Tag: P.J. Tucker

Sixers will have to do some wheeling and dealing in order to get P.J. Tucker

The Philadelphia 76ers will have to do some wheeling and dealing in order to clear the necessary space to sign P.J. Tucker.

Free agency in the NBA is set to begin on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. EST and it is widely believed that the Philadelphia 76ers will make an offer to P.J. Tucker to pry him away from the Miami Heat. Tucker has connections to both James Harden and Daryl Morey from their time with the Houston Rockets.

Combine those connections with Joel Embiid wanting him in Philadelphia, and at the moment, it appears that Tucker is going to be the guy to join the Sixers. People around the league would even be surprised if Tucker didn’t end up in the City of Brotherly Love.

However, things are going to get tricky for the Sixers over the next few days. Harden is likely going to pick up his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season and then sign a 2-year extension later in the summer to stay with the Sixers. Philadelphia would then have $151.7 million in salary tied up in 13 players on the roster.

Per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the addition of De’Anthony Melton and his $8.2 million salary makes life complicated a bit.

Pompey explained what the Sixers have to do in order to acquire Tucker:

Right now, all the Sixers have to offer are minimum contracts and an MLE around $6.4 million after acquiring De’Anthony Melton and his $8.25 million salary in a draft-night trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Sixers could send Melton to a team that would take on his salary without sending a player back to create the space needed to acquire Tucker. They just wouldn’t be able to aggregate his salary along with another player to make the deal work. However, it wouldn’t make sense to get rid of the three-and-D player who provides what they need.

Another avenue for the Sixers could be an attempt to package a combination of Furkan Korkmaz ($5 million), Matisse Thybulle ($4.3 million), and George Niang ($3.4 million) to a team without getting a player back in return.

The Sixers very clearly want Tucker at this point and he makes a lot of sense. He fills the need for needing toughness and he is an excellent corner 3-point shooter which is the spot that gets the most open looks next to Harden and Joel Embiid.

As Pompey mentioned, it wouldn’t make much sense to move Melton. He fills another need for Philadelphia as somebody off their bench who can provide help on both ends of the floor and Georges Niang is a big piece of the bench unit as well. That means that Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, and probably Shake Milton are going to be available in order to clear space for Tucker.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: P.J. Tucker not joining Sixers would be considered a surprise

At this point, it would be a surprise if the Philadelphia 76ers don’t sign P.J. Tucker in free agency.

Free agency is right around the corner in the NBA and the Philadelphia 76ers figure to be one of the teams who will be active at this point as they look to put the right pieces around Joel Embiid and James Harden.

One name that has continued to pop up for the Sixers has been P.J. Tucker who played with Harden with the Houston Rockets with Daryl Morey in their organization as well at the time. Tucker was also mentioned by name by Embiid after Tucker’s Miami Heat eliminated the Sixers in the playoffs.

There was a report by The Bucks County Courier’s Tom Moore that Tucker is unlikely at this point, but per NBA veteran reporter Marc Stein via his substack, it would be a surprise if Tucker does not join the Sixers:

I’ve been writing for days about the growing belief among rival teams that the Sixers will successfully lure P.J. Tucker away from Miami in free agency with a three-year deal in the $30 million range. One key option to note that Harden possesses is declining next season’s $47.4 million to ultimately sign a new three-year deal with the Sixers in free agency that starts at a lower number and helps create some extra flexibility immediately for Philadelphia to help facilitate the Tucker signing. Sources insisted again Sunday night that it would be very surprising at this point if the anticipated Harden/Tucker/Morey reunion in Philly collapses.

Tucker does check a lot of boxes for the Sixers such as bringing both mental and physical toughness to the team, being able to knock down a corner triple, and experience with Harden. All of those things are positives for Philadelphia as they move forward with their new team.

With free agency set to begin on Thursday, the Sixers would have to clear more cap space in order to sign Tucker. That means there should be more trades on the horizon leading up to Thursday evening.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Sixers pursuit of P.J. Tucker strongly backed by Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is strongly backing the team’s pursuit of free-agent P.J. Tucker.

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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Sixers considered the favorite to sign P.J. Tucker if ready to leave Heat

The Philadelphia 76ers are considered the favorites to sign P.J. Tucker if he is ready to leave the Miami Heat.

After the Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the sentiment around the team was that they were in need of some toughness. They discussed at nausea how more mature they need to be in order to achieve their goals.

Joel Embiid went so far as to say the team needed a P.J. Tucker type of player. Tucker had just knocked the Sixers off as he was able to get under the skin of a lot of Philadelphia’s main players and he made some timely plays on both ends of the floor in order to help them win that series.

