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Bucks unnecessarily guarantee Kendall Marshall’s contract early

Milwaukee Bucks v New York Knicks

Milwaukee Bucks v New York Knicks

NBAE/Getty Images

Kendall Marshall, whom the Bucks acquired off waivers from the Lakers, had a fully unguaranteed minimum-salary contract with no guarantee date this season.

That means Marshall would make $13,075 per day he remained on the team. If he were still on the roster Jan. 10, the rest of his $915,243 season salary would become become fully guaranteed.

But Milwaukee is guaranteeing Marshall all that money now.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

Despite holding the flexibility to wait until January for a decision, the Milwaukee Bucks have guaranteed the contract of point guard Kendall Marshall for the 2014-15 season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

In technical terms, there’s little reason to guarantee Marshall’s contract now.

This probably isn’t a big deal, though. Marshall, Milwaukee’s backup point guard, is a great value. The Bucks almost certainly weren’t going to waive him anyway.

But what if Marshall gets hurt? What if his contract is necessary to facilitate a trade that wants to waive Marshall?

There are other factors, though. This gives Marshall peace of mind, which could help him play better. It might also endear the Bucks to Marshall, who becomes a free agent next summer.

Perhaps most importantly: It appeases Marshall’s agent, Alex Saratsis who also represents Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Taking a slight chance on having to eat a relative small amount of money, the Bucks gained a little good will.