NBA Rumors: Brooklyn Nets interested in veteran free agent PJ Tucker
The Brooklyn Nets are expected to be involved in a plethora of NBA rumors in the coming weeks. The Nets are looking to bring in defensive reinforcements for next season, and one player they may go after is PJ Tucker.
Tucker is coming off a championship run with the Milwaukee Bucks, who defeated the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The former Houston Rockets forward was a key player in that series, as he took up the responsibility of guarding the Brooklyn Nets' best player, Kevin Durant.
Despite being 36 years old and heading towards the twilight of his career, Tucker proved that he still has a lot left in the tank and enough for championship aspiring teams to show interest in him.
According to Alex Schiffer of The Athletic, the Brooklyn Nets have shown interest in Tucker in the past, and his name has come up a lot recently as well.
"I’ve heard PJ Tucker’s name come up a lot. The Nets have been interested in him since before the Harden trade."
PJ Tucker had to switch to a starting role for the Milwaukee Bucks midway through the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs after Donte DiVincenzo was sidelined due to a season-ending injury. The forward stepped up for the team and proved to be an excellent veteran leader as the Bucks went on to win the 2021 NBA championship.
He is set to enter the 2021 NBA free agency as an unrestricted free agent. According to NBA rumors, the Milwaukee Bucks will try to re-sign him in the off-season.
NBA Rumors: Exploring PJ Tucker's fit with the Brooklyn Nets
PJ Tucker will likely have to slot into a bench role with the