The Milwaukee Bucks have exercised the third-year contract options on Tyler Ennis and Jabari Parker, and the fourth-year contract options on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Michael Carter-Williams, General Manager John Hammond announced today.
All of these moves were expected. While the jury is still out on Ennis, the other three players are considered key building blocks and the foundation of the franchise.
Antetokounmpo, 20, appeared in 81 games (71 starts) last year during his sophomore campaign and averaged 12.7 points with 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 blocks in 31.4 minutes per contest. He posted double-figure scoring in 60 games in 2014-15, including seven 20-plus scoring outings. In his two NBA seasons, the 6-11 forward has played in 158 games (94 starts), averaging 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28.1 minutes per game. In 2014-15, Antetokounmpo became the youngest Buck in franchise history to amass 1,000 points with Milwaukee.
Carter-Williams, 24, appeared in 66 games (63 starts) split between Philadelphia and Milwaukee last season, averaging 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists (11th in the NBA) and 1.7 steals (15th in the NBA) in 32.6 minutes per game. Over two seasons, the 2013-14 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year has played a total of 136 games (133 starts), averaging 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals. With these averages, Carter-Williams joins a list of Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Grant Hill, Steve Francis and LeBron James as the only players to average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists through their first two NBA seasons.
Ennis, 21, split time between Phoenix and Milwaukee last year during his rookie season and averaged 3.7 points, 2.2 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 12.5 minutes over 33 contests. He made his debut in the Bucks starting lineup on March 14 at Memphis, logging career highs in assists (11), rebounds (4) and minutes played (36). With his 11 assists, Ennis became the third Bucks player in franchise history under 21 years old to record 10-plus assists in a game, joining Brandon Jennings and T.J. Ford.
Parker, 20, competed in 25 games (all starts) as a rookie for the Bucks in 2014-15 before missing the remainder of the season due to a left ACL tear. In his 25 games played, Parker averaged 12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. The Duke product was named NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October and November of 2014 after he helped lead the Bucks to a 10-8 mark by averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Parker recorded consecutive double-doubles in his first week of NBA action last season (11 pts/10 rebs on 10/31 vs. PHI and 13 pts/11 rebs on 11/1 at WAS), making him the first teenager in 30 years to record multiple double-doubles in his first three career games.
Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.
