Matt Velazquez

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee Bucks center Thon Maker and forward D.J. Wilson are under contract for at least one more season each.

One day before of the league's deadline for deciding on rookie-scale player options, the Bucks decided to pick up Maker's fourth-year option and Wilson's third-year option, the team announced Tuesday. By picking up the options, the Bucks will pay Maker approximately $3.6 million next season and Wilson will receive a salary of about $3 million in 2019-'20.

According to a league source, the Bucks love both players, remain high on their talent and fit and see them as important parts of the team now and in the future.

The 10th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, Maker played 131 games mostly off the bench during his first two seasons in Milwaukee, averaging 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds. He figured prominently in the playoffs each season, starting in 2017 against the Toronto Raptors and bringing a much-needed jolt off the bench this past spring against the Boston Celtics beginning in Game 3.

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This season, Maker got off to a slow start as he missed much of training camp and preseason competition with a left knee injury. He didn't appear in any of the Bucks' first four games before getting some late minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic. On Monday against the Raptors with star Giannis Antetokounmpo out, Maker moved into Milwaukee's rotation and acquitted himself well with 11 first-half points and seven rebounds.

"I think he had a little bit of a tough preseason with just being banged up and not being able to practice, not being able to play in several preseason games," coach Mike Budenholzer said after Monday's win. "He wants to play so badly. He’s such a great worker, competitor, all those things."

Wilson, the 17th pick in 2017 -- the first under general manager Jon Horst -- has had a rockier start to his career. He logged only 71 minutes with the Bucks as a rookie, instead getting more extensive looks with the G League's Wisconsin Herd.

Following an off-season in which he had a solid showing at the NBA's Las Vegas summer league, Wilson impressed his teammates with his level of play during open gyms and training camp. However, he suffered a right hamstring strain during Milwaukee's preseason open scrimmage and has not appeared in a game since.

"I’m very impressed by his skills, by his IQ, by what he brings," Budenholzer said during the preseason. "He’s a very good fit for the way we like to play, for the things we like to do. It just looks and feels like he’s in his comfort zone just playing kind of instinctually, so I think he’s got a great chance to play for us.”

With Maker and Wilson now settled, the Bucks have eight players on guaranteed contracts for the 2019-'20 season, excluding those with options. The other six players are Antetokounmpo ($25.8 million), Tony Snell ($11.4 million), John Henson ($9.7 million), Matthew Dellavedova ($9.6 million), Ersan Ilyasova ($7 million) and Donte DiVincenzo ($2.9 million).