Now that Tucker will opt out of his deal with the Heat to enter free agency, the thought process around the league is that the Sixers will certainly make a run at him. They are beginning to try and clear cap space to sign him.

Now, Tucker could just re-sign with Miami, but per NBA veteran reporter Marc Stein via his substack, the Sixers are considered the favorites should he be ready to leave the Heat:

If P.J. Tucker is prepared to leave Miami, Philadelphia is regarded as by far the favorite to sign him away, league sources say. Tucker is poised to receive a three-year, $30 million contract offer in free agency from Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, GM for Tucker’s first three seasons in Houston

Of course, the Sixers will not be the only team interested in Tucker’s services. There will be plenty of contenders who will want to add him to their roster and there will be a bidding war for him.

It will be interesting what the Sixers do on draft night on Thursday as they look to make moves in order to position themselves well for free agency at the end of June.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers could trade Matisse Thybulle to clear cap space for P.J. Tucker

The Philadelphia 76ers could be looking to move Matisse Thybulle in an effort to clear cap space for P.J. Tucker.

It appears that the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to build their own version of Rockets East as they head into the offseason. The Sixers already made the move to acquire James Harden at the deadline back in February and now it appears that they want to add to other Rockets players from that era.

The Sixers are interested in acquiring Eric Gordon in a deal from the Rockets while they are also in the mix for another former Rocket in the form of P.J. Tucker who just finished up a solid season with the Miami Heat.

The Heat can offer Tucker more money to bring him back to South Florida, but the Sixers can make a few moves to clear cap space and bring him to Philadelphia. Per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, it appears that Matisse Thybulle may be that guy to be moved as Daryl Morey looks to clear cap space for Tucker.

Per Pompey:

Now, the executive is pursuing former Houston power forward P.J. Tucker, league sources confirm. Sources have also said the Sixers are looking to make a three-team trade that could involve Matisse Thybulle and the No. 23 pick to create space. Sources have said the Sixers are attempting to trade Tobias Harris, but they are having a tough time getting teams to take on his lucrative contract.

Tucker is a guy who fills a lot of needs for the Sixers as somebody who does all of the little things in order to get the job done out on the floor and he also is a guy who knocks down corner triples. Considering Thybulle is one of the elite defenders in the league, there will certainly be a team out there that will take on his deal as a young player.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Sixers interested in Eric Gordon, in the mix for P.J. Tucker

The Philadelphia 76ers are interested in acquiring Eric Gordon and they are in the mix for free-agent P.J. Tucker.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the midst of trying to get everything going in the right direction in the offseason to acquire players who fit next to Joel Embiid and James Harden. At this point in time, the Sixers will be looking for players who can knock down 3-pointers as well as provide defensive help.

The Sixers are known to be shopping both Danny Green and the No. 23 pick as they look to move forward and properly contend in the Eastern Conference. They need some players who are ready to help a team make a championship run right now rather than bring in another young player in need of development.

With that being said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Sixers are interested in going after Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon and they are in the mix to acquire P.J. Tucker. They were both members of the Houston Rockets when Daryl Morey was there and they have both played with Harden.

Per Windhorst:

Keep an eye on the Houston Rockets. They’ve already done one deal this offseason. Look for a little bit of Eric Gordon sweepstakes in play. A couple of teams I’ve heard interested. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns. You have Chris Paul looking for a potential reunion with his former teammate there. Philadelphia also in the mix for PJ Tucker, by the way, just opted out of his contract with the Miami Heat.

Gordon shot 41.2% from deep in the 2021-22 season while providing good defense for the Rockets on the perimeter and Tucker shot 41.5% from deep in for the Miami Heat and helped them make a run to the Eastern Conference finals. Both players would be fine additions to the Sixers if they were able to swing it.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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3 reasons why Sixers should target new free agent P.J. Tucker in 2022

Here are three reasons why the Philadelphia 76ers should target new free agent P.J. Tucker in the 2022 offseason.

In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers were ousted by the Miami Heat in six games and it seemed that they were out-toughed the entire series. Granted, they were missing superstar Joel Embiid for two of those games and he played hurt in the other four, but the Heat seemed to be the more physical group.

The Sixers lamented their lack of mental toughness after the loss as they were upset with how they handled things the entire playoffs. They held a 3-0 lead in Round 1 against the Toronto Raptors and were pushed to a Game 6 and they had a chance with the Heat tied 2-2 before letting go of the rope.

Afterward, the sentiment was that the Sixers need a “dawg”. Somebody who will do all of the little things and Embiid even mentioned that the team needs a P.J. Tucker type of player. Now, Tucker has opted out of his deal with the Heat and he will enter free agency.

