Milwaukee Bucks: 3 biggest threats to sign away P.J. Tucker in free agency
By Dalton Sell
The Los Angeles Lakers could attempt to lure P.J. Tucker away from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 NBA Free Agency
Before he landed with the Bucks, one contender that was reportedly in the final mix of teams looking to get Tucker was the Los Angeles Lakers.
Initially reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania (subscription required), the Lakers were right there with the Bucks and Heat expressing interest in the forward. Although their season would eventually get derailed by unfortunate injuries to their roster, LA’s interest in Tucker was sensible at the time. The Lakers were seemingly the favorites to come out of the Western Conference with LeBron James and Anthony Davis healthy, and Tucker would have given them a stellar defender in the frontcourt to defend the opposing team’s top players.
Although they struck out the first time, the Lakers will undoubtedly look to make another run at the 36-year-old this offseason. Not only will James and Davis be coming back healthy, but they brought in some reinforcements by trading for 2016-17 league MVP Russell Westbrook. There is some familiarity there between Tucker and Westbrook as the two played together on the Rockets during a hectic 2019-20 campaign. The Lakers would almost certainly like to reunite the two in their quest to make another run at a championship next season.
With James, Davis, and now Westbrook leading the way, Tucker would be designated solely to play defense and hit the occasional corner 3-pointer. With those three running the show offensively, Tucker could look to take on more of the load defensively as he did with the Bucks during their title run. That defensive prowess would be a massive addition for the Lakers as they will have to fight through a loaded Western Conference with talent at every turn.
Although they play in another conference, seeing Tucker go to the Lakers would be a massive blow considering they are another top-tier contender. With their interest documented, keep an eye on Los Angeles to potentially be interested in Tucker.