MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on forward Mirza Teletovic, who has been sidelined since December because of blockages in his lungs.
General manager Jon Horst said Saturday that the move was made after consulting with team doctors and other physicians. Horst says Teletovic’s health was the primary concern.
The Bucks announced on Dec. 14 that pulmonary embolisms were discovered in both of Teletovic’s lungs.
It’s likely the Bucks will apply for a salary exclusion, which would see Teletovic earn the remaining $10.5 million he’s owed for 2018-19, but remove it off Milwaukee’s books if the independent medical panel deems his injury life-threatening. They can begin the process after Nov. 7, 2018 – one year after the last game he played.
The 6-foot-9 Teletovic averaged 7.1 points in 10 games this season while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range. The six-year veteran arrived in Milwaukee in 2016 and played a key role off the bench for a young team that lost in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Teletovic also missed about three months of the regular season in 2015 because of blood clots in his lungs while playing with the Brooklyn Nets.
Brandon Jennings is returning to the Milwaukee Bucks, resuming his NBA career with the team that took him in the first round of the NBA draft nearly a decade ago.
The Bucks signed Jennings to a 10-day contract on Sunday. The 10th overall pick of the 2009 draft out of high school will provide depth in a backcourt hit by injuries to ball handlers Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova.
“Just come in, play hard, run the second unit, get guys the ball, get Giannis (Antetokounmpo) the ball,” said Jennings, referring to the Bucks’ All-Star forward in describing his role with the team.
Jennings most recently played for the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate. He averaged 21.4 points, 7.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in seven games with the Herd.
The 6-foot-1 guard appeared in 291 games with Milwaukee from 2009-13, averaging 17 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
The eight-year NBA veteran has had plenty of stops in a well-traveled career since being traded to the Detroit Pistons in 2013 in a deal that brought second-leading scorer Khris Middleton to Milwaukee.
Prior to his stint with the Herd, Jennings played with Shanxi Zhongyu in the Chinese CBA.
The 28-year-old Jennings had NBA stops with the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards last season. He has also played for the Orlando Magic.
“Just being back with Milwaukee feels like home. I can call the Milwaukee Bucks my family,” Jennings said Sunday. “A lot of people don’t get second chances, but I’m grateful, I’m blessed for this opportunity.”
