Report: Anžejs Pasečņiks released, Liam Robbins converted into two-way deal

The Waukesha native officially joins the regular season roster

As myself and others anticipated, the Bucks put the finishing touches on their opening night roster today, in a similar fashion to what they did last year this time. In late October 2023, Milwaukee released two-way player Omari Moore and a couple days later, converted big man Marques Bolden from his Exhibit 10 deal to take the third two-way spot. This year, the move was to jettison two-way big man and former first-round pick Anžejs Pasečņiks and convert young center Liam Robbins into a two-way deal. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania:

This is a move that will surely be received well by the fanbase, who saw Robbins look pretty dang good across a fair bit of preseason action, while Pasečņiks… didn’t. Over four preseason games, Robbins averaged just 4.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 11.7 MPG, but that masks some more impressive moments. For one, he actually tied Brook Lopez for the team lead in blocks during exhibition play even though he played about seven fewer minutes, and while he also led the team in fouls committed, it was just one more than Pasečņiks.

The 25-year-old Vanderbilt alum and former SEC Defensive Player of the Year will obviously see a lot of time with the Wisconsin Herd, but slots in as the fourth center-capable big on Milwaukee’s depth chart. When he finally gets into a game with the big league squad, it will be his first NBA action; he looked primed for a two-way deal last October with New Orleans, but a fibula fracture curtailed his season, and after signing with their G League affiliate, he didn’t play for them as he recovered, being ruled out for the year in January.

At 7’0” and 250 pounds, he certainly has the size to play the five and can set some nasty screens to boot (as long as he’s not whistled for them). Also, he was born in Waukesha and grew up a Bucks (and Brewers!) fan while spending most of his childhood in Iowa. His on-court work really stood out to Doc Rivers, including in practice:

As for Pasečņiks, he had some nice run during the final preseason game in Dallas, but despite having a few years of experience on Robbins, will likely seek out one more stateside opportunity elsewhere. He spent the last few years in Spain after just 28 games with the Wizards over two seasons from 2019–21. The Latvian doesn’t seem to play in a way becoming of his 7’1”, 229-pound frame nor seemed to have any real NBA skills, unlike Robbins’ defensive chops.

All in all, Robbins seems like a much better fit as the break-in-case-of-emergency center who only would enter the rotation if injury or foul trouble befalls one of Lopez or Bobby Portis, Milwaukee’s longtime mainstays at the five. It makes for a nice story too, as it’s been quite a while since a Wisconsin native has played for the Bucks. I believe Steve Novak was the most recent in 2016–17, though he was born in Illinois. That would make Racine-native Caron Butler the last Wisconsin-born player to appear in a Bucks uniform, way back in 2014.