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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayMilwaukee Bucks second-round pick Malique Lewis is nearing a deal to remain in Australia, with the Cairns Taipans in advanced discussions to sign the Trinidadian forward for the 2026-27 NBL season, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc.
Uluc reported Thursday that there is confidence Lewis and Cairns will soon finalize an agreement, with Lewis expected to fill the Taipans’ final roster spot as an import. The move would keep the 60th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft outside the NBA as Milwaukee begins its post-Giannis Antetokounmpo rebuild.
Malique Lewis is nearing a deal with the Cairns Taipans, sources told ESPN. Discussions between the Trinidadian forward and Taipans are in the advanced stages; there’s confidence a deal will soon be agreed for #NBL27. Lewis would be an import, and Cairns’ final roster spot.
— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) August 20, 2026Lewis already has two seasons of NBL experience with South East Melbourne Phoenix, making Cairns a familiar environment rather than a first overseas assignment. In 2025-26, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25 games while playing 21.3 minutes per contest.
The 21-year-old improved his perimeter shooting in his second Phoenix season, connecting on 38.7% of his 3-point attempts after shooting 29.4% from deep in 2024-25. His assist average also doubled from 1.1 to 2.2 per game, while his steals increased from 0.4 to 1.2.
Lewis’ professional experience extends beyond Australia. He played for Fuenlabrada in Spain’s top division in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before joining Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico in the G League, where he averaged 8.5 points and 6.0 rebounds across 48 games in 2023-24.
His selection at No. 60 made Lewis Milwaukee’s final pick in a 2026 draft that also brought Brayden Burries and Nate Ament into the organization in the first round. The Bucks have shifted toward a younger roster after trading Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat, with Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis among the players acquired in the deal.
Milwaukee finished 32-50 in 2025-26, the 11th-best record in the Eastern Conference, before the offseason reset. Allowing Lewis to continue developing in a league he already knows could provide the Bucks with another year of professional evaluation before determining his next step within the organization.
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