This could be a tactic to get more money out of Miami, but regardless, there are three reasons why the Sixers should go after him. Philadelphia would need to waive Danny Green to offer him the full mid-level exception which would outbid the Heat.

Here are the 3 reasons why Philadelphia should target Tucker:

P.J. Tucker’s overdramatic flop against Jayson Tatum became an instant meme during Celtics-Heat Game 3

Whoa, Jayson Tatum must be super strong!

This time of year in the NBA, you might need an extra edge.

Of course, I’m talking about players acting at the slightest hints of contact, hoping a call goes your way. The art of flopping.

During the Miami Heat’s visit to the Boston Celtics (6.5-point favorites heading in) in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, P.J. Tucker had the latest great audition to enter the flop pantheon. When Jayson Tatum tried to make a slick dribble move on Tucker in transition, a light forearm (seemingly almost nonexistent!) sent Tucker flying across the floor:

The call? Why an offensive foul obviously!

Tatum must be really strong if he can send a 245-pound man like Tucker soaring and spinning across half of the floor. At least Tucker got the last laugh (he probably got the first one, too, right?) when he helped hold Tatum to 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting in an eventual 109-103 Heat win.

Take notes, young basketball fans: That’s how you act and defend.

NBA fans thought Tucker’s dramatics in such a big game was so hilarious that they even turned it into a meme:

Celtics injury update: Boston Robert Williams III questionable for Game 3; Heat’s Lowry, Tucker may play

Any of these three being able to suit up will have a notable effect on Game 3.

The Boston Celtics’ relative health heading into Game 3 against the Miami Heat just took a hit at exactly the same moment that the Heat are looking like they will have two key players back in the fold who were looking doubtful heading into the first game on Boston’s home court of TD Garden.

Saturday afternoon, the Celtics revealed that big man Robert Williams III had been downgraded to questionable with soreness in his left knee — the same one he had operated on to repair a torn meniscus in March. Earlier in the morning, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra revealed that both PJ Tucker (knee contusion) and Kyle Lowry (hamstring) would warm up “with the intention to play” earlier in the day after the team’s shootaround.

While there is no guarantee either Lowry or Tucker will be healthy enough to impact winning, the same could be said for Timelord if his knee is bothering him enough to be downgraded thus.

And for two teams who depend on these players to play as the best version of themselves, the availability or lack thereof for any of this trio will have a notable effect on Game 3.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Joel Embiid would like Sixers to add P.J. Tucker types of players to roster

Joel Embiid would like the Philadelphia 76ers to add a P.J. Tucker type of player to the roster.

PHILADELPHIA — For as long as Joel Embiid has been a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, they haven’t had that “dawg”. They haven’t had a guy who is tough and does all of the little things that don’t show up in a box score in order to win a game.

They did have Mike Scott briefly, but he began to decline in the 2019-20 season and the Sixers moved on from him in 2021. They did not replace his impact on the team in terms of being that “dawg” and it showed in this series with the Miami Heat.

The Heat possess so many players who fit that description, but none more than P.J. Tucker who is not the biggest guy, but he does all of the little things in order to get it done. Embiid wants more guys like that.

“For sure,” said Embiid. “We had a few tough guys since I’ve been here. I can recall whether it’s Mike Scott. He didn’t play a lot of minutes, but when you have size and toughness, you look at someone like P.J. Tucker. A great player, but it’s not about him knocking down shots. It’s about what he does whether it’s on the defensive end or rebounding the ball.”

The Heat roster is littered with P.J. Tucker types of players. Led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami’s roster has guys who fit the “dawg” category and the Sixers need somebody like that on their roster.

“You look at, obviously, defensively,” Embiid continued on Tucker. “He plays with so much energy. He believes that he can get from point A to point B and he believes that no one can beat him and he’s tough. He’s physical and he’s tough. They have a few of those guys whether it’s Bam and all those guys and since I’ve been here, I’d be lying if I said that we’ve had those types of guys.”

The big fella then gave the truth about the current roster.

“Nothing against what we have,” he added. “It’s just the truth. We never have P.J. Tucker. That’s really what I’m trying to say. I think physicality, once you get to the playoffs in the later rounds, you need that. You need those guys that are really tough.”

With that being said, it’s not up to Embiid right now to make the roster moves. That will be on coach Doc Rivers and president Daryl Morey to figure it all out.

“I’m not the GM,” said the big fella. “They can trade me any time they want, but to give you an answer, I don’t know. I got home two days ago and I got the best award to get and it was Most Valuable Father so that’s what I’m focused on this summer. Enjoying my family, my son, my fiancé, just my family, my parents, my sister, my people, just being around them. Some positive energy and mix in some good work and try to get better.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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