Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking Jon Horst’s 5 best moves as general manager

Jon Horst’s best moves with the Milwaukee Bucks — No. 5: Trading for P.J. Tucker

Trading for P.J. Tucker is a favorite for many reasons. First, Tucker’s intangibles that were brought on the court were proven to be invaluable during the 2021 playoffs. Second, his leadership and willingness to bestow wisdom to younger players helped the Bucks improve in more ways than one. Third, and lastly, who can forget his speech during the championship parade?

Milwaukee was able to unload Augustin and D.J. Wilson for Tucker, the undersized Houston Rocket that was virtually playing for the regular season. Houston had nowhere to go beyond the postseason after the James Harden trade, so Tucker was a high-quality player on a low-quality team.

Enter Horst. Once the Bucks traded for Tucker, they were in the middle of a season-long eight game win streak. If you were to have watched Milwaukee after the acquisition, you could feel a shift in fire, energy, and excitement. This was seen as a win right away, but once the Bucks lifted the trophy several months later, the move was solidified.

Even though Tucker signed with the Miami Heat in the offseason, a move that surprised many at the time, he will be forever etched into Bucks history. After all, he was the first player to embrace Antetokounmpo after the buzzer sounded in Game 6 of the Finals, a surreal moment for the team.