Well Bucks fans, the long, dark days of the offseason are drawing to a close. Sure, we still have about a month of darkness left, but the draft is behind us, as is the schedule unveiling and most of the blockbuster trades. Still, there are some moves left to be made, but the Bucks just made one of them. According to Shams Charania (the new Woj), the Bucks have re-signed Jason Terry to a one-year, 2.3 million dollar deal.
Sources: Free agent Jason Terry is signing a guaranteed one-year, $2.3M deal to return to Milwaukee.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 15, 2017
This is exciting for a number of reasons. First off, and probably the main reason he was re-signed, is that he was the oldest player on last year’s Bucks playoffs team (by far, as the next closest was over five years younger). This means that he’s the only veteran presence the Bucks really have, or at least the only one getting any meaningful minutes.
Even though he turns 40 today, though, Terry’s on-court presence still matters immensely, so this is not just a locker room move. Consider the fact that Terry was third on the Bucks in true shooting percentage last year, and second only to Tony Snell for players who regularly got minutes. His 3-point shooting percentage was also good for second-best on the team, only trailing Khris Middleton.
In other words, from beyond the arc, Jason Terry is not only a steadying veteran presence but also one of Milwaukee’s best options. Terry was also seventh on the team in both win shares and value over replacement player (VORP), so while he’s not one of the Bucks’ best players he’s clearly one of the best bench options they have available. Just losing his three-point shooting would have been rough for the Bucks without a replacement, so this move made sense.
At the end of the day, though, Terry is still a hell of a veteran presence to have on the court, especially considering half the Milwaukee team was under 26 last year. Considering the team’s youth, having a 40-year old with two decades of NBA experience and a 2011 championship ring under his belt is almost a necessity. Milwaukee is luckier than most, too, having one of those leading the charge as the head coach and one still balling it up from the bench.
Hang tight, Bucks fans, as we only have to wait until October 18th to see Jason Terry and the rest of the team kick off the season.