It's September, and the Milwaukee Bucks still haven't come to an agreement on a contract extension with AJ Green. The wing has been eligible for quite some time, but there has been no noise on talks of a new deal lately. Just like August, the Bucks should spend this month looking to get the guard inked to a fresh contract, locking in a player who could be a key piece of their present and future success.
Bucks would love to lock up sharpshooting wing
In an interview with The Athletic's Eric Nehm (subscription required) from earlier this summer, it was made clear how Milwaukee feels about Green by general manager Jon Horst. The former Executive of the Year told Nehm that he called Green the day he became extension eligible. Host noted that he wants Green in Milwaukee, and the feeling is mutual. Yet, there is still a holdup.
Locking up Green would be easy to justify. His emergence from undrafted two-way youngster to key sharpshooter on a standard deal has been one of Milwaukee's best stories lately. With a quick trigger from the outside, he's the perfect complement to Giannis Antetokounmpo, spacing the floor for the superstar forward and keeping the offense flowing.
At 25, he's young and fits in perfectly with the new youth-focused timeline around Antetokounmpo. With no clear-cut starting lineup, there's a chance Green could be among the first five next season. That type of player doesn't grow on trees, especially for a franchise that hasn't had much luck with young success stories lately.
As highlighted previously, Green's deal should be something along the lines of what Sam Merrill got from the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this summer. With similar stats and skill sets, paying Green $38 million over four years would be beyond reasonable. Given his recent growth, it could end up being a sizeable steal for the Milwaukee Bucks in a hurry.
Green is currently set to play out next season on an expiring $2.3 million deal. Only time will tell if that holds true or if the Milwaukee Bucks lock him up for the foreseeable future.
There's no telling why there's been no movement thus far. Perhaps Green is leaning toward betting on himself and looking to increase his value. Maybe the Milwaukee Bucks are working on something else bigger and prioritizing that. Only time will tell, but this should be on the minds of everyone as the new NBA season nears.
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