Acquired by the Bucks in a trade this summer, Grayson Allen looked like a fill-in at shooting guard while Donte DiVincenzo is sidelined.
But Allen will mean more to Milwaukee than that.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen has agreed on a two-year, $20 million rookie extension, his agent Mitch Nathan of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Allen arrived with the defending champions in a trade this summer. He was the 21st pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 18, 2021
That’s a surprisingly large extension for Allen. The Grizzlies just dealt him for only Sam Merrill and a couple distant second-rounders. Allen wasn’t exactly in demand.
The Bucks already have significant salary committed the next two seasons, and we saw their spending limitations this offseason. DiVincenzo will be a free agent (likely restricted) next summer. Will Milwaukee pay him, too? Before getting hurt, DiVincenzo was the significantly better player.
Allen should help the Bucks this season. The 26-year-old is a good 3-point shooter with the size and athleticism to contribute in other facets.
But this extension looks too costly in a vacuum and raises specific questions for Milwaukee given its payroll.
