The Milwaukee Bucks will have a handful of questions to answer following their trade for forward P.J. Tucker earlier this week.
The most obvious question is when the 35-year-old will make his team debut now that the deal has been made official. Tucker did practice with the Bucks on Friday, and it appears that he will play in tonight’s game versus the San Antonio Spurs.
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Despite that clarity, the team is still left with several burning uncertainties in the aftermath of the move. With a slew of fresh faces coming in and others being traded away, the next few weeks should be very interesting.
In the present, the Bucks took a big swing with 32 games left until the postseason to shore up their defensive efforts and title chances. With the trade finally becoming official, here are three questions left for the team to answer in the near future.
First question the Milwaukee Bucks must answer following P.J. Tucker trade — How will Budenholzer distribute frontcourt minutes?
The Bucks traded for P.J. Tucker largely because of the robust defensive presence he brings to the table. Being able to guard multiple positions at a high level, the forward will a hefty share of minutes in the rotation, but it will be up to head coach Mike Budenholzer to find the time for him.
Averaging 32 minutes per game over the past four seasons with Houston, the forward has been a key rotational player with a distinguished role. Tucker now joins a top-heavy frontcourt rotation consisting of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis.
Perhaps playing alongside that group could help alleviate pressure off him to play those heavy minutes every night. Almost certainly going to be coming off the bench, it seems safe to say Budenholzer might not throw him out there for 30 minutes each night. That could potentially be a good thing, as it would keep his legs fresh for the postseason, where this team will ultimately need him most.
Managing minutes has never been Mike Budenholzer’s strongest suit, but time will tell how he plans to implement Tucker into the lineup. His versatility makes him an easy fit next to Antetokounmpo, Portis, and Lopez, making the lineup combinations endless.