John Henson gets 4-year, $44 million extension

[saltlover]

The deal can increase to $48 million depending on incentives reached.  I'd imagine his value is slightly higher than Zeller and Sully, although certainly in the same ballpark. This deal is an upper-bound of what those two could get, although I think we're now in the 4 years, $36 to $40 million range.  Glad this deal got done early, so there's no waiting on either side to see how Henson's deal turns out.

Woj:  http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--john-henson-finalizing--44-million-extension-with-bucks-050429352.html

[Who]

My god .... $44 million for John Henson!

He has accomplished little to nothing in his career.

[pearljammer10]

Meh, I don't see it as being all the ridiculous. Henson is a starting center on a playoff team that averages 2 blocks a game, a PER of 18 and is only 24 years old. He can potentially be a nice defensive anchor and with the core the bucks are starting to develop he could end up being a steal at 11 mil. Compared to the other deals that we are going to start seeing, this isn't terrible to me in anyway. I think him and Monroe can eventually be a pretty decent pairing.

[coffee425]

Meh, I don't see it as being all the ridiculous. Henson is a starting center on a playoff team that averages 2 blocks a game, a PER of 18 and is only 24 years old. He can potentially be a nice defensive anchor and with the core the bucks are starting to develop he could end up being a steal at 11 mil. Compared to the other deals that we are going to start seeing, this isn't terrible to me in anyway. I think him and Monroe can eventually be a pretty decent pairing.

All true. However, I am highly skeptical of how Giannis will find space in all of this, considering he isn't necessarily a 3pt threat.

Also, it's pretty cool to see the contrast of Milwaukee aiming for the league's longest/lankiest lineup, while Boston is centered around 4 bulldozing undersized players (Smart, Sully, IT, Jae)

[Who]

Meh, I don't see it as being all the ridiculous. Henson is a starting center on a playoff team that averages 2 blocks a game, a PER of 18 and is only 24 years old. He can potentially be a nice defensive anchor and with the core the bucks are starting to develop he could end up being a steal at 11 mil. Compared to the other deals that we are going to start seeing, this isn't terrible to me in anyway. I think him and Monroe can eventually be a pretty decent pairing.

Calling him a starting center on a playoff team is a generous description of what happened ...

Henson started 11 (regular season) games for Milwaukee last season. 11!

That was less than Larry Sanders, Zaza Pachulia ... even Jonny O'Bryant (15 starts).

Henson was a DNP coaches decision for almost as many games as he started. Henson was a 3rd string center for longer than he was a starter. And a 3rd string center & DNP center for about half the season. Then Henson was a backup center for another 3rd of the season. Then a brief spell as a starter for only 11 games.

And Henson played badly as a starter ... the odd good game outweighed by a bunch of bad games ... which is why he wasn't able to hold onto that starting position and got moved back to the bench. 

.... and saying Henson anchored their defense! ... that is like saying Luc Lonley was the anchor to the great Chicago Bulls defense. Milwaukee's strong defense was due to to their players 1 through 4 and in spite of the below par defensive play they got from their center position. Henson blocked some shots but so does guys like JaVale McGee. Neither one of them is a defensive anchor. Neither is he a good man defender. Henson is still skinny and gets pushed around with ease which is why a mediocre center like Zaza Pachulia got so many more minutes than him.

The guy has shown himself to be nothing more than a useful backup center. That is a huge contract for a player who has shown so little in his career. A huge premium for perceived potential ... if this is the line for new contracts, this is ... I don't even know how to judge any of these new contracts anymore. This is incredible.

[Eddie20]

Meh, I don't see it as being all the ridiculous. Henson is a starting center on a playoff team that averages 2 blocks a game, a PER of 18 and is only 24 years old.

I don't think it's a bad deal, but I doubt he'll be starting so that's a lot of money to give to a backup C.

Parker
Giannis
Monroe
Carter-Williams
Middleton

[Who]

Tyler Zeller is a much more accomplished player than John Henson.

If this is the market price for Henson, I shudder to think what Zeller is going to demand.

[pearljammer10]

Meh, I don't see it as being all the ridiculous. Henson is a starting center on a playoff team that averages 2 blocks a game, a PER of 18 and is only 24 years old. He can potentially be a nice defensive anchor and with the core the bucks are starting to develop he could end up being a steal at 11 mil. Compared to the other deals that we are going to start seeing, this isn't terrible to me in anyway. I think him and Monroe can eventually be a pretty decent pairing.

