Milwaukee Bucks reportedly signing TyTy Washington on two-way deal

TyTy Washington has been a member of three NBA teams through just one season as a pro. He’ll have a chance to stick with the fourth.

On Tuesday afternoon, it was reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania that Washington has been signed by the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-way contract. As part of the two-way deal, the former Kentucky Wildcat will split time in the 2023-24 season with the Bucks and the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.

After spending his rookie season with the Houston Rockets (and with the team’s G League program, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers), Washington was traded twice in quick succession. He was sent to the Atlanta Hawks in early July before getting shipped to the Oklahoma City Thunder later that same month. OKC would waive him in mid-August and he cleared waivers a few days later, paving a path for him to sign with Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Bucks are signing guard TyTy Washington Jr. on a two-way NBA contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Washington was the No. 29 pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 29, 2023

The Bucks will be Washington’s fourth NBA team since he was drafted in June 2022. It could technically be considered his sixth team, as the Memphis Grizzlies originally drafted him but almost immediately traded his rights to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which then moved him to Houston — all within 48 hours.

With the Rockets, which finished ’22-23 with a 22-60 overall record and near the bottom of the Western Conference, Washington flashed moments of promise. The 21-year-old point guard appeared in 31 games (two starts) for Houston where he averaged 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 14.0 minutes per game. Washington’s best performance was a 20-point outing against OKC in February (in a 32-point loss). His overall shooting numbers left plenty to be desired: 36.3/23.8/55.6

He was much better playing at the G League level. With the Vipers, Washington was a borderline star. Across 18 G League games last season, he averaged 23.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 34.6 minutes per contest. The shooting splits were much improved, too: 43.5/31.7/83.3. He even popped off for a 53-point explosion in January.

Washington is only 14 months removed from being a first-round NBA Draft choice. He’s nowhere near a finished product. He’ll have a chance to rekindle his career in Wisconsin.