Bender was assigned to the Wisconsin Herd of the G League on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Bender has yet to make an appearance for the Bucks through the first few weeks of the season, so he'll move to their G League affiliate to grab some playing time. The 21-year-old played well during the preseason but would likely need an injury or two to work his way into Milwaukee's rotation.

Bender contributed 17 points (6-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in Friday's 118-11 win over the Mavericks.

EDGE Analysis

It seemed extremely unlikely that Bender would be no more than a minor role player when the Bucks acquired him, but right now, he looks nothing like the guy who toiled in Phoenix for three seasons. He had some flashes of good play when injuries began to decimate the Suns' roster, but overall the Croatian product has failed to impress. The new locale seems to be working wonders currently, so we shall see how he is implemented moving forward.

Bender registered 11 points (3-5 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), three rebounds, two assists and three blocks across 15 minutes during the Bucks' 133-99 preseason win over the Jazz on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Through two preseason games, Bender has looked nothing like the perpetual underachiever he was in Phoenix over the first three seasons of his career. The 2016 fourth overall pick did have a handful of solid performances as the regular season would down last spring, and he's picked up where he left off with back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts in as many exhibitions. If Bender can keep up his current level of play, he could potentially carve out a serviceable amount of minutes in the frontcourt rotation, although capable veteran Ersan Ilyasova (rest) does slot in ahead of him on the power forward depth chart behind Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Bender, who was previously expected to sign in Russia, has changed course and will sign a two-year deal with the Bucks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

The former fourth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Bender has failed to live up to expectations placed on him by his draft position. While he's made some strides in rebounding and passing since his rookie season, Bender was projected to be a stretch big in the NBA, and he has posted just a 32.1 career three-point percentage. Still, Bender is 21 years old and has upside considering his 7-foot-1 frame and professional pedigree from overseas success. Ultimately, signing Bender represents a low-risk move for the Bucks, who have come to value floor-spacing bigs.

Bender is expected to sign with CSKA Moscow, Sportando reports.

EDGE Analysis

The No. 4 overall pick in 2016, Bender quickly fell out of the league after three wildly disappointing seasons in Phoenix. In 2018-19, Bender averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game, but he shot just 21.8 percent from three (22-101). While there's still a chance Bender could sign with another NBA team next season, there doesn't appear to be much of a market for the 21-year-old.

Bender contributed 12 points (4-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block in 36 minutes during Tuesday's 120-109 loss to the Mavericks.

EDGE Analysis

Bender finished the season in style, hauling in a season high rebounding total while matching his season high in assists. He finishes the campaign with five double-doubles across 46 games, this compared to combining for four through his first two years (125 games) in the league.

Bender generated 19 points (7-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-8 FT), eight rebounds and one steal in 36 minutes Sunday in the Suns' 149-113 loss to the Rockets.

EDGE Analysis

Though the Suns declined his fourth-year option earlier this season, Bender has still occupied a regular role in the rotation since the All-Star break with numerous frontcourt players sidelined by injury. After mostly tepid performances in March, Bender has ratcheted up his numbers through the Suns' first four games of the current month, averaging 12.3 points, 8.8 boards, 2.8 assists and 2.0 blocks in 31.0 minutes per contest. Teams won't overreact to a small sample of late-season performances, but Bender's late surge should at least be enough to earn him a guaranteed contract when he becomes a free agent in July.

Bender generated 12 points (6-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt), 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks across 27 minutes in the Suns' 122-113 win over the Cavaliers on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

Bender stepped up his numbers for the third straight game, and his double-double was his first since Jan. 22. The 2016 fourth overall pick has mostly endured another disappointing season, but he's averaging 10.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals over his last three contests. If Deandre Ayton (ankle) misses another game Wednesday, Bender could potentially see another bump in usage in that contest.

Bender mustered eight points (2-5 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks across 30 minutes in the Suns' 120-115 loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

Bender was minimally involved on the offensive end, but both of the buckets he drained came from three-point range. Additionally, he was solid on the boards and checked off each box on the stat sheet as well, generating a strong follow-up to his 12-point, six-rebound, two-block effort against the Wizards on Wednesday. However, with Josh Jackson now back in action after a three-game absence, Bender's time with the starting five may not last much longer.

Bender had three points, three rebounds, and one assist in 14 minutes during Wednesday's 114-97 loss to the Jazz.

EDGE Analysis

Bender played just 14 minutes in Wednesday's loss, continuing to run with the opening five despite basically no production. He has certainly not progressed as the Suns would have liked and can be left on all waiver wires.