NBA Free Agency: Miles Plumlee agrees to four-year extension with Milwaukee Bucks
By John Buhler
Free agent center Miles Plumlee re-signs with the Milwaukee Bucks on a four-year extension.
According to Milwaukee Bucks beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel C.F. Gardner, the Bucks have agreed to a four-year contract extension with free agent center Miles Plumlee worth $50 million.
League source says Bucks and Miles Plumlee have agreed on four-year, $50 million deal.
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) July 18, 2016
Plumlee has spent the last year and a half with the Bucks after being traded to Milwaukee at the 2015 NBA trade deadline. He has played in 80 games for and has started in 14 contests for the Bucks, averaging 4.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 13.2 minutes per contest.
At 6-foot-11, 249 pounds and 27 years old, it seems the Milwaukee front office wants both continuity and length in their front court going forward. The Bucks already have five other players with wingspans greater that 7-foot-0: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, John Henson, Greg Monroe and rookie Thon Maker.
The path to success for the Bucks under third-year head coach Jason Kidd seems to be on the defensive end, challenging the opposition into costly turnovers via the Bucks’ undeniable length. Given that the Bucks are still a relatively young team, Milwaukee can appropriately run the floor in transition to capitalize on their opponent’s offensive miscues for easy fast break buckets.
Retaining Plumlee should help the Bucks maintain a strong defensive identity and a low-post presence. Milwaukee general manager John Hammond may have overpaid to keep the eldest Plumlee brother in Milwaukee (yes, there are now three of them in the NBA), but if Kidd feels that size is what will ultimately get his team over the top these next few years, it makes sense for the Bucks to go all-in on winning in those crucial six feet around the rim.
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