The final year of Eric Bledsoe’s $70MM contract extension with the Bucks has a $3.9MM partial guarantee in the final season, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The extension became official on Monday.
Bledsoe’s $19.375MM salary that season would be fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster beyond June 30, 2022, Charania adds. The cap hits for the first three years of the extension are $15.62MM, $16.87MM and $18.12MM, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
Bledsoe, who is not eligible to be traded until September 4, will rank 13th in salary next season among point guards around the league, and that doesn’t include impending free agents Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving and D’Angelo Russell, Marks adds.
We have more news from around the Central Division:
- Pistons reserve center Zaza Pachulia has been fined $25K by the league for confronting and verbally abusing a game official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner upon being ejected, according to an NBA press release. Pachulia was tossed against Toronto in the second quarter on Sunday after arguing a no-call and getting assessed two technicals.
- Kevin Love has no regrets about signing an extension with the Cavaliers this summer but he wishes he could have been a bigger part of their season, as he explained to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Love missed a chunk of the season after undergoing foot surgery and the Cavaliers soon went in rebuild mode. “There have been some bright spots in terms of younger guys getting better,” he said. “But it’s been tough, especially stepping into a leadership role and then you’re not out there for three months.” Love also weighed in on the Zion Williamson situation, saying the Duke star and likely No. 1 overall pick shouldn’t return this season from his knee sprain, “If I were him, I’d probably say, especially after a scare like this, I’d heavily consider telling the NCAA to pay us or else shutting it down and doing what’s best for his family,” Love said. “That kid is really an exceptional talent … I would lean toward not coming back.”
- Bucks GM Jon Horst deserves more credit for the team’s success, Matt John of Basketball Insiders argues. Trades and free agent signings that brought in Bledsoe, Ersan Ilyasova, Brook Lopez and Nikola Mirotic greased the skids for Milwaukee’s rise to the top of the Eastern Conference. Horst also made other moves that improve the team’s salary-cap flexibility going forward, John adds.
As a Bucks fan, we needed to trust the process. Unlike the 76ers, it didn’t take 10 years. Just need to get a playoff round victory and take giant leaps. This offseason will be one of the biggest in Bucks history!
The Bucks will be so much fun to watch over the next five to seven years. They might win a championship….
I’m as big a Bucks fan as any, but looking back the Sixers just sort of opened the door for teams like NYK outright tanking in plain sight. I don’t see why they get singled out, just because they were pioneers? Sam Hinkie did what he promised he would do.
Getting Giannis with a draft pick in the teens was the best thing that’s ever happened to them.
Been LOTS of teams in the past, long before Hinkie, that tanked in plain sight.
Zaza is such a dirty player.
An article on hoopshype said Rozier clearly ouplayed Bledsoe in the playoffs last year. I had not caught that. I still think Bledsoe is better than the 16th best NBA PG, which is where his pay level will turn out. Usually a player’s salary will rank highest right after he signs a new contract, so the Bucks made out.
How did you not catch that ? Rozier called him Drew and it was highly publicized
I guess you had to be there… I don’t get the controversy or power of that exchange. Statistically the Philly series ‘made’ Rozier; but he got people excited vs Milwaukee, as the backup doing good vs a name player.
That partial guarantee on the final year makes the Bucks look that much smarter. Y’all have a really good team and this was an important part of keeping it that way.
K-Love is absolutely right about Zion (NCAA stop scamming kids & pay for the privilege).
Also Horst has been over the last couple of years the best GM of the league, not even close.
Still can’t believe the Bucks got my man BroLo for like 3 and a half Mil. But let’s be honest here, Horst has done alright but he’s not the best GM in the league. Thon Maker, Rashad Vaughn, Jabari, and last but not least, giving Miles Plumlee $52 Million over 4 yrs(that scrub?) were a cpl hiccups of his. Thon, Rashad and Jabari were picks 10, 17 and 2 respectively. After Jabari was Embiid and after Thon was Sabonis food for thought. Still he has done quite well considering Giannis. And getting Brogdon in the 2nd round was pretty stellar.
Jon Horst was hired as GM in June, 2017 the only players he drafted were DJ Wilson, Sterling Brown and Donte DiVincenzo. He’s also responsible for extending Tony Snell, trading for Eric Bledsoe, firing Kidd, hiring Budenhozer, signing Ersan Ilyasova, Pat Connaughton and Brook Lopez, dumping both Dellavedova and Henson for George Hill and trading for Nikola Mirotic. Outside of the extending Snell I’d say he’s done exceptionally well.
All the moves you are referring to were courtesy of John Hammonds.
Nice list
I agree. Horst has been a miracle worker compared to his predecessors.
Surprised Zaza is still playing….