More than 12 hours after posting his best showing in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform, Jrue Holiday decided to celebrate with a lavish new extension.
First reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Holiday has agreed to a four-year, $160 million extension that obviously commits him to the Bucks for the long-term. As Charania followed up, the fourth year in Holiday’s extension includes a player option.
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Since the Bucks paid such a massive price to acquire Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans in the offseason, his future in Milwaukee has been a popular topic among Bucks fans.
Holiday has been eligible for an extension since late February, but there was little by way of reports and rumors about where negotiations stood between the Bucks and their new star guard. Needless to say, there was little to be concerned by the radio silence.
After all, Holiday has been very open about wanting to stay in Milwaukee for the long-term since the moment he arrived to the city in late November. This is what Holiday had to say when Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports! asked him about his future in Milwaukee at the time of his trade:
"“We’re for sure open to it. Again, I’m about winning, and this franchise over the past few years, they have been doing a very good job of that. Man, I’m really trying to win, to be completely honest. I’m trying to put banners up there, put a ring on my finger, and I’m trying to have fun doing it. This really seems like it could be the place for that.”"
Jrue Holiday solidifies the Milwaukee Bucks’ core for the long-term future.
Since coming into the fold, Holiday’s importance to the Bucks has been on full display. While he has missed time due to having COVID-19, Holiday has picked up where he left off, including playing some of his best and most efficient basketball since the All-Star break.
In his 38 appearances this season, Holiday is averaging 17 points on .509/.390/.816 shooting, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, a league-leading 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocks across 31.7 minutes per game.
Now with Holiday reportedly locked up for the long-term, the Bucks’ top three players of Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton are all under contract together until the 2023-24 season (though Middleton holds a $40.3 million player option for that year). And with all three locked in, the Bucks’ ownership is set to pay the luxury tax for the foreseeable future starting next year.
Of course, that’s the price one must pay to maintain the core that Bucks general manager Jon Horst has built and the topic of the luxury tax has been a thorny subject dating back to their decision to move on from Malcolm Brogdon.
No matter the case, Holiday made it clear where his future lies since coming to Milwaukee. With that official, all Bucks fans can relax knowing that they will get to enjoy Holiday’s exploits now and in the years to come.