Milwaukee Bucks: Thoughts on signing Rayjon Tucker to Exhibit 10 deal

While they were gearing up for a preseason matchup with the Utah Jazz, the Milwaukee Bucks quietly made a move Wednesday night.

According to Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw, the Bucks have signed Rayjon Tucker to an Exhibit 10 deal. That name should sound familiar because Tucker does have previous ties to the organization as he began his NBA career in Wisconsin. After going undrafted in 2019, Tucker would play for the Bucks in the Summer League, and his numbers were solid enough to earn him an Exhibit 10 deal. Suiting up for the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks G-League affiliate, Tucker looked fantastic across 16 games by averaging 23.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

The G-League standout got his first shot in the NBA with the Utah Jazz after they called him up in 2019, but he appeared in just 20 games for an average of 8.1 minutes per contest. Tucker received another shot this past season with the Philadelphia 76ers, but he appeared in just14 games for 4.9 minutes on average. After struggling to find his footing on the NBA level, Tucker returns to the place where he kicked off his professional career, and the Bucks are hoping to bring out the best in him ahead of the new season.

How does Rayjon Tucker help the Milwaukee Bucks after signing an Exhibit 10?

Tucker will not get much playing time with the Bucks once the 2021-22 regular season kicks off next week. That seems like a given, as this move is to bring Tucker back to Wisconsin to play for the Herd once their season begins. The Herd will be returning from a one-year hiatus this season, and Tucker will likely be returning to his old stomping grounds in Oshkosh. The combo-guard was a star when he previously played with the Herd, so bringing him back was a no-brainer to give him another shot.

Considering how well he played back with the team in 2019, Tucker was viewed as a potential two-way candidate for the Bucks. While that will not be the case this time as the two slots are currently occupied by Sandro Mamukelashvili and Justin Robinson, the potential is there for him to develop into a special player. At 24-years-old, Tucker still has plenty of room to grow as a player, and he will get that opportunity with the Herd. There is not much to dislike about the move, given the familiarity he has and the fact that he will be on the G-League team. The Herd has possessed some impressive players over the past few seasons, including 2019-20 MVP Frank Mason III and runner-up Jaylen Adams, and Tucker will aim to keep that trend consistent.

Also reported by Shaw, the Bucks have waived Jemerrio Jones, who they signed to a training camp deal earlier in the week. Jones will likely stick around and join the Herd alongside Tucker, and the two could be a solid one-two punch at that level. Jones is a player that has also played with the Herd before, so it appears that the Bucks are looking to bring back familiar players to get the Herd back up and running.

Welcome back to Milwaukee, Rayjon!