LINKS: The good contract offers, the bad contract offers, and much more

It's that time of the week again, everyone! Gather 'round and let Brew Hoop catch you up on all the latest Bucks news floating out there!

Larry Sanders contract extension talk: Brew Hoop
In case you missed it, Steve wrote a killer piece breaking down the questions surrounding the Larry Sanders extension, which is reported to happen very soon.  If you're not one for reading 2,000+ words, give the podcast a try!

HOOPSWORLD | Larry and Monta Contract Details
There are two things to take away from this link.  One is pretty cool and sheds some light on the Sanders extension. Kyler reports that deal could be as much as $46-$50 million.  Quick math breaks that down roughly $12 million a year, right where he was expected to be inked at.  So cool, nothing shocking there.  It's not anyone like anyone else was going to be offered that money, right?  From Kyler:

"When the Milwaukee Bucks entered free agency their goal was to re-sign Monta Ellis. They offered a four-year, $46 million deal, and hoped to either get a reasonable deal done with Brandon Jennings or find his replacement in free agency or via trade."

Oh?

"Getting $7 million under the salary cap was never part of thinking according to Bucks GM John Hammond.

"It wasn’t a goal," Hammond said to Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. "The process just kind of evolved. It wasn’t a goal to be sitting here at this date and be having this kind of (salary) room."

When things in free agency didn’t turn Milwaukee’s way, they made a commitment to getting younger and more flexible."

Yikes.

So apparently the "we're committed to signing Brandon" talks at the outset of the off season wasn't a sneaky little power play.  Apparently the Monta offer wasn't a strategic effort to gently push Monta away.  If Kyler's info checks out, they were really dedicated to keeping the swag twins around at an above-market price.

Fortunately we don't have to talk about the overpaid backcourt of the future, but this sure doesn't put to rest any questions about the direction that the Bucks are (or were?) headed in.

Nevertheless, John Hammond says that he likes the youth of this team and that the commitment (there's that word again) to building a championship-caliber team with these young pieces is the number one priority going forward. Let's hope the patience is there to see it through.

Zach Lowe | Second Round, First Priority
A very interesting piece by Lowe on the value and flexibility surrounding a second round selection in the current CBA, something the Bucks have thousands of a lot of in the next few drafts. It's a very detailed piece and truthfully it's a little difficult to understand the first time through, but it sheds a lot of light on an increasingly hot commodity in today's NBA.  It's also a place where the Bucks have found value in drafts prior (Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Jon Leuer, Doron Lamb).

ESPN.com | East Standings Forecast
The ESPN Forecast Panel ran through their Eastern Conference standings predictions yesterday, slotting the Bucks in at the 11 seed (note: That's not the 8 seed).

The panel predicted (based on an average record prediction) that the Bucks would finish 31-51, finishing behind the likes of other fringe playoff teams in the Wizards, Cavaliers, Pistons, and Raptors.

Bucks.com | Giannis Antetokounmpo dancing
LOOK AT HIM DANCE.  IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.

UPDATE: If Larry's latest tweets are any indication, his new extension could be done soon.

On my way to the Mil...lets get it done!

— Nappy G. (@LarrySanders) August 12, 2013