On Monday morning, the Milwaukee Bucks requested waivers on forward Christian Wood, signing guard Tim Frazier as the corresponding move.
Wood, 23, played 13 games with the Bucks, posting just 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds over 4.8 minutes per game. His time with the Wisconsin Herd, however, is much more notable. With the Herd, Wood averaged 29.3 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and shot 55.9% from the field.
Because of the current Bucks roster and injuries to several guards on the team, swapping Wood for Frazier makes complete sense. Wood was stuck behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Ersan Ilyasova, Nikola Mirotic, DJ Wilson and Pau Gasol on the depth chart.
Bucks Sign Tim Frazier
Tim Frazier was competing with Christian Wood for the final roster spot during the preseason, which Wood ultimately beat him out for.
Since being waived by the Bucks at the end of the preseason, Frazier played with the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 5.0 points (45% FG) and 4.4 assists across 19.3 minutes per game. He was waived by the Pelicans on February 28th, so he is playoff eligible. The injury to Malcolm Brogdon, along with lingering injuries to Sterling Brown and Donte DiVincenzo, gave the Bucks a need for guard depth, and they found their man.
Frazier’s Potential Impact
Tim Frazier is no slouch on the basketball court. He has never been used as a primary player on any team, but a small sample size with New Orleans during the 2015-16 NBA season showed us what he is capable of. In 16 games, Frazier averaged 13.1 points (45% FG), 7.5 assists and 1.4 steals over 29.3 minutes per contest.
In his career, Frazier has roughly a 4:1 assist-turnover ratio, which is higher than any other guard on the Bucks roster. His ability to facilitate, create shots for others and solid shooting on his own part makes him seem like a good fit for this Bucks team that loves to share the ball and get everybody involved.
Because the Bucks guard depth is lacking due to several injuries, expect Frazier to be a solid part of Milwaukee’s rotation throughout the rest of the season, and the playoffs until Malcolm Brogdon returns.
