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Getty Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against PJ Tucker #17 of the Miami Heat.
After coming up short against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Philadelphia 76ers are back at the drawing board as they look to build a contender. With the status of his first-round pick in doubt, Daryl Morey’s main avenues of bolstering the roster are through trades and free agency.
The Sixers solidified their star talent at the latest trade deadline when they acquired James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. With his core intact, Morey’s focus can now shift his focus to enhance the cast of players around him.
Morey secured a meeting with Harden this season, and another could be on the way. An Eastern Conference executive recently told Heavy’s Sean Deveney that the Sixers are expected to pursue Miami Heat veteran PJ Tucker in free agency.
“I think the Sixers will be interested in what PJ Tucker does in Miami,” the executive told Deveney. “He has a player option and they can only give him the average level of the taxpayer, but if he decides that he wants to leave Miami, he has a relationship with [Daryl] Morey and I think he would be intrigued to play with [Joel] Embid. He is a guy to watch out there.”
The 37-year-old appeared in 71 games for the Heat this season and averaged 7.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 2.1 APG.
Joel Embiid feels the Sixers need players like PJ Tucker
Morey isn’t the only person connected to PJ Tucker on the Sixers. When Miami eliminated them in Game 6, Joel Embiid cited mental and physical toughness as a weakness of the group. The MVP runner-up even mentioned Tucker by name when he mentioned the “tough guys” the team needs.
“You look at a guy like PJ Tucker, a great player, but it’s not about him knocking down shots. It’s about what he does on the defensive end, dribbling the ball… Since I’ve been here, I’d be lying if I said we have those kind of guys. Nothing against what we have, it’s just the truth. We never have PJ Tucker, that’s really what I’m trying to say,” Embiid said.
While he’s just an RPG, Tucker still leaves an impact on the ground. It’s no coincidence that he has started teams that have reached the playoffs and conference finals in back-to-back seasons. When it comes to the little things he does, Embiid is right that it’s something the Sixers have never had.
PJ Tucker’s fit on the Sixers
In addition to bringing a physical nature to the team, PJ Tucker is also a good addition from a fitness perspective. For starters, he’s a knockdown shooter from beyond the arc, especially in the corners. Tucker hit 41.5% of his 3-pointers this season on just under three attempts per game. His effectiveness from beyond the arc makes him an ideal complement to Embiid and James Harden as a release option for opposing defenses to consider.
Another element Tucker can bring to the Sixers is lineup flexibility. In addition to being able to slide into a forward spot, he can also be used as a small five ball. This could allow Doc Rivers to field some improved smaller lineups with Tucker and Paul Reed up front.
Despite getting there in age, Tucker has shown that he still has something to give to an NBA team. If he decides to go on the open market, it would be foolish for the Sixers not to do their due diligence given his connections.
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