Bucks offer $36 million over three years to Monta Ellis

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/93550 ... eport-says

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Bucks have made a three-year, $36 million offer to their leading scorer this past season.

Ellis holds a player option on his current six-year contract and could become a free agent if he opts out by June 20.

The offer, contingent on Ellis opting in, keeps next season's pay intact but adds $11.8 million for 2014-15 and $13 million for the final year, the Journal Sentinel reported.

The 27-year-old would have otherwise made $11 million in the final year of the contract he signed with the Golden State Warriors,

I'm sure this will be a great investment.

Sounds like Brandon Jennings will be on the market then, story was they were only intending on keeping one of them.

It's not the worst deal ever offered, but it's the kind of move that more or less resigns them to mediocrity.

Well, it's not like they have many choice.

You can start over; keep a few of the players who played well and/or showed promise and begin rebuilding. It's a painful process, but it's going to have to happen sooner or later. Overpaying for mediocrity is just delaying the inevitable and is no less frustrating for a team's fans.

They have a ton of choices, it just so happens that giving Monta Ellis $12 million a year is probably a terrible choice. Which you'd assume they'd realize after seeing this last season for both them and the Warriors.

Part of me wants to believe Monta could still have a season like 07-08 in a sixth man role but the guy would be a risky MLE signing, let alone one that pays him like a borderline all-star. If the Bucks are lucky, he hates Milwaukee or is offered a max deal by some awful team. John Hammond certainly doesn't deserve to be an NBA general manager - trading Tobias Harris is the tip of the iceberg.

Jennings isn't a quality starting point guard but you could do worse. However, putting him next to Monta was never going to work. Despite reports to the contrary, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they kept both.

He can crash then buy a lot of new mopeds with that money.

So I guess Monta's stupider than the Bucks are:

Monta Ellis has informed the Milwaukee Bucks that he will opt out of the last year of his deal, according to league sources.

Unless he thinks some team is going to panic sign him for more than $12 million a year. (Maybe he wants to sign for less to play for a better team?)

And since you can't have a FA article without him:

Ellis, who originally signed a six-year, $66 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, is close with Lakers free agent Dwight Howard. The two have long desired to play together. If Howard cannot achieve his top goal of playing with Chris Paul, teaming up with Ellis may become an option he would strongly consider.

He'll probably still get a decent payday somewhere. There's always a team that will overpay for a player that is quite talented but inefficient and nowhere near being a franchise player (or even a proven second banana). Still, it probably won't be quite as much as the Bucks were offering.

It's been said that Lakers might have some interest in signing him. Because of his friendship with Howard, Lakers could sign him just to please the big baby. I hope that's just some typical off season rumor.
I mean if he'd come for ~4 mio/year I'd consider him a solid addition to the Lakers' bench, but that won't happen. I fear the worst when I hear Monta's name while Jim Buss & D'Antoni are running/ruining the show...

Gary Woelfel: As I reported back in April, Monta Ellis planned to bolt Bucks. He has told friends he'd like to join Grizzlies

hmm

I mean if he'd come for ~4 mio/year I'd consider him a solid addition to the Lakers' bench, but that won't happen

Because he can't, Lakers can't sign a player for that much.

I mean if he'd come for ~4 mio/year I'd consider him a solid addition to the Lakers' bench, but that won't happen

Because he can't, Lakers can't sign a player for that much.

You are right. I was mistaken on how low the MLE in case of the Lakers actually would be.

If the Bucks are lucky, he hates Milwaukee or is offered a max deal by some awful team.

Seems like the Bucks are lucky like you said.

Now it's time for the Bucks to sign Jennings to a lucrative, long-term deal.

Certainly a possibility. I feel that Jennings is somewhat underrated at times, if only because he's sometimes deemed to be awful and he's got too much talent for that label. However, like Ellis, there's the problem of him being rather inefficient and it's very questionable as to whether he's capable of being the centrepiece of a successful team. With that in mind, a max deal wouldn't exactly be a brilliant move.

BRANDON JENNINGS ✔ @BrandonJennings

Hopefully im back in Milwaukee. Got some unfinished business

I like his attitude.

Like winning in a series against the Heat in 6 games?

Seems he's changed his tune. A few months back, it seemed he felt slighted by the Bucks and was on his way out.

Surprised they made an offer. $12 mil a year is a good price for Ellis. I could see the Hawks giving him more.

There's always a team that will overpay for a player that is quite talented but inefficient and nowhere near being a franchise player (or even a proven second banana).

phpBB [video]

Wow.

I guess you need to have confidence to make it in the league but...wow.

Nuggets Emerge As Serious Suitor For Monta Ellis

I think it's going to be a long season...

Well, at least they got a franchise best 57 wins last year.

Kings are now the lead contender for Ellis, Bulls "Fall Short"

Looks like Chicago won't be getting Wade 2.0. You must be devastated, Andrew

I actually have Ellis in my NBA Live 06 Dynasty. I guess real life was getting sick of imitating The Next Level.

But yeah, I'm OK with the Bulls missing out on him. I don't think he'd have been too good a fit.

Bulls still don't have someone that can create his own shot other than Rose.
Have LeBron guard Rose and it's the same Bulls as last season again.