John Henson

Bucks Sign John Henson To Extension

October 2nd, 2015 at 11:50am CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Bucks have signed John Henson to an extension, the team announced. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported earlier that the sides had struck a four-year deal worth about $45MM (Twitter link), and USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt heard that Henson put pen to paper this morning (Twitter link). Henson told Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times earlier this week that he and the team were close to a deal. The package will give the Jim Tanner client between $44MM and $48MM, depending on whether he triggers incentive clauses, according to sources who spoke with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). A signing bonus is included and the deal is front-loaded to offset the effect that any work stoppage in 2017 might have, Wojnarowski writes in a full story, though the likelihood of a work stoppage appears to be in decline.

Those figures are similar to the last rookie scale extension Milwaukee signed, when the team gave fellow big man Larry Sanders a four-year, $44MM deal two years ago. That didn’t work out so well for the Bucks as Sanders suffered injuries and a drug problem and lost his desire to play the game, leading to a buyout midway through the first year of that extension. The team is optimistic that Henson won’t travel the same path, and GM John Hammond recently identified the 24-year-old as one of six core players for the franchise. That’s in spite of the limited playing time that Henson has seen. The former 14th overall pick averaged just 18.3 minutes per game this past season.

“We’re thrilled to get this deal done to keep John in a Bucks uniform for years to come,” Hammond said in the team’s statement. “Since we drafted him in 2012, John has made an impact on this team, especially on the defensive end, and he is an integral part of our future. We’re looking forward to continuing to watch his development as we work to become a championship-caliber team.”

The vagaries of front-loading and the attached incentives make it tricky to peg just how much Henson will make in 2016/17, when the extension kicks in, but the Bucks otherwise have only about $49MM in commitments for that season, assuming they pick up $13.3MM in pending rookie scale team options. That leaves no shortage of room underneath a projected $89MM cap. Coach Jason Kidd pointed to Henson’s ability to mesh with others.

“We’re excited for John and for our organization as we continue to build a consistent winner,” Kidd said in the statement. “John is a great teammate, plays unselfishly and has worked very hard to develop into a top-tier defender. We look forward to many great years together with him.”

Talks surrounding an extension for Henson appeared to be gathering momentum in July and were still on track as of August, though it took until after the start of training camp for the sides to strike a deal. That’s still well in advance of this year’s deadline, which is November 2nd instead of the usual October 31st because that date falls on a Saturday. Miles Plumlee, whom the Bucks acquired from the Suns at the trade deadline in February, is also eligible for a rookie scale extension between now and November 2nd, but no reports have emerged indicating that the team is considering one for him.

Henson has drawn interest from other teams who’ve wanted to trade for him over the years, as Stein notes in a full story, and while Milwaukee was reportedly offering him around at the deadline this past winter, it seemed he was only available if a suitor was willing to pay a hefty price. He averaged 2.0 blocks per game this past season in spite of his limited playing time, though other numbers raise doubt about his value, as I noted when I looked in-depth at Henson’s extension candidacy. I nonetheless concluded that speculation from Grantland’s Zach Lowe that Henson would end up with eight-figure salaries wasn’t unreasonable, and as it turns out, that’s just what he’ll get.

Do you think the Bucks are making a wise move with Henson’s extension? Leave a comment to let us know.

John Henson Says He’s Near Extension With Bucks

September 29th, 2015 at 10:24am CST by Chuck Myron

John Henson is nearing an extension with the Bucks, as he told Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times on Monday. The sides have reportedly been in talks since July, and the team’s free agent signing of Greg Monroe, an interior player like Henson, hasn’t dissuaded the former 14th overall pick from wanting a future in Milwaukee, as Woelfel details.

“We’re close,’’ Henson said to Woelfel about the extension talks. “We’re just trying to work out some details. It’s a process; we’ll see what happens. But I definitely want to be here for a long time.’’

The sides appeared to be making progress toward a deal over the summer. They have until November 2nd to sign an extension, two days later than normal because the usual October 31st deadline falls on a Saturday. Henson would be set for restricted free agency next summer if they don’t strike an extension this fall, though the Jim Tanner client isn’t at all anxious to leave Milwaukee, according to Woelfel.

The legitimate possibility existed for Henson to become the team’s starting center if Monroe had not signed, Woelfel writes, though the team had its eyes on other marquee centers, too, as they reportedly planned to pursue Brook Lopez and Tyson Chandler. Henson has started only 43 of his 200 career games and recorded only 11 starts last season, mostly playing behind Larry Sanders and, later, Zaza Pachulia. The 24-year-old Henson averaged just 18.3 minutes per game, but, as Woelfel points out, he looked strong in the playoffs, averaging 8.8 points and 8.0 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per contest.

