Bucks acquire P.J. Tucker, Kurucs and pick
Milwaukee made a move with the postseason in mind with its acquisition of P.J. Tucker.
P.J. Tucker and the Houston Rockets decided last week it was time to move on, and Wednesday found a solution for their collective impasse.
Houston sent Tucker and Rodions Kurucs to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday for D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson and the Bucks’ first-round pick in 2023. Houston also received the right to swap their 2021 second-round pick for Milwaukee’s 2021 second-round pick. Aside from getting Tucker and Kurucs, Milwaukee also re-acquired their 2022 first-round pick from Houston, which it had obtained from Cleveland via a four-team trade earlier this season.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and confirmed by several others. Shortly after the deal was made official, the Bucks posted video of Tucker’s arrival in Milwaukee.
https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1372941514251366405
He's here. pic.twitter.com/K8iD37Wq9w
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 19, 2021
“P.J. Tucker checks all the boxes,” said Bucks GM Jon Horst said in a statement Friday. “He is a great teammate who brings a veteran presence with playoff experience. P.J.’s a versatile, high-IQ defender, and on the offensive end he plays with discipline, is unselfish, and spaces the court with his ability to knock down the three.
“Rodions is a talented, young player we feel will benefit from Coach Bud’s system that emphasizes player development and building good habits. Both players are highly competitive, and we welcome them to our family.”
The Bucks’ next game is March 20, when they will host the San Antonio Spurs (9 ET, NBA League Pass). After a modest 12-8 start to the season, Milwaukee has gone 14-6 and has been one of the best teams in the NBA since Feb. 1.
Tucker is averaging 4.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 30 minutes per game this season. He’s struggling with his shot, firing away at career-low clips of 31.4% from 3-point range and 36.6% overall. Kurucs was shipped to Houston by Brooklyn earlier this season as a part of the James Harden mega-trade. He has played in 16 games this season and is averaging career-lows in virtually every major statistic.
In a separate move earlier in the week, the Bucks sent forward Torrey Craig to Phoenix for cash considerations.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
