Bucks sign Joe Alexander

[carmelbrownqueen]

Bucks sign top draft pick
TUESDAY, July 8, 2008, 2:29 p.m.
http://blogs.jsonline.com/bucks/archive ... bucks.aspx
By Charles F. Gardner


Rookie forward Joe Alexander signed a contract with the Milwaukee Bucks today, a deal that guarantees him $4.15 million over the first two years.

Under the league's rookie salary scale, the Bucks hold options for the third and fourth years of the deal, at $2.3 million and $2.9 million, respectively.

Alexander, a 6-foot-8 power forward from West Virginia, was the eighth overall pick in the June 26 draft. The 21-year-old played three years with the Mountaineers and averaged 16.9 points and 6.4 rebounds as a junior last season.

The rookie received high praise from veteran forward Richard Jefferson on Monday, when Jefferson was introduced at a Bradley Center news conference. The Bucks made a trade with New Jersey to acquire the 28-year-old Jefferson on draft day, a few hours before selecting Alexander in the opening round.

The Nets, which drafted two spots after the Bucks at No. 10, also were keenly interested in Alexander, but selected 7-footer Brook Lopez when the West Virginia player was off the board.

"Talking with (Nets president) Rod Thorn before the draft, everyone was very high on Alexander," Jefferson said. "He's a talented kid, and a lot of people think his upside is tremendous.

"This is coming from my team; they really wanted him. Here, I have an opportunity to play with a young guy. From everything I've heard, he's a competitor, and he's only going to push myself and push some of the older guys. You need young guys.

"The best team I've ever been on had good young guys and they were pushing the older guys in practice and making them work. I think a guy like him, you add that to your already talented backcourt and your already talented frontcourt, and I think you're in a good situation."

Alexander and second-round pick Luc Richard Mbah a Moute were in camp today at the Cousins Center as workouts opened for the Bucks summer league squad. The team, which also includes point guard Ramon Sessions and forward Awvee Storey, will play five games in the Las Vegas Summer League, beginning Saturday against Memphis.

[Frank Nova]

Any word on what number Alexander will wear? I figured 11 since that was his colllege number? Good news tho because it certainly is about time. Cant wait to see how he competes against the other summer league players. Might get alittle taste of what positions he can play...

[paulpressey25]

This will put to rest the conspiracy theory that he'll be moved in a bigger deal this summer.

[fam3381]

The numbers quoted by the JS are 100% of the rookie scale...I'd expect it to be 120%. I posted some stuff about this over at Brew Hoop, some of which I put this morning in the Summer League thread:

http://www.brewhoop.com/2008/7/8/567211 ... ally-signs

[Sigra]

I didn't want rookie in win-now team but Hammond clarly does. Oh well

[Licensed to Il]

I am very excited for the Joe Alexander era.

Our organization is keenly immatating something that the Bulls (and before them, the Pacers) have done in recent years, something that is very un-larry-harris-like. We are drafting talented prospects, yet making them compete for playing time with vets who are still in their prime. I love it. Alexander (despite the organization's smokescreen) is a small forwards. And his battles in practice (and for playing time) with Richard Jeffersen is going to make them both better. As well as our overall team performance.

Can't wait to see J.A. and R.J. on the court for our Bucks.

[randy84]

I find it funny that a lot of people were against drafting Green and Randolph because they were "tweeners" and they wanted Joe Alexander because he was a "true" SF.

Now I see the Bucks are listing Joe as a PF.

Very ironic.

[LUKE23]

I didn't want rookie in win-now team but Hammond clarly does. Oh well

You don't have to have your entire team veterans in a win-now scenario. RJ even said you "need to have young guys".

RJ and Redd are both 28+. Bogut and Villanueva are entering their 4th year. Mo is entering his 6th season. Mason is entering his 9th season. Bell is pushing 30 years old.

Bucks aren't an old team by any means but it's not like they don't have enough experience.

[Licensed to Il]

I think that the Bucks are most likely listing J.A. at power forward because they are (obviously) in the trade market for a few remaining pieces and if they can fool another team in to thinking that they are happy with J.A. at the power forward spot, then they have better leverage than a team with 5 small forwards.

Whether the rest of the league is smart enough to see through that plan, is to be determined.

But we saw a simalair thing when we signed Bobby Simmons and 1/2 the MJS board believed Harris that Simmons would be our starting power forward. This time of year, GMs play every angle. I highly doubt JA will play lots of minutes at the 4 when push comes to shove and the actual season starts.

[paulpressey25]

He's the same size as David Lee. If he truly has the ability Lee has to get position and grab boards, he can play PF IMO.

I'm just not convinced that by having the same size/athleticism as Lee means he can be a 10rpg guy.

[BuckFan25226]

I didn't want rookie in win-now team but Hammond clarly does. Oh well

You don't have to have your entire team veterans in a win-now scenario. RJ even said you "need to have young guys".

RJ and Redd are both 28+. Bogut and Villanueva are entering their 4th year. Mo is entering his 6th season. Mason is entering his 9th season. Bell is pushing 30 years old.

Bucks aren't an old team by any means but it's not like they don't have enough experience.

Exactly, I think after the Jefferson trade, we can stop labeling this team as a young team. This team certainly isn't old though. Also, there shouldn't be any "Well, we're young, we need time to grow" crap throughout the season.

[fam3381]

He's the same size as David Lee. If he truly has the ability Lee has to get position and grab boards, he can play PF IMO.

I'm just not convinced that by having the same size/athleticism as Lee means he can be a 10rpg guy.

I know Lee is still listed at 240 but it seems like he's gotten bigger since he came into the league. I could be wrong. Lee also played nearly a third of his minutes last year at center and spent no time at the SF position (he did play there a bit as a rookie though).

It's not unheard of for a guy Joe's size to be solid at PF, but it's not altogether common either. And he wasn't a particularly good rebounder in college, so I just don't see him playing there primarily over the course of his career unless he's capable of adding more bulk without losing his explosiveness.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

This will put to rest the conspiracy theory that he'll be moved in a bigger deal this summer.

Not exactly.
This just means that he can be part of a bigger deal sooner that would require his salary rather than $0 draft rights value.
30 days after signing this contract.

You no longer have the options you had when talking about including his draft rights with a $0 trade value, but the flip side is that you open up all of those other possibilities.

The numbers quoted by the JS are 100% of the rookie scale...I'd expect it to be 120%. I posted some stuff about this over at Brew Hoop, some of which I put this morning in the Summer League thread:

http://www.brewhoop.com/2008/7/8/567211 ... ally-signs

I would be shocked if it wasn't 120%

It is extremely likely that Gardner and the MJS just don't know any better, although it is technically possible that he signed for 100%

[GrandAdmiralDan]

The numbers quoted by the JS are 100% of the rookie scale...I'd expect it to be 120%. I posted some stuff about this over at Brew Hoop, some of which I put this morning in the Summer League thread:

http://www.brewhoop.com/2008/7/8/567211 ... ally-signs

Well done on that, BTW.
I just read it.

As you might expect, I love the attention to detail

[fam3381]

As you might expect, I love the attention to detail

Seriously, every time I write something CBA-related I find myself thinking "Would GAD approve of this phrasing?"

Glad it was up to spec

[CBUCK06]

I find it funny that a lot of people were against drafting Green and Randolph because they were "tweeners" and they wanted Joe Alexander because he was a "true" SF.

Now I see the Bucks are listing Joe as a PF.

Very ironic.

I was a Big Dog fan, but their work ethics are not in the same universe.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

It won't let me post this picture here, but click the link for Alexander in the generic Bucks 08 jersey:

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/42/fullj ... xander.jpg