NBA Rumors: Why Bucks Are Fools for Not Extending Brandon Jennings

There, I said it.

No, Milwaukee isn’t foolish for re-signing Ersan Ilyasova to a fat five-year deal, and it certainly isn’t foolish for having dealt Andrew Bogut to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Monta Ellis. The Bucks are foolish because they’ve yet to ink high-scoring guard Brandon Jennings to an extension.

Now, NBA players stand to make more money by waiting until their contract expires before signing a new one, but Jennings is only eligible to become a restricted free agent, and he’s coming off his rookie deal, so things are different. Simply put, Jennings is willing to deal now.

From Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel:

He is entering his fourth NBA season and is eligible for a contract extension for the first time. The Bucks and Jennings’ agent, Bill Duffy, have until Oct. 31 to reach a deal.

“It would be something I’d love to get done with and over with so I don’t have to worry about it,” Jennings said. “But the main thing is just to come into training camp a better player, a better leader. . . just lead the team to the playoffs.”

Jennings said he believes the Bucks can be a top six team in the Eastern Conference.

That last part is important, of the utmost importance, in fact. Jennings “believes” in this Bucks team; he believes that he and Ellis can co-exist within the same lineup. So, why hasn’t Milwaukee locked him up yet? Why isn’t the 23-year-old, who averaged 19.1 points, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season clad with a new contract?

Because, again, the Bucks are fools. At this point, I don’t even care if they are able to strike a deal by October 30th—well, I do a little bit, but you get the point. The fact is, Milwaukee is wasting precious time, allowing this situation to become a distraction when it should really be focusing, without interference, on how to incorporate both Jennings and Ellis into the same system.

And you know what? Such a task is possible. Both Ellis and Jennings may play strikingly similar styles of basketball, but they’ve already shown a willingness, on more than one occasion, to adjust to the needs of the other; they’ve already shown they’re lethal in transition and aren’t afraid to play the two-man game with one another.

But for some reason, the Bucks are stalling when they have no reason to. Not only are they risking Jennings’ future with the team, but Ellis’ as well. Like Jennings, he too can become a free agent upon season’s end, except that he can opt out of his deal to become an unrestricted one, leaving the Bucks without the luxury of matching any offer that comes his way.

Is that a situation they want to be in? Does this team really want to enter the summer entertaining the possibility of losing their two best players?

The answer is a wholehearted no, yet Milwaukee’s failure to act certainly implies otherwise. Which is why locking up Jennings now is so crucial.

Not only is the point guard a budding young talent, but he’s underrated in many aspects of the game as well. Sure, he can be an erratic shooter, but he’s one of the best scorers in the game, and easily one of the most elusive point guards as well. And only last season, he took great strides toward improving his playmaking abilities and shot-selection, converting on a career high 41.8 percent of his field-goal attempts.

What exactly does that mean? That his stock is on the rise, and that the Bucks should buy in while they have a chance.

Because as much some want to support Milwaukee’s wait-and-see game with regards to Ellis and Jennings, the reality is, the most important ingredient is already present—commitment. But only on the player’s part. Jennings is committed to making this pairing work, he is committed to bringing the Bucks back to the playoffs.

Milwaukee, though? It has committed to absolutely nothing at this point, which isn’t only a damn shame, but a grave mistake.

Or, at least it will be when Jennings inks a monstrous, max-caliber offer sheet with another team next summer.