Report: Bucks Sign Omari Moore to Two-Way Deal

After biding their time, the Milwaukee Bucks came away with a pair of toolsy athletes in the second round of the NBA Draft, and the work continued as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the team has filled one of their two-way spots with San Jose State’s Omari Moore.

Moore, 22, was one of the more highly-rated prospects available at the conclusion of the draft; ESPN’s Jonathan Givony had him ranked at 62 overall, a grade just outside of the second round. He’s a tall guard, clocking in at 6’6” and 190 pounds with a nearly 6’10” wingspan. In four years in the NCAA, Moore played 117 total games, starting 105 of them. His senior season was his most productive, putting up 17.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. He performed well during the combine and his school’s Pro Day, well enough to latch on to a spot with the Bucks and Wisconsin Herd.

SBNation has an affiliate site covering the Mountain West conference, and they’ve been following Moore for some time. From Mountain West Connection:

Skinny: In drills, especially, Moore impressed. One of the biggest questions I had was how he would shoot off-ball in spot-up attempts in both drills and scrimmages. Again, he didn’t receive a lot of touches throughout the scrimmages, but being one of the top performers for both the 3-point shooting drill and the spot-up shooting drill is paramount.

Moore carried a lot of on-ball responsibility with the Spartans, so his efficiency (naturally) dipped. During the scrimmages, however, when Moore was aggressive and intentional, he was getting to the rim. He also showed flashes defensively with his on-ball defense, budding strength and sheer dexterity. It’s safe to say he raised an eyebrow or two with his play throughout the week.

Moore joins Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston as the newest faces around Fiserv Forum, and is definitely a continuation of the team’s presumed emphasis on perimeter athleticism and backcourt versatility. It is not yet clear what will happen with Milwaukee’s two-way players from last season; AJ Green and Lindell Wigginton were relatively successful in their roles (Green especially showed proficiency as an NBA-level shooter), but the new collective bargaining agreement also increases the number of two-way slots to a total of three.

In any case, Moore is a contributor from a legitimate program with a reliable track record, and while he seems to have the physical profile of an NBA player his professional career will be decided by the development of his skills. Here’s hoping that Moore finds success with the Bucks (and Herd)!