At 21-30, the Milwaukee Bucks have not given their fans many things to be excited about this season. Even when two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been healthy, the team has not played together and has been hampered by poor effort on both sides of the floor by multiple players. And while the Bucks have not given up on the season yet, there are concerns that they may have dug themselves into too deep of a hole.
That being said, there have been a few bright spots on Milwaukee’s roster this season. One of them is surprise role player Pete Nance, who has seen his usage increase in recent weeks due to injuries to other players on the team.
So impressive has Nance been that general manager Jon Horst believes he will be getting a more permanent NBA contract soon.
Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst wants to keep Pete Nance around long-term
Feb 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Pete Nance (35) drives to the basket against the Chicago Bulls in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
So far this season, Nance is averaging 5.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in just 10.4 minutes per game. However, he is also shooting 61% from the floor overall and 52% from three.
During a recent Bucks radio show, Horst had the following to say about Nance:
“He’s a candidate to follow the path, the AJ Green and Ryan Rollins path. Whether or not that’s something we do before the end of the season or we talk about it in the summer, we’ll work through that with Pete and his agents.”
Both AJ Green and Ryan Rollins initially signed two-way contracts with Milwaukee. This meant the Bucks could call them up to their active roster when needed, but typically had them getting more playing time and experience with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G-League affiliate.
Now, both Green and Rollins are on guaranteed NBA contracts with Milwaukee and are fixtures in the starting lineup.
And based on Horst’s comments, Nance is going to find himself in a similar position before too long.
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