Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Bogut extended

John Hammond is continuing to have a good summer as Bucks GM. He has gotten center Andrew Bogut to agree to a 5-year/$72.5 million contract, with $60 million guaranteed.

What I like about this deal is that it is not the max contract. I like that Bogut knows that he can get better and hence does not deserve the max yet. But, having him in the fold for the next several seasons allows him to further develop into a true center, which will definitely pay dividends down the line for the Bucks. And, he wants to be in Milwaukee. This is key. So many people in the NBA don't like cities that aren't flashy. This is one of the reasons I am still mad that the Bucks traded Ray Allen. Allen loved Milwaukee and lived there year-round.

So far, Hammond fired Larry Krystowiak (who was in over his head) and got Scott Skiles, a defensive-minded coach. Next, he drafted Joe Alexander, who actually wants to be in Milwaukee. Before that, he gets rid of Mr. Bad Contract himself, Bobby Simmons, and gets Richard Jefferson in the fold. Sure, he traded Yi Jianlian, but Yi didn't want to be in Milwaukee anyway. If Hammond can get a good point guard on the floor, the Bucks will start to look a lot better.

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