Bucks waive Damien Inglis and Johnny O'Bryant, extend qualifying offer to Miles Plumlee

With guarantee dates for both Damien Inglis (#31 in 2014) and Johnny O'Bryant (#36) looming, the Bucks requested waivers on both players Wednesday, thus leaving Jabari Parker as the lone survivor of Milwaukee's 2014 draft. Charles Gardner of the Journal-Sentinel was the first to report both the Inglis/O'Bryant moves as well as news that the Bucks will (as expected) extend a $3 million qualifying offer to restricted free agent Miles Plumlee.

The 21-year-old Inglis had seemed like a better candidate to hang on for a third season in Milwaukee, especially given his age and the fact that he missed the entirety of his rookie year while recovering from a foot injury suffered just prior to the 2014 draft. Blessed with an intriguing combination of strength, passing and good defensive feet, the 6'8" Inglis had shown flashes of a Boris Diaw-type game in France, but he seemed to suffer from a laissez-faire attitude in Milwaukee. Two demotions to the D-League hinted at the Bucks' frustrations with Inglis' development, though he offered flashes of his potential with some encouraging moments late last season. I wouldn't be surprised if Inglis figures things out and becomes a real player eventually, though it appears the Bucks ultimately ran out of patience.

In contrast, O'Bryant's departure should come as no surprise. Despite flashes of defensive capability and a solid stroke from midrange, O'Bryant departs after two unproductive seasons that saw him struggle on the boards and suffer from a chronic inability to finish at the rim. He ranked among the league's worst player by ESPN's real plus-minus metric both years and generally failed to validate the Bucks' willingness to (somewhat curiously) spend a high second rounder on him.

As a second round pick, Brogdon will not count against the cap until he signs, so expect the Bucks to wait on that move until after their free agent activities are over. Including Plumlee and the modest $3.9 million hold for Jerryd Bayless' early Bird rights, the Bucks should have around $21 million in cap space on July 1st, with the ability to open up as much as $29 million if they renounce the Bayless and Plumlee holds.

Unfortunately, O'Bryant and Inglis are just the latest in a long line of second round flops in Milwaukee. Since Luc Mbah a Moute in 2008, no second round pick has lasted more than two seasons in Milwaukee, a streak that now falls to 2016 #36 pick Malcolm Brogdon to snap. On the plus side, the departures of two guys capable of playing power forward suggests more confidence in Maker's ability to potentially play some kind of role off the bench this season. We'll get a better sense of that possibility starting in 10 days in Las Vegas, where Maker will headline a Bucks summer league squad that should also feature Brogdon and Rashad Vaughn.