaquille O'Neal played for six franchises over a 20-year NBA career. That's a lot of teammates. Speaking on The Big Podcast with Shaq, the four-time champion and Hall of Famer revealed which one of those teammates was the worst. "Worst teammate? Dennis Rodman," O'Neal said. "He was a great player, but he made it hard. Like when you try to corral the guys together and the people above you [are] letting this one guy do whatever he wants. So we had to be there an hour before the game. He'd come in fifteen minutes before the game eating chicken and rice. While the coaches are talking, he would jump in the shower. Cold shower. Come and give you 15-20 rebounds." O'Neal played with some characters in his time. We know about his beef with Kobe Bryant, who we know wasn't always the easiest teammate to get along with, though Shaq has long expressed regret over the way he and Bryant handled their relationship as young superstars, and eventually, he ...

Kevin Durant injury update: Nets rule star out for home-and-home vs. Raptors, hopeful for return later in week

Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant is expected to return to the floor this upcoming week. Head coach Steve Nash says it just won't be against the Raptors, either Monday or Tuesday night in the team's home-and-home against Toronto. Durant has started doing more on-court work recently as he recovers from the sprained MCL he suffered in his left knee last month, and Nash is optimistic about his prognosis moving forward. The former MVP will not play on Monday night against the Toronto Raptors, however. "I think with Kevin he's been a great healer throughout his career," Nash said Saturday. "So the No. 1 thing is to get him back healthy and feeling secure in his health and his body so he can move and be free. When he's back, obviously he adds a ton to our team on both ends of the floor ... one of the greatest scorers of all time. And we also know he helps us defensively; he gives us more size and length. So he's a big miss for us, and whenever he get...

Crossover World

Search This Blog