Bucks G League: Wisconsin Herd’s Rayjon Tucker signs with Utah Jazz

Rayjon Tucker, the standout star for Bucks G League affiliate, Wisconsin Herd, has been rewarded for his play with a multi-year NBA deal with the Utah Jazz.

The Wisconsin Herd sit proudly at the top of the G League’s Eastern Conference standings heading into Christmas, thanks to a stellar record of 14-3. Having said that, the Bucks G League affiliate will face a very different challenge when they resume play on December 27.

In not exactly surprising news, it emerged on Monday night that one of the team’s leading lights was set to move on to the greener pastures of the NBA.

First reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Herd guard Rayjon Tucker will sign a multi-year NBA deal with the Utah Jazz.

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As noted by our own Jordan Treske, Tucker sat out the final game of the Herd’s participation at the G League Showcase in Las Vegas in recent days, which was certainly a clear indicator that a deal may well have been in the works.

Tucker, who appeared to have been a priority for the Bucks to bring into the fold as a very early signing on draft night, had progressed from spending time on Milwaukee’s Summer League squad, to being a part of their training camp roster, and ultimately starring at the G League level.

In 16 games with the Herd this season, Tucker averaged 23.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 49.4 percent from the field, and 38.6 percent from deep. With that production coming along with a 25.1 usage percentage, and a net rating of 11.3, there’s really been little reason to doubt Tucker’s ability and readiness to take the jump up to the NBA level.

Considering the risk Tucker took in making another jump and entering the draft last summer, the 22-year-old’s confidence in his own ability has certainly been validated.

Speaking to Wojnarowski in his report for ESPN, Herd head coach Chase Buford said of Tucker:

"“Utah is getting a fantastic young man with a great work ethic and passion for the game,” Herd coach Chase Buford told ESPN. “Rayjon is an elite athlete who competes at a ridiculously high level every night. He’s a human highlight reel and a very exciting prospect for now and the future.”"

There was another interesting Bucks note in Wojnarowski’s reporting on Twitter, albeit one without the kind of specific detail that could have told us a lot more about the team’s thinking.

Milwaukee wanting to keep Tucker within the Herd fold would have gone without saying, yet also would have been completely unrealistic given the caliber of his play and the nature of his current contract. May the Bucks have taken a closer look, or even actively tried to persuade Tucker to sign an NBA deal in Milwaukee, though?

With Dragan Bender‘s contract still not fully guaranteed for this year, and injury even limiting his potential involvement of late, the Bucks do still have an avenue to make a move in terms of a G League call-up or free agent signing in the near future.

Having said that, the fact that Tucker’s play wasn’t enough to push them in that direction, may well be reason to believe that Bender’s position could be a little more secure than his contract suggests too.

Either way, a new chapter now begins for the Herd, who will face a meaningful challenge in the months ahead. The question now is whether they can find a response that can keep them competing at the top end of the standings, or whether this loss will be the first of many and set in motion a precipitous fall similar to what happened at this point in their inaugural 2017-18 season.

The combined Bucks/Herd brain trust of Jon Horst, Dave Dean, and Buford may be busy in seeking out reinforcements in the days and weeks ahead.