After the Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals back on May 12, the sentiment was that the team needed more toughness. They needed somebody to help in that department in order to move forward.
In that case, why not grab somebody who embodies toughness and just knocked you out?
The Sixers have their eyes set on Heat free-agent P.J. Tucker after he opted out of his contract for the 2022-23 season as they are considered the favorites to bring him into the fold. Tucker is a guy who does all of the little things in order to help a team win and he also knocks down 3-pointers, specifically from the corners, which is big playing next to James Harden.
Star big man Joel Embiid even said after the Game 6 loss that the team needed a Tucker type of player as he mentioned him by name after the elimination. The team’s pursuit of Tucker has the strong backing of Embiid as he has his stamp of approval on the team.
Per Marc Stein via his substack:
The Sixers’ forthcoming strong pursuit of P.J. Tucker, league sources say, has the strong backing of star center Joel Embiid. I reported Wednesday that Philadelphia is regarded as the league’s clear favorite to sign Tucker if the 37-year-old is indeed leaving Miami this summer after declining his $7.4 million player option with the Heat for next season to opt for free agency.
Now, the Heat can offer Tucker more money than the Sixers can at the moment. Philadelphia would have to dump some salary in order to outbid Miami for his services, but if Embiid is pushing for this acquisition, one can bet that Daryl Morey and co. are doing everything they can in order to make this happen.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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