The Brandon Jennings “Project” in Milwaukee has finally ended after four seasons. Jennings will take his drama to the Motor City in a sign and trade deal worth $25 million over the next 3 years. In the deal the Bucks got guard Brandon Knight who is no slouch, forward Khris Middleton and center Viacheslav Kravtsov.
Jennings who was a High School stand out at Oak Hill Academy passed on becoming a Wildcat at the University of Arizona and went to play in Europe in professional basketball league with the Italian club Lottomatica Roma. This allowed him to circumvent the “prep to pro” policy (2006) and enter the NBA draft in 2009. Brandon was selected tenth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He became the first player who skipped college to play professional basketball in Europe then to be drafted by an NBA team.
During his rookie season he showed flashes of greatness, on 11-14-09 after a scoreless first quarter, Jennings ended up dropping 55 on Golden State at home in Milwaukee. He broke the team record for most points by a rookie previously set in 1970 (Jabbar), as well as the most points scored by a rookie since Earl “The Pearl” Monroe scored 56 in 1968. It was also the second-most points scored by a Milwaukee Buck in a game (Michael Redd, 57 in 2006).
Jennings was just “alright” during his four years here in Milwaukee, nothing to really write home about. He never really dominated or stood out amongst the other guards in the league. “Young Money” also displayed bouts of immaturity where his pouting cost himself stats, and the Bucks, wins.
When the offers didn’t flood in like he thought, Brandon considered returning to the Bucks on a one-year qualifying offer after Milwaukee offered him $10 million a year which would have made him an unrestricted free agent. The Pistons ponied up $8 million a year and “unhappy one” decided to take his drama to the Eastern Time Zone.
Best of luck to Brandon…I’m sure you’ll go off, and put up your best games when you play the Bucks, especially here at the BMO Harris Bradley Center…but at least when the final buzzer, buzzes you’ll be headed out of town instead of downtown…Sayonara “Young Money.”
He will probably play for a couple of seasons with Detroit before he wants out of there.