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Bucks Emerge As Betting Favorites to Reunite with Former 2021 Champ

Ricardo Klein

Jul 6, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward P.J. Tucker (17) moves to the basket agianst Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second half in game one of the 2021 NBA Finals at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Jul 6, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward P.J. Tucker (17) moves to the basket agianst Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second half in game one of the 2021 NBA Finals at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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The Milwaukee Bucks are heading into the new season as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. This offseason was a solid one for the Bucks, who bolstered their roster and will look to be one of the top teams to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy. 

The Bucks have the star power to compete with anyone in the league; however, they'll need the others to come up massively. On paper, the Bucks look formidable, and if they want to bolster their roster even more, they could be in line for one of their former champions. 

According to Bovada Official, the Bucks are the favorites to land P.J. Tucker, who remains a free agent. 

The Bucks are the favorites to acquire the 39-year-old veteran with -120 odds. The six other teams behind the Bucks are the Suns, Kings, Heat (another one of his former teams), Nuggets, Celtics, and the Mavericks, with +700 odds. 

Tucker is a Los Angeles Clipper at the moment, but they have agreed he won’t be with the team for the time being while it tries to find the veteran forward in a different situation.

Tucker was traded to the Bucks prior to the 2021 trade deal with Rodions Kurucs in exchange for D. J. Augustin and D. J. Wilson. He played a massive role for Milwaukee throughout their championship run, including holding then-Nets superstar Kevin Durant to an uncharacteristically low 11 of 28 field goal attempts made (37.5 percent) in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

Overall, Tucker was fantastic and did the dirty work for the Bucks. In the 2021 NBA Finals, he averaged 31.3 minutes, 4.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 steals while primarily switching between guarding Devin Booker and Jae Crowder.

He left for the Miami Heat in the offseason and stuck around there for one season. Since then, he has been with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Clippers. 

Tucker was traded to the Clippers last season along with James Harden and appeared in 28 games while averaging 1.6 points and 2.5 rebounds. 

The 39-year-old picked up his $11.5 million player option for the upcoming season. It’s the final year of a $33 million, three-year deal he signed with the 76ers in 2022.

The Clippers released a statement on Tucker after news broke that he and the team were currently apart. 

“P.J. is a pro who has achieved a lot in his career and there’s more he wants to accomplish,” the Clippers said Sunday in a statement. “We will continue working with P.J. and his representative to find the best situation for him moving forward.”

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Ricardo Klein
RICARDO KLEIN

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