GM John Hammond has identified Henson as a member of the team’s core, along with Monroe, Michael Carter-Williams, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Grantland’s Zach Lowe has speculated that Henson would end up with eight-figure salaries on his next deal, and with the salary cap escalating and the Warriors thinking about an extension for backup center Festus Ezeli, Henson appears to be in a strong market position. I examined the situation in depth last month.

The Bucks have only about $36MM on the books for 2016/17, though that figure doesn’t count nearly $13.3MM in rookie scale team options that Milwaukee is likely to exercise. That would still leave a wealth of room under the projected $89MM cap for next season. Miles Plumlee is also eligible for a rookie scale extension this fall, but no indication has surfaced that the Bucks are considering one for him.

What would a fair extension for both the Bucks and Henson look like? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Central Notes: Kaun, Henson, Landry, Dinwiddie

August 25th, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Former Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry knew patience would be necessary when he traded $300K in cash for the draft rights to Sasha Kaun in 2008, as he tells Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. Still, Ferry had watched similar draft-and-stash prospects pay off when he was with the Spurs, and he sees Kaun, who’s finally coming to the Cavs, as a strong defender whose professional experience overseas has made him ready for the NBA.

“He will really help the Cavs,” Ferry said to Pluto. “He was a three-time Academic All-American at Kansas. He’s like a sponge. He soaks up everything the coaches tell him. The best thing he did was go and play for CSKA Moscow. It’s the elite level in Europe.”

Cleveland’s deal with Kaun reunites the center with Timofey Mozgov and coach David Blatt from the 2012 Russian Olympic team, Pluto notes. See more from around the Central Division:

The Bucks are ready to do a deal on a rookie scale extension for John Henson, but the sense from Henson’s camp is that they want to see what the market yields for other extension-eligible players, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders for his NBA AM piece. We looked at Henson’s extension candidacy in depth earlier this month.
Recent Bucks signee Marcus Landry, a Milwaukee native, has long been a fan of the team, as he explains to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We still have so many things from Ray Allen and guys before Ray Allen,” Landry said. “We have a sign that my mom held onto. I have a pair of shoes I got from Ray Allen personally. We have a lot of memorabilia from coming to a Bucks game at a young age. It’s an overwhelming moment for me at times when I really sit back and think about it. It’s definitely going to be a great experience.”
The Pistons traded for Steve Blake after watching Spencer Dinwiddie struggle with turnovers in the summer league, but while a healthy Brandon Jennings would threaten to knock Dinwiddie further down the depth chart, last year’s 38th overall pick remains confident, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Dinwiddie is entering the final guaranteed season of his contract, one of 17 on the Pistons that includes a full guarantee for this year.

And-Ones: Ross, Bucks, Max Salaries

August 21st, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors, who on Thursday signed Jonas Valanciunas to a four-year, $64MM extension, have had talks with representatives for Terrence Ross about an extension of his own, GM Masai Ujiri said, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). Wolstat reported last month that the team would seek extensions for both, though it’s clear that Valanciunas was the first priority. Still, the Raptors and the Aaron Mintz client have plenty of time in advance of the deadline, which would be November 2nd this year instead of the traditional October 31st, since Halloween falls on a Saturday. See more from around the NBA:

The Bucks see a half-dozen of their players as long-term building blocks, and while that’s a broader view of a nucleus than many teams take, it’s one that can give all six the feeling that the team values them, as Frank Madden of SB Nation’s Brew Hoop examines. “We’re trying to build around some kind of consistency with the nucleus of Michael Carter-Williams, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greg Monroe and John Henson,” GM John Hammond said on The Baseline with Warren Shaw and Cal Lee (audio link), as Madden transcribes. “Those six guys are the young core that we look and say that’s kind of the future of this organization, and that’s not discounting anyone else. Other players have to step [up] and become a part of that group with us. But those guys are the group we hope we can build some kind of continuity with.”
John Wall pointed earlier this summer to Reggie Jackson‘s new five-year, $80MM contract with the Pistons as proof that the Wizards didn’t pay too much when they inked Wall to a deal for a similar amount in 2013, and Wall said recently to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that some signings are out of line. “But I know when I got my $80MM, they said I didn’t deserve it. Now guys are getting it and they’re not saying anything about it,” Wall said in part. “I’m never knocking those guys because they’re doing what they’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to get that money and take care of your family and get better. I just [criticized max deals] because they made a big deal about me getting $80MM, and now people are getting $80MM, $95MM and they don’t deserve it.”
Blake Griffin was the only one of the five stars Berger spoke to for his piece who lent much support to the idea of shortening the regular season. “Money is an object, though,” said Griffin’s teammate Chris Paul, who serves as president of the players association. “When we were kids playing AAU, we’d play five games in a day and wouldn’t think twice about it. I don’t know what the right number is. We’ve been playing 82 for a while though, huh? As far as I can remember. That’d be tough [to change].”

