What happened: The Milwaukee Bucks waived forward Pete Nance before his non-guaranteed $2.5 million contract would have become fully guaranteed on Saturday. Milwaukee entered the weekend with 17 rostered players, and Nance's deal made him the most straightforward move to relieve the overage.
Why it matters: The move is a direct ripple of the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster, which brought back multiple frontcourt bodies and squeezed the roster spots Nance was competing for. Nothing prevents Milwaukee from re-signing him on a new deal, but the numbers game makes a return unlikely, sending a rotation-fringe big who had carved out a niche back onto the open market.
By the numbers: Nance averaged 5.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 2025-26 while shooting 51.5% from the field and 42.0% from three. His waived contract carried a non-guaranteed $2.5 million salary that would have locked in had he remained on the roster past Saturday.
What to watch: Watch whether Nance clears waivers and draws interest from teams seeking a floor-spacing reserve big ahead of 2026-27 training camps, and how Milwaukee resolves the rest of its roster overage.