Milwaukee Bucks fans woke up to a great Easter present with the news of them locking up Jrue Holiday for the next four years.
The contract extension is worth up to $160 million with a player option for the fourth year.
Milwaukee star guard Jrue Holiday and the Bucks have agreed to a four-year maximum contract extension worth up to $160 million, his agent Jason Glushon of @GlushonSM told @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 4, 2021
After trading four first round picks in the off-season for Jrue; the Bucks needed to keep him for the long term.
However, the narrative has started to trickle out about how this extension is a massive overpay.
Jrue Holiday is a good NBA player. Jrue Holiday has also been getting overpaid for a majority of his career and i’ll never understand why. https://t.co/SE9EgYd3V9
— Georgia Sports Now (@GASportsNow) April 4, 2021
Jrue is only a one-time all-star and has made both defensive just one time each.
35 plus million for a man with these accolades, who is going to turn 31 in June seems laughable.
The more you look into the circumstances surrounding the Bucks and the future for them and the NBA; this move was actually smart.
He is a very great defender and ball-handler.
Jrue helps ease the load for Khris Middleton and Giannis much more than what Eric Bledsoe was doing the last two seasons.
The media and players look at him as the most underrated player in the league, but why is there a change now?
Jrue Holiday is the most UNDERRATED Player in the NBA!!! He’s Elite on the offensive end and he puts people in a straight jacket on the defensive end. Just saying tho…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 1, 2021
A quick look at the dollar signs will give you the reaction of that contract becoming an albatross.
What people lose sight of is the fact that the salary cap is going to increase.
Covid brought the salary cap numbers down, but within the next two years or so, the salary cap should see a big upward trajectory.
For a small market team like the Bucks; this can come off as a dangerous move to make.
The other options they had were very bleak in reality.
The other alternatives were to low ball an offer to Jrue or just let him walk.
Both of those potential moves are detrimental to a small market team that has trouble attracting big name free agents.
The best move is keeping the very good player if he wants to stay.
The Bucks now have Jrue Holiday for the ride, or even flipping him in a year for a better piece.
If the Bucks ownership group are not afraid of the luxury tax; then by all means give him the big bucks and keep moving forward.
Also, their two time MVP definitely had a say in the extension.
NBA teams listen to their franchise players, which means you can assume the Bucks’ franchise guy loves this move.
Milwaukee has been very successful as of late and seem like a team that enjoys to play with one another.
The NBA mantra is to always keep your star player happy and by all means Giannis looks ecstatic next to Jrue.
As long as Giannis is on the Bucks, they are title contenders for the foreseeable future.
With the extension, the Bucks have now locked up their big 3 for the next couple of years.
Bucks have LOCKED IN their Big 3 👀
💰 Giannis: 5 years/$228M
💰 Khris: 5 years/$177M
💰 Jrue: 4 years/$160MHow many rings will these 3 win together?
(📸: @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/vqskQK5Knb
— Overtime (@overtime) April 4, 2021
This is big for not only a small market team, but also any NBA team in today’s climate.
The Brooklyn Nets seem like an unbeaten team, but for how long?
Lebron is getting older and Anthony Davis tends to be banged up all the time.
The Sixers can be in a pickle once the season ends without an impressive playoff run with the organization having to choose between Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid.
The top three contending teams in the NBA might not have a long future together.
The new NBA has the elite teams lasting for no more than 4 years together as a legit title contender.
This makes the Jrue Holiday extension a very good long term move.
As a small market team, it is best to keep a competitive group intact.
That is the game plan for the Bucks.
The window can close just as fast as it opens.
This move keeps the window open for another 4 years.
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