Extension Candidate: John Henson

August 11th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Bucks trudged through the muck of a 15-win season in 2013/14, and they watched the career of Larry Sanders, the breakout star of the 2013 playoff team, come apart at the seams. So, they deserve tons of credit for their fast ascent over the past 12 months, snagging the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference this past season and landing Greg Monroe, No. 7 on the June Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings. John Henson, Milwaukee’s lottery pick from 2012, has been there for all of it, and it seems like both sides want to continue their partnership for years to come, as they’re reportedly on track for a rookie scale extension before the October 31st deadline.

Still, Henson hasn’t exactly seemed the most likely candidate to become a franchise cornerstone. He’s never started more than 23 games in a season, and last year, he averaged just 18.3 minutes per game. Monroe’s presence makes it difficult to envision his role expanding, unless Milwaukee wants to play two traditional big men, the sort of arrangement that appeared to hasten Monroe’s departure from the Pistons. Besides, Jabari Parker looks like the team’s future at power forward, particularly with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton commanding spots on the wing. Henson may well start early in the season if Parker isn’t healthy, but the No. 2 overall pick will almost certainly reclaim his job before long.

Henson seems destined to become, at best, a sixth man if the Bucks keep their existing core together. Still, Milwaukee apparently sees him as a key part of that group, even though he seemed to be available, if only for a truly attractive return, at the trade deadline. Grantland’s Zach Lowe speculated last month that Henson would end up with salaries of $10MM or more, money that’s not altogether unwarranted for a 24-year-old center with a lottery pedigree who’s indeed been productive in his limited time on the floor. The perplexing part is that it’s the Bucks who appear ready to pay him.

The former 14th overall pick’s field goal percentage has risen each of the past two years from a subpar 48.6% as a rookie. He shot 56.6% this past season, a year in which he attempted a far greater percentage of his shots from 3 feet and in, according to Basketball-Reference data. Henson’s PER has held steady, and his 18.0 figure from 2014/15 matches his career mark. He’s a strong defender who did just fine inheriting the role of rim protector from Sanders, as he averaged an impressive 2.0 blocks per game in spite of his short minutes last season. Indeed, Basketball-Reference’s Defensive Box Plus Minus shows he made quite a leap this past season, though ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus Minus wasn’t quite as kind, ranking him as only the 31st-best center in that category. Still, the Bucks were a better defensive team with Henson on the floor by a measure of 2.5 points per 100 possessions, as NBA.com shows. Yet perhaps most noteworthy among the NBA.com data is that the Bucks were stronger overall when Henson wasn’t playing because of the disparity on offense. Milwaukee scored 102.4 points per 100 possessions when Henson sat and just 96.2 when he hit the court.

That’s a noisy stat, since it doesn’t account for the other personnel on the floor. Still, it highlights the notion that it would be a risky proposition to commit eight-figure salaries to a player who’s averaged only 8.1 points per game for his career.

The Bucks nonetheless have money to burn. They have only about $36MM committed for 2016/17, though that doesn’t include nearly $13.3MM in rookie scale team options for Parker and others that Milwaukee seems likely to exercise. Still, $49.3MM against a projected $89MM salary cap leaves plenty of flexibility, and the Bucks have to spend at least 90% of the salary cap anyway. Committing part of that money to an efficient, shot-blocking center who’s on the upswing probably wouldn’t constitute the worst move a team has ever made.

Most years, the smart play for the Bucks would entail waiting another year to see how they would find time and space for Henson amid the presence of Monroe, and whether Henson would take another step forward in his development. Next summer’s rising cap and relatively thin crop of 2016 free agents, after a few stars on the top, seems to be driving Milwaukee to the bargaining table now. The extension window provides for exclusive negotiating, so another team with even more cap space to play with, one that could offer Henson a starting job, can’t jump in with an eye-popping number and force the Bucks to match a player-friendly offer sheet, as might be the case in restricted free agency next summer.