Calling him a starting center on a playoff team is a generous description of what happened ...

Henson started 11 (regular season) games for Milwaukee last season. 11!

That was less than Larry Sanders, Zaza Pachulia ... even Jonny O'Bryant (15 starts).

Henson was a DNP coaches decision for almost as many games as he started. Henson was a 3rd string center for longer than he was a starter. And a 3rd string center & DNP center for about half the season. Then Henson was a backup center for another 3rd of the season. Then a brief spell as a starter for only 11 games.

And Henson played badly as a starter ... the odd good game outweighed by a bunch of bad games ... which is why he wasn't able to hold onto that starting position and got moved back to the bench. 

.... and saying Henson anchored their defense! ... that is like saying Luc Lonley was the anchor to the great Chicago Bulls defense. Milwaukee's strong defense was due to to their players 1 through 4 and in spite of the below par defensive play they got from their center position. Henson blocked some shots but so does guys like JaVale McGee. Neither one of them is a defensive anchor. Neither is he a good man defender. Henson is still skinny and gets pushed around with ease which is why a mediocre center like Zaza Pachulia got so many more minutes than him.

The guy has shown himself to be nothing more than a useful backup center. That is a huge contract for a player who has shown so little in his career. A huge premium for perceived potential ... if this is the line for new contracts, this is ... I don't even know how to judge any of these new contracts anymore. This is incredible.

I never said anywhere about Henson anchoring their defense last year.  I only said that Henson could potentially be a nice defensive anchor. Which he absolutely can be.

He's only played three seasons and his per36 stats last year (even though Im not a big per36 guy) put him at 4 blocks per game.

And as far as playoffs go, ok he didn't start, but you fail to mention that in the playoffs last year he played 26 minutes a game, which was the most out of any Bucks big man. So while he wasn't a "starting big man" in the playoffs he still proved to be their most played.

At 9, 8 and 2 blocks shooting 57% in the most minutes by a Bucks big man in the playoffs, this contract really isn't terrible at all especially compared to what other centers are getting in the league. And I would probably give Henson 11 mil a year before giving Zeller that price but that's just me.

[coffee425]

Meh, I don't see it as being all the ridiculous. Henson is a starting center on a playoff team that averages 2 blocks a game, a PER of 18 and is only 24 years old.

I don't think it's a bad deal, but I doubt he'll be starting so that's a lot of money to give to a backup C.

Parker
Giannis
Monroe
Carter-Williams
Middleton

I doubt Parker will thrown into a starter role in basically his rookie year, after a significant injury.

[pearljammer10]

Meh, I don't see it as being all the ridiculous. Henson is a starting center on a playoff team that averages 2 blocks a game, a PER of 18 and is only 24 years old.

I don't think it's a bad deal, but I doubt he'll be starting so that's a lot of money to give to a backup C.

Parker
Giannis
Monroe
Carter-Williams
Middleton

I doubt Parker will thrown into a starter role in basically his rookie year, after a significant injury.

My thoughts as well. With this contract I see that starting five as:

Carter-Williams
Middleton
Giannis
Monroe
Henson

with
Mayo -6th
Parker - 7th
Plumlee - 8th
Bayless - 9th
Vasquez-10th

[Who]

I just find this one difficult .... it is just so much money to pay a guy who has actually achieved / accomplished so little in his career. I am fine with paying guys who have actually done something of note in this league. But this guy .... he has done so bloody little.

If this is the new bar for contracts for players like him -- mediocrity with potential ... ugh!

[littleteapot]

Jabari started every game before he got hurt last year. If Kidd plays him off the bench initially, it would only be due to the injury, not inexperience.

You could argue that Kidd wouldn't want a major upset to a rotation that overachieved last year, but there's been so much turnover and Kidd had a variety of starting lineups last year anyway.

[PhoSita]

Are you young and reasonably productive?  Do you play a position of talent scarcity?  Do you lack any major injury history?

You get $10 million or more annually in the new cap environment.

[PhoSita]

The guy has shown himself to be nothing more than a useful backup center. That is a huge contract for a player who has shown so little in his career.

Just go ahead and keep this one saved so you can post it when Tyler Zeller and Festus Ezeli get the same kind of deal.

[Evantime34]

Are you young and reasonably productive?  Do you play a position of talent scarcity?  Do you lack any major injury history?

You get $10 million or more annually in the new cap environment.

With the dearth of free agents he probably would have gotten more had he waited until next summer.