After holding onto a roster spot following the injury to DeAndre’ Bembry, the Milwaukee Bucks waived him and used the open roster spot on someone the organization knows very well in Rayjon Tucker.
Tucker has spent parts of two seasons with the Wisconsin Herd and totaled 51 games with the Bucks’ G League affiliate. He has impressed so much in that time that the Bucks gave him a three-year contract, which is another year more than what they gave to former Spanish league finals MVP Luca Vildoza.
Tucker likely won’t see any time with the Bucks in the playoffs, but we saw him for a short stint last night and will likely see him play on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
What can we expect from Rayjon Tucker with the Milwaukee Bucks
Right off the bat, I’d like to get out of the way that Tucker likely won’t be a Buck for very long. He is the Herd’s all-time leading scorer after 51 games and it’s a very nice gesture from the organization to give him a contract.
That being said, he’s been with three different NBA teams prior to the Bucks and wasn’t able to stick, so we should clarify that it’s not as if we should view him as an impact player.
In 37 NBA games, Tucker is averaging 2.8 points on a 52.4 percent effective field goal rate as well as 0.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. He is only 24 years old, though!
Admittedly, I wanted the Bucks to add Tucker to their roster back in 2019 when he was initially crushing it for the Herd before being scooped up by the Utah Jazz.
In terms of who he is as a player, there’s a lot to like. In nearly 70 G League appearances, Tucker averaged 21 points on 65.5 percent true shooting and 6.6 rebounds as well as 3.4 assists per game.
He isn’t much of a shooter (32.3 percent in the G League, over 41 percent in college) but is incredibly athletic and has shown great intangibles with the Herd as well as other G League affiliates.
At 6’3″ and 209 pounds, Tucker profiles as an off-guard that will need to be able to nail his 3s when given the chance.
Again, without knowing the specifics of the deal, I’d be surprised if he, like Luca Vildoza, will be able to make the team next season.
When the release of Bembry was announced, I expected the Bucks to convert Sandro Mamukelashvili’s two-way deal but that wasn’t the case!
If we’re being honest, the most important thing to come from this signing is that the organization has shown a willingness to reward guys who put in their time and effort to make guys happy in the G League.
The team knows that this isn’t someone who will/should interfere with the rotation (like Vildoza) but that it’s someone who has helped build the culture with the Herd into a winning team and that when NBA players (such as Mamukelashvili), he understands where the organization is coming from.
At most this is a shown of good faith that could benefit the organization long-term for guys who see this and want to get the chance to play in the NBA. I like what Tucker brings to the organization, it just doesn’t fit the Milwaukee Bucks.
Welcome Rayjon, I’m happy you’re finally getting your chance with the Milwaukee Bucks.