Bucks part way with second-year Seton Hall standout
The Milwaukee Bucks are parting ways with second-year forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, whom they drafted out of Seton Hall with the 54th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Mamukelashvili has played a total of 65 games for the Bucks since his arrival, but he was just unable to carve a permanent and consistent role with the team. Milwaukee reportedly worked with his representation to assess his future options, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The 23-year-old big man has averaged just 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 24 games this season with Milwaukee. He’s also given just roughly nine minutes a night, which is certainly not ideal for a young player looking to have a long NBA career. Overall, Mamukelashvili averaged 3.2 points and 2.1 boards on 9.6 minutes per game.
It remains to be seen if Sandro Mamukelashvili will get another opportunity elsewhere, though it’s definitely not surprising that the Bucks decide to cut him. Milwaukee’s frontcourt is just too loaded with talent, with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis and the newly acquired Jae Crowder sharing the load in that department.
The Bucks have already unloaded both Jordan Nwora and Serge Ibaka to address their big man log jam, and clearly, Mamukelashvili’s departure is just part of their process to optimize the roster.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. are currently on a 15-game winning streak, so there’s no doubt that the team is in a good position with the current rotation they have. The Bucks have already taken over the top spot in the East as well, with the team seemingly primed for another big playoff run.
