Yesterday, the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns agreed to a three-team trade that sent P.J. Tucker, Rodions Kurucs, a 2022 first round pick (their own that they traded a few years ago), and a 2021 2nd round pick from Houston to the Bucks, D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, a 2021 (top 9 protected) first round pick from the Bucks, and a 2023 (unprotected) first round pick also from the Bucks to the Rockets, and Torrey Craig to the Suns. It is a trade that makes a lot of sense for all 3 sides. For Milwaukee it gives them a guy who hits corner threes and can defend. For the Rockets it allows them to swap a 2 for a 1 and move up in a loaded draft a bit, while also pushing the Bucks pick they received from Cleveland a year. For the Suns it deepens their bench as the Bucks were looking to clear out Craig’s money. It is a deal that puts Milwaukee right back into the pool of Eastern Conference favorites and allows Giannis at the 5 lineups to be that much more deadly.
I am not going to talk about the Suns, Torrey Craig is a fine player but nothing more than a bottom of the rotation player. So let's go to Houston where the tear down has begun after the James Harden trade. Tucker is an expiring contract who had little value. So getting a young player, and to move up in this draft is a solid haul for Houston. They clearly see Wilson as an upgrade to Kurucs as Tucker for Augustin would have worked in terms of the cap. This is a solid return for a team that was clearly gonna lose Tucker this summer and has lost 18 games in a row. Augustin is a player who has 2 years left on his contract and could be traded by the March 25th trade deadline, over the summer, or they could hold on to him. D.J. Wilson was drafted by Milwaukee 17th overall in 2017 as an athletic 4 man but has not lived up to the billing. Wilson has averaged 4 points and 3 rebounds over 119 games during his career, the Rockets are hoping they can help him reach his potential. The return is mostly about the picks, delaying the Bucks pick one year so they could move up and add an extra first in the 2021 draft, where there is a ton of talent as I have previously mentioned, is a win for Houston. I don’t expect for it to be the last move Houston makes as they have guys like Victor Oladipo, Eric Gordon, Danuel House, and Ben McLemore, who could all be traded.
This was an absolutely necessary move for the Bucks. First adding a guy like Tucker allows them to close with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the 5 lineups with Jrue Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo, Khris Middleton, and P.J. Tucker. It also blocks the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Miami Heat from acquiring Tucker, who would have helped all of those teams and has a Houston connection in both Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Tucker provides a guy who can start and come off the bench for the Bucks, defend positions 1 through 5, and hit corner threes, though his percentage have been down this season. He is a career 35% 3 point shooter, who shot 37% during first 3 seasons with the Rockets (including 43% in the playoffs), and has shot 31% this season from deep, with most attempts coming from the corners. He averaged 6.9 points and 6.6 rebounds last season with the Rockets and has had a bad year this season averaging 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds this season. Milwaukee hopes a change of scenery can bring back those 2019-20 numbers and not the 2020-21 numbers. His rebounding numbers won’t likely jump as the Bucks have guys like Giannis, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis. He is another shooter that should help the Bucks not only try to make an eastern conference run, but an NBA championship run as well. Tucker is also eligible to sign a 2yr/$17 million extension with the Bucks.
The Houston Rockets were right there, competing for championships over a few year span, then it blew up in the span of 2 months after trading Russell Westbrook and James Harden. The Bucks are a team that is looking to get over the hump of the Eastern Conference and needed an extra 3 and D guy to help that pursuit. I like the trade for both sides, more so for Milwaukee just because we know what they are getting and where they want to go. That path is not as clear in Houston, as I expect them to continue to be active over the next week before the March 25th trade deadline.
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