After four years in the abyss that is playing basketball in Memphis, Hakim Warrick was shuffled loose by the Grizz last week, making him available to play anywhere. More importantly perhaps, it was a chance for Hakim to break into the spotlight somewhere. You know, play for a contender or in a market where his skills will be showcased.
Nope, he's going to Milwaukee.
Hakim Warrick, an athletic 6-foot-9 forward who played the past four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, has reached agreement with the Bucks on a one-year deal, sources indicated Friday.
Warrick averaged 11.6 points and 5.0 rebounds while appearing in all 82 games for the Grizzlies last season, primarily in a bench role.
I didn't even realize they still made the Bucks.
I know, you do what you gotta do. And I'm betting that Hakim wants playing time and he's going to get a helluva lot more of it for the Bucks than he would for the Cavaliers, who apparently also made an offer to Warrick. Playing in Cleveland would have meant tons of TV exposure and hanging out with LeBron and Shaq, but would have come with diminished minutes for sure.
Warrick joins a Bucks team that also has Amir Johnson and Ersan Ilyasova at the PF position but the fact that Hak can play both forward positions should mean he'll have a chance to start for them. The Bucks recently lost Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva, which clears up a lot of room.
And so, Hak seems destined to a good player on terrible teams. There are far worse fates out there, especially for millionaires. I still hope there's a chance out there for him to one day put another high-profile highlight on the reel that can stand alongside this one...