Milwaukee Bucks: Regrading the renowned P.J. Tucker trade after title

What the Milwaukee Bucks acquired in the P.J. Tucker trade

While the trade was mainly focused on sending Tucker from Houston to Milwaukee, there were several other pieces attached alongside him.

Getting those out of the way first, in addition to Tucker, the Bucks received Rodions Kurucs and their own 2022 first round pick back. Kurucs would appear in just five games with the team before being waived. He was always viewed as a throw-in piece, and the team did not think twice about waiving him before replacing him with Elijah Bryant on a two-year deal. As for the draft pick, it was interesting to see Milwaukee get back their own pick, and time will tell how things end up there.

Of course, this deal was mainly about getting Tucker on their side. In doing so, the Bucks added a robust defender that could help them massively in their run through the Eastern Conference with the playoffs nearing. They pushed their chips in once again for the move but understanding that the road to the NBA Finals would be a gauntlet of challenges, the front office felt like it was a necessary move. They were right, as while he was a bench player at first, DiVincenzo’s injury made him a starter for the Bucks in the final three rounds of the playoffs and increased his importance to this team further.

Tucker’s time as a starter came against the Brooklyn Nets, where he would be assigned to guard Kevin Durant, one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history. It was a hard-fought battle between the two for seven consecutive games as unstoppable offense collided with sturdy defense, which led to things getting chippy in Game 3 as the two went nose-to-nose and exchanged words. In the end, Tucker and the Bucks would come out on top in a thrilling Game 7 overtime victory, defeating the Nets and advancing to the Conference Finals for the second time in three years. They do not win that series without Tucker’s defense on Durant.