The Bucks signed free agent center Jalen Lewis to an Exhibit 10 contract on Friday, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
Lewis became the youngest player ever to turn pro in North America back in 2021 when he signed with Overtime Elite on a multiyear deal said to be worth more than $1MM. He was a 16-year-old high school junior at the time.
Back in 2021, Lewis was ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, but his stock has dipped since then due to his modest results in OTE play. He went undrafted as an early entrant in June and caught on with the Bucks’ Summer League team in July, though he only briefly appeared in one game in Las Vegas.
The plan will likely be for the Bucks to develop Lewis via their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. Lewis’ Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible for a bonus (worth a maximum of $77.5K) if he’s waived by Milwaukee and then spends at least 60 days with the Herd.
The signing of Lewis brings the Bucks’ roster count to 20 players. They’ll have to reduce that number to 18 (15 on standard contracts and three on two-way deals) by Monday at the latest.