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Milwaukee Bucks reportedly push back Brandon Jennings’ guarantee date

By Jordan Treske

OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 29: (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 29: (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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After some conflicting reports, it seems as if the Milwaukee Bucks will postpone their decision on Brandon Jennings’ guarantee date.

[Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to reflect a new report from Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.]

This year’s NBA Free Agency has already gotten off to a fast and furious start and the Milwaukee Bucks are no exception to that.

Mere minutes into the opening of this year’s free agency period, the Bucks reportedly agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with Ersan Ilyasova, bringing him back to the place where he got his NBA career off the ground after being taken 36th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft.

On Sunday morning, there were mixed reports as to what the Bucks’ next move would be. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated was first to report on Brandon Jennings’ guarantee date, suggesting the Bucks were guaranteeing the veteran guard’s deal for the remainder of the season by choosing against waiving him on July 1.

That move to guarantee Jennings’ salary for next year would have brought the Bucks up to 13 players with guaranteed salaries for next season, but according to Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a final decision has yet to be made and the Bucks will push back Jennings’ guarantee date for the present moment.

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After washing out of the league following underwhelming stints with the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Washington Wizards, Jennings was on course to secure a move to play in China around this time last year, in part due to his market in the NBA being never lower.

While in China, Jennings enjoyed a five-month stint as a member of the Shanxi Brave Dragons, where he went on to average 27.8 points, 6.8 assist, 5.1 rebounds in 13 games with the club.

Coming back stateside before the turn of this calendar year, Jennings soon returned back to the organization where he got his NBA career going as he became a member of the Wisconsin Herd on February 13 last season.

Making seven appearances with the expansion affiliate, Jennings’ return back to the state of Wisconsin was upgraded to the big leagues as the Bucks wound up signing the Compton native to a 10-day contract on March 11 as they were dealing with injuries to their point guard depth.

Of course, we’re all aware of what went down during Jennings’ re-debut with the Bucks, seeing that he nearly registered a triple-double in close to 24 minutes in the Bucks’ 121-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies the following night.

However, as surreal as his debut was after being out of the league for close to a full year, Jennings’ return back to the Bucks quickly lost its luster the longer his stay went on, which was extended by another 10-day contract and subsequently an end of the season deal.

If Jennings does still end up staying in the mix, the Bucks’ flexibility this offseason will become even more constricted than it was slated to be heading into free agency. That’s particularly of interest to the ongoing restricted free agency of Jabari Parker as salary cap expert Albert Nahmad notes here.

In an interesting note following up on his original report, Spears indicates that Jennings believed the Bucks decision not to waive him on Sunday was a commitment to guaranteeing him for next season, and is surprised by the continued uncertainty.

Next: Win in 6 Podcast #230: Potential free agency targets

Like any and all Bucks moves that come through the wire, we’ll keep you updated with all the tidbits and reports you need to know throughout the offseason and beyond.

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