Pete Nance is staying in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Bucks have continued to shore up the remainder of their roster after a franchise-changing start to the offseason by retaining more and more of their existing roster, this time by bringing back Pete Nance on a reported two-year non-guaranteed deal.
Nance has spent the last two seasons with the Bucks, splitting time between the G-League and the NBA level, and this past season he saw a far more elevated role with Milwaukee, playing 47 games, starting six, while averaging 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks while playing 15.7 minutes per game.
With the amount of big moves and shakeups that the Bucks have made this offseason, retaining their depth in players like Nance is even more crucial as it not only adds support to their bench, but the Bucks are able to do so on a relatively low-risk deal that still carries with it the option of splitting Nance between the roster and the G-League.
Nance's Role
Nance also fills a particular role for the Bucks by adding more size and presence on the court while also being far more of a shooter than what would be typically expected from a player of his size.
He may have attempted just 2.5 three point attempts per game, but those attempts account for over half of his field goal attempts per game and he shot those threes at a 42% rate, which is crucial for the Bucks as it adds a critical player who can affect spacing on the court in switch-ins.
Milwaukee is getting closer and closer to having a full roster and while the team does have the resources available to make or at least compete for one more major move this offseason, adding the smaller pieces like Nance around the new and improved core is a good move in team building that ensures the Bucks don't have to live and die by their new stars.
More Playing Time?
Even with Nance reportedly being on an non-guaranteed contract, he could have even more of an opportunity with the Bucks next season than he had the past two season's prior.
This new Bucks team will have to be more reliant on team chemistry and connectivity than the team that was so Giannis Antetokounmpo-centric, and with that in mind having more minutes, or at least more games played, for Nance could be a big part of promoting that connectivity and adding more variety to the offense.