The Jim Tanner client may jump at such an opportunity to cash in a year from now, but if the Bucks indeed come with an extension offer of $10MM or more per year, it would be exceedingly difficult for a player who didn’t see 20 minutes per game last season to pass that up. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the Alec Burks extension from last fall, though Burks had played 28.1 minutes per game the season before the Jazz bestowed a deal worth $42MM plus incentives over four years. Burks missed most of this past season with a shoulder injury, and it’s not a given that the Jazz would be so munificent if he were a restricted free agent this summer. An injury, and a team that performs well in his absence, just as the Jazz did without Burks down the stretch this year, might lead the Bucks to conclude that Henson is expendable.

So, I think the sides will indeed come to an extension, and while Lowe’s $10MM-plus prediction seems surprising on the surface, the circumstances suggest that it’s a reasonable expectation. At worst, a fairly priced Henson could become a valuable trade chip for the Bucks down the road.

Do you think the Bucks and Henson will do an extension, and if so, how much do you think he’ll get? Leave a comment to tell us.

Latest On Bucks, John Henson Extension Talks

August 4th, 2015 at 9:07am CST by Will Joseph

AUGUST 4TH, 9:05am: The Bucks and Henson remain “on course” for an extension, several league sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who speculates that Henson will end up with eight-figure salaries.

JULY 12TH, 10:40pm: Contract extension talks are ongoing between the Bucks and center John Henson, and they appear to be gaining momentum, but no deal has been struck, Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein also tweets that the two sides are indeed heading toward a deal.

Henson, as Gardner points out, will be in the final year of his rookie-scale deal in the 2015/16 season but can sign an extension prior to the end of October. Henson averaged seven points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game in 67 appearances. He is expected to have an expanded role as Greg Monroe‘s backup, Gardner adds.

The Bucks regard Henson as a key part of their core, Stein tweets. In February, however, the Bucks dangled the big man in the trade market with the hope of acquiring a top point guard.

Central Notes: Jackson, Bucks, Draft

June 23rd, 2015 at 7:03pm CST by Eddie Scarito

If Emmanuel Mudiay were to fall to the Pistons, who hold the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, the team would consider selecting him and letting Reggie Jackson depart as a free agent, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes. “They’re not 100 percent sold on Reggie,” a league source told Berger. Detroit also likes Duke’s Justise Winslow and Croatian swingman Mario Hezonja at that spot, Berger’s sources also informed him. Jackson can become a restricted free agent this offseason if the Pistons tender him a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683.

Here’s the latest from the NBA’s Central Division:

Rumors persist that the Bucks would give up Michael Carter-Williams in a package that nets a top-10 pick, writes Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, who suggests the Bucks could dangle John Henson, too, but strong indications are the Bucks are resistant to trading either, as Chris Mannix of SI.com hears (Twitter link). Milwaukee considers both core players, Mannix adds.
The Pistons held pre-draft workouts today for Gabe Olaseni (Iowa), Tekele Cotton (Wichita State), Aaron Harrison (Kentucky), Tyler Harvey (Eastern Washington), Mateusz Ponitka (Poland), and Arturas Gudaitis (Lithuania), Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays (Twitter links). Gudaitis was the headliner at the workout, Langlois notes, and he could be an option for Detroit with the No. 38 overall pick.
With the Bucks still unclear on what kind of player Jabari Parker can be in the NBA, the franchise could benefit by adding more frontcourt depth through the draft, Genaro C. Armas of The Associated Press writes. Milwaukee has narrowed its draft wish list to four or five players, Armas notes. The team’s top needs are a big man who can rebound and defend, as well as an outside shooter, according to the AP scribe. “You know you hope you can maybe get a rotation player,” Bucks GM John Hammond said. “Sometimes in that range you can get a little luckier, maybe get a starter in a bit. Hopefully it’s a keeper piece and a player that can be a contributor.“

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Bucks Dangle Henson, Mayo, Ilyasova

February 19th, 2015 at 7:31am CST by Eddie Scarito

THURSDAY, 7:31am: Henson is available only for deals in which the Bucks would acquire a top-notch point guard in return, rival executives tell Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Milwaukee appears to be targeting a “splashy addition” for Henson, as sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who suggests that Jackson and Lawson would fit that bill.

