Before he even plays a game for the Milwaukee Bucks, the team must decide whether Jaime Jaquez Jr. is deserving of a contract extension. If the Bucks hand him a new deal, it will take pressure off of Jaquez's shoulders, giving him clarity that he is valued. One Bucks front office member is well aware of this, as is also the case for Tyler Herro, as they recently told Spotrac's Keith Smith.
“That’s something we’ll talk about with his reps. We’d love to get something done, provided it makes sense for both Tyler and us... For Jaime, it’s the same thing. He’s in a different spot because of restricted free agency. But, in an ideal world, you get those things taken care of now. That way everyone can just play the season without the future weighing on them.”
Bucks extending Jaquez would have benefits
One reason hammering out an extension now rather than later would make sense is that Jaquez's role in Milwaukee next season is likely to be hefty. The forward just had a quality year with the Miami Heat, having finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year race, but in Milwaukee, he should see an uptick in playing time and more than likely production.
If the current small forward rotation remains in place, Jaquez has a great opportunity to be the Bucks' starter next season. After starting in just 38 of his career 216 regular season games, he could shatter that number in his first season with Milwaukee. If the Bucks decide not to pay him now, he could raise his value even more and be worth a higher amount next summer.
They could get ahead of the curve and hand him a deal that looks like a steal a year from now.
There will be many factors at play with an extension
If extended now, Jaquez should land in the camp of players such as Gary Trent Jr., Quentin Grimes, Tari Eason, and Bobby Portis. All of the players make around $15 million annually and are similarly productive reserves to Jaquez. If they believe in his potential, the Bucks could hand him a raise to make him feel right at home in his new environment.
Of course, there is also a chance that the Bucks and Jaquez cannot agree on a number, forcing the latter to hold off for now. Knowing that he's likely due for a big role, Jaquez could bet on himself and play out next season as is. If he does indeed play well, he could then come back to the negotiation table next summer with a stronger case to earn more money than he has right now.
Both sides have time to figure things out. The offseason is still young. It will be interesting to see if the Milwaukee Bucks can come to terms with the former UCLA standout.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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