Malique Lewis looks set to keep his game in Australia, with the 21-year-old forward nearing a deal with the Cairns Taipans, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Uluc reported that talks are in advanced stages and that the expectation is the two sides will get an agreement done.
Lewis has spent the last two seasons with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, and if the move becomes official, he’ll be back in the NBL for the 2026/27 season. In that scenario, Milwaukee would retain his NBA rights while he opens the year as a draft-and-stash player.
The 6’8″ forward from Trinidad and Tobago was the final pick in this year’s NBA draft. The Bucks acquired the No. 60 overall selection from Orlando for cash, then completed the move in a three-team deal that also involved Washington.
Lewis played 25 games in Australia’s 2025/26 National Basketball League season and put up 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 21.3 minutes per game. He shot .455 from the field, .387 from three and .800 at the line.
Before the 2026 draft, ESPN ranked Lewis 66th on its big board. He helped his stock with a strong showing at the adidas EuroCamp in June, which led to several NBA workouts.
After that, he was medically cleared by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel, following a heart condition that kept him out of the G League combine earlier in the spring. That condition had been known and documented for several years.
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