The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly come to terms with forward John Henson on a four-year deal worth between million – million. For the Bucks, it is a calculated hedge on the restricted free-agent market next summer – which could have included Henson – that could be a boon for big men. Even if the Bucks do try this, Henson can fit neatly as the third post. Henson is expected to sign the contract later in the day.
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With all due respect to Henson, there could be something more to the deal that many are not seeing. The extension, reported by Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski citing league sources, will begin in 2016-17 and will go into effect until the 2019-20 season.
Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft, has that kind of ability, which is why his future and the Bucks’ future are so intertwined.
John Henson reacts after a turnover in the fourth quarter during a game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. With all the money coming into the league, the Bucks aren’t as inflexible as one might think a team with all these players under contract would be, which allows them the luxury of paying a player $11 million per season without any plans to start him.
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Henson blocked at least one shot in a 20-game stretch last season and finished fifth in the N-B-A in blocks at 2.01 per game. Henson is the kind of shot-blocking rim protector you need to anchor a team on that end of the floor. Scoring just seven points per game means Henson wasn’t seeing much usage offensively, but he still managed a PER of 18, which is impressive considering PER is often criticized as favoring players with higher usage rates.
