Bucks draft-and-stash pick Malique Lewis set for Cairns Taipans run in NBL

Milwaukee’s draft-and-stash approach has landed in a new place. The Bucks selected Malique Lewis with the No. 60 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he is expected to sign with Australia’s Cairns Taipans for the upcoming NBL season. It continues the same basic blueprint the organization uses for certain prospects, keeping a player’s development on the court while he builds pro experience elsewhere before any future NBA opportunity.

Lewis is familiar with the Australian league environment. Over the last two seasons, he played for the Southeast Melbourne Phoenix, giving him a degree of comfort with the pace, role expectations, and travel realities that come with the NBL. According to Yahoo Sports, he is now set to return “Down Under” for a third season, but with a different team, shifting from the Phoenix to the Taipans.

The statistical picture from his most recent season with Southeast Melbourne, as reported, suggests a player in steady rotation who contributed across categories. Yahoo Sports reported that Lewis averaged 6.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last season, along with nearly two steals. That combination points to a forward who can impact both sides of the ball, not only by finishing around the rim but also by creating possessions through defense.

For the Bucks, the No. 60 selection reflects the realities of the second round. Those picks typically come with longer timelines, and draft-and-stash choices often aim to accelerate development without immediately occupying NBA roster minutes. The Taipans stint likely serves as an extended audition, with Lewis expected to fit a team’s on-court needs while maintaining the growth that can be measured in production, defensive activity, and decision-making.

Cairns Taipans represent a change in scenery and, potentially, in how Lewis is asked to play. A new team can mean different lineups, usage patterns, and spacing responsibilities, all of which can matter for a player’s overall development. What to watch in the NBL season is whether his role expands, whether his rebounding and steal production hold steady against new matchups, and how he balances creation with the more specialized tasks often assigned to NBA draft-and-stash prospects.

There is also a schedule dimension to the plan. By placing Lewis in the NBL this season, Milwaukee can expect to keep his competitive calendar active while monitoring his progress from afar. The immediate question becomes how quickly he can translate his previous production into a consistent fit for Cairns, and whether the Bucks’ long-term development timeline moves from “overseas minutes” to “next step in an NBA transition” later.

As always with draft-and-stash scenarios, the operational detail matters as much as the talent. The plan described by Yahoo Sports is that Lewis is expected to reach a deal with Cairns for the upcoming season, which would confirm the next stage of the path from draft pick to professional development. Until formal confirmation is available from team or league channels, the expectation should be treated as reported, not finalized. Regardless, the matchup between Milwaukee’s long-term roster building and Lewis’s continuing NBL seasoning is now clearly set for the season ahead.