WEDNESDAY, 5:07pm: The Bucks are anxious to make a trade in the wake of reportedly reaching a buyout arrangement with Larry Sanders, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports. Milwaukee has been dangling Ersan Ilyasova, O.J. Mayo and John Henson in offers to other teams, Kyler notes. With Sanders’ cap hit beginning with next season being pared down significantly with the team poised to use the stretch provision to waive him, the Bucks will have some breathing room under the salary cap they can use to nab a player who is set to command big money as a free agent this summer, Kyler adds.

Milwaukee is in the market for a point guard, and has been mentioned in connection with Ty Lawson (Nuggets), Reggie Jackson (Thunder), and the Bucks have also been linked to big man Enes Kanter (Jazz), Kyler notes. The Bucks have maintained the stance that they would not mortgage their future for a quick fix, but they seem to be open to making a move that would bolster the roster for 2015/16 as well as improve the team’s shot at a playoff spot, the Basketball Insiders scribe relays.

Mayo, 27, is making $8MM this season, and is on the books for an identical amount for 2015/16. He has appeared in 53 contests this season, including 15 as a starter. Mayo’s numbers on the year are 11.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. His career stats are 14.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG. His slash line is .432/.378/.823.

Ilyasova has two more years remaining on his deal, which carries a cap hit of $7.9MM for this season and next, and his $8.4MM salary for 2016/17 is partially guaranteed for just $400K. In 30 appearances this season, Ilyasova is notching 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per night. His career numbers are 10.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG.

Henson, the 24-year-old big man out of North Carolina, also has a season remaining on his contract. He is earning $1,987,320 for the season and is set to make $2,943,221 next season. Henson’s numbers on the year are 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game.

Bucks Interested In Reggie Jackson

February 18th, 2015 at 9:02am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks are among the teams with interest in trade candidate and soon-to-be restricted free agent Reggie Jackson, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. Teams around the league expect the Thunder to trade Jackson by Thursday’s 2pm Central time deadline, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote late Tuesday. Bucher suggets that the Bucks could offer either Jerryd Bayless or John Henson in return, but it’s unclear whether Milwaukee is actually considering either of them.

Oklahoma City had found the market for Jackson weaker than they expected, but it appears to be picking up. Sacramento has reportedly held preliminary talks with the Thunder about Jackson, and the Knicks have seemed likely to make another run at him after Jackson thought he was headed to New York amid erroneous reports last month. The Heat apparently find Jackson intriguing, too.

A stumbling block to any trade would seemingly be Jackson’s looming restricted free agency, with some teams apparently having believed at the beginning of this season that he would command offers between $13MM and $14MM on the market this summer. That’s raised tax concerns for the Thunder, as Berger indicated in his report, but it’s also seemingly a complicating factor for the Bucks, who, as Berger also wrote, aren’t biting on the offers they’ve fielded for fellow restricted free agent guard Brandon Knight. For now, Jackson is a relative bargain, making only slightly more than $2.204MM in the final season of his rookie scale contract.

Bucks Notes: Parker, Wolters, Henson, Sanders

January 9th, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jabari Parker has said in the past that he wants to remain with the Bucks for his entire career, and he tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that market size simply isn’t a consideration.

“LeBron [James] went back to Cleveland, Kevin Durant is in OKC,” Parker said. “There’s no such thing as a small market. If you win, they come see your games. It’s about winning. If you lose and you’re in a big city, they are not going to come to your games, so it doesn’t matter.”

Indeed, big-city draws aren’t what they used to be, as Deveney examines. Parker couldn’t elect unrestricted free agency until July 2019, but Milwaukee will certainly welcome the promise of a franchise cornerstone for more than just a handful of years to come. Here’s more on the Bucks:

The Timberwolves are surely high on Nate Wolters, whom the Bucks waived today, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, who nonetheless doesn’t get the sense that Minnesota will pursue him, since that would require opening up a roster spot.
The Bucks were “in position” on Christmas Day to listen to offers for John Henson, but in the two weeks since, he’s done much to demonstrate his value to the Bucks as a long-term piece, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes. GM John Hammond insists the team is committed to the big man and always has been. “We’ve never had any interest in trading John Henson,” Hammond tells Lowe. “He’s the kind of player you want in your organization for a long time.”
The Bucks aren’t entirely certain of their options regarding Larry Sanders and his salary as the center continues to sit out games, but the team isn’t particularly concerned about that at this point, league sources tell Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. The Bucks instead appear willing to give Sanders, in year one of a four-year, $44MM extension, time to sort through his issues and tend to his mental health, Aschburner writes.

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