Milwaukee Bucks: P.J. Tucker adds wild card to rivalry with Miami Heat

With a wild free agency in full swing, the Milwaukee Bucks lost one of their own earlier this week to an inner-conference rival.

That would be the beloved fan-favorite P.J. Tucker, who will be signing a two-year deal with the Miami Heat after winning the title with the Bucks this past season. Given that it seemed certain Tucker would be back with the Bucks next season as the team held his Bird Rights and could easily retain him, this shocking news was certainly a gut-punch.

P.J. Tucker adds another compelling factor to the recent rivalry between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat

Squaring off in the NBA Playoffs in consecutive years, the recent rivalry between the Bucks and Heat has taken off.

When the top-seeded Bucks squared off against the Heat down in the Orlando bubble during the 2020 postseason, it was not a competitive series. Miami outmatched Milwaukee entirely and won the series 4-1 in convincing fashion. It was another brutal early exit from the postseason for the Bucks, intensifying the narrative that they were merely a regular season team. Following a busy offseason that involved retooling the roster, the Bucks made it clear that they wanted to play the Heat in the first round and exorcise their postseason demons. Indeed, it was a lopsided outing that shifted in their favor this round as they convincingly swept the Heat.

In addition to the battles that these two teams have gone through on the floor, it certainly did not help de-escalate things when the Heat were closely monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the franchise. They were always listed as the top suitor for the Greek Freak had he entered free agency in 2021, but he ultimately put that rumor to rest by inking the five-year supermax extension. Sure, no one could blame the Heat for wanting to add a two-time MVP to their roster, but it was just yet another reason for the fanbases to go at one another.

This tense rivalry will add another factor with Tucker leaving Milwaukee to sign with South Beach and start a new chapter. While it was disheartening to see the fan-favorite leave the team at all, it certainly does not help that he took his talents to one of the team’s most significant rivals in the NBA today. The situation undeniably stings, but it is an understandable move from his perspective if the subtle hints about the tax situation were true.

Including adding Tucker, the Heat have been busy this offseason. They added Kyle Lowry, another player who the Bucks have seen plenty of in the playoffs, re-signed Duncan Robinson, handed Jimmy Butler a max contract extension, and added a slew of role players to help them get right back into contention next season. With their revamped roster, there could be the third installment of Bucks versus Heat in the works, which would undeniably have some fireworks, with Tucker’s decision to move adding fuel to the fire. Another postseason series between the two would garner headlines about Tucker’s surprise exit.

It will be interesting to see how Tucker’s first appearance back in Fiserv Forum next season goes. One would think that he would be met with an ovation filled with praise for his efforts during the team’s title run, but not all people will share that sentiment. After all, he is on the villain’s side of things now, although it might have been out of his power to ultimately end up there rather than stick around with the Bucks.

Although they do not have to root for him on his new team, will always commend Tucker for helping the Bucks win their first title in 50 years, as they could not have done it without him.