Players that the Milwaukee Bucks should replace Grayson Allen with
Milwaukee Bucks’ Targets: P.J. Tucker
Yes, yes, yes, I know, we all miss P.J. Tucker being in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform. So, why couldn’t that possibility return in a few months? Let’s face it, the Milwaukee Bucks have been trying to find his replacement since he left the team, and they have been unable to do so. Allen is nowhere near the defender that P.J. Tucker is, and we can all agree that Tucker’s impact on the floor was enormously great during the Milwaukee Bucks run to the NBA Finals.
The offense is pretty nonexistent with Tucker, outside of a couple of corner threes he’s able to bury on occasion. But what he can do on the defensive end, and how he can handle the assignment of guarding the other team’s best player, is far more valuable than the 10-11 points a game Allen brings as a fringe starter.
On top of it, Tucker has fantastic durability, which is evident in the fact that he’s played in 70 or more games in five of the last six seasons. The one downside to getting Tucker is his age, with him being 38 years old. This would be a very temporary fix for the Milwaukee Bucks by getting Tucker’s defensive prowess to eliminate the lack of defense Allen brings, but the organization could be left with finding his replacement yet again since Tucker’s days in the NBA could be winding down.
Another issue with Tucker could be his contract situation. He recently signed a three-year extension worth north of $33 million dollars with the Philadelphia 76ers. If he were to be added to the Milwaukee Bucks and replace Allen, he would be the sixth highest-paid player on the roster in 2024-2025 at the age of 39. The Milwaukee Bucks could very well figure out a way to pay him in order to make room for him on the roster, but the question will be do they want to pay a 39-year-old small forward $11 million dollars or more, to potentially get injured and retire or lose his production significantly? I think it’s a risk the Milwaukee Bucks are willing to take, especially with the familiarity Tucker and the Bucks have with one another.