Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
For anyone who thought the Milwaukee Bucks were planning on letting point guard Brandon Jennings walk, think again. The organization has stated they have every intention of keeping the four-year player on the roster next season, with the hopes of signing him to a long-term deal still on the table.
“It’s our intention for Brandon Jennings to remain a Milwaukee Buck,” general manager John Hammond said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We’re hoping to negotiate with him fairly through the July process.
“At the conclusion of our negotiations, if we have not reached a deal and they choose to go out and seek an opportunity in the open market, our intention then would still be to match.”
The Bucks acquired two players in the 2013 NBA Draft that are more than capable of handling the point guard position at the professional level. However, it will take some time for them to get acquainted with the playing style of the NBA, which means keeping Jennings on board for at least one more year is essential to the team’s success.
Despite the noise outside of the organization, Milwaukee has no intentions of rebuilding. They believe they will be able to contend in the Eastern Conference next season after they add a couple pieces in free agency, specifically a starting shooting guard.
Even though Jennings has struggled playing point guard at times, the fact is he puts up a lot of points and has shown the ability to take over games. The Bucks are banking on head coach Larry Drew and his coaching staff to get Jennings in the right mind set to play at a very high level. It is certainly very possible that Bucks fans have yet to see the best of Jennings.
People can say what they want about the 23-year-old (I certainly have), but the fact is Jennings has led Milwaukee to two playoff appearances in the four years he has been with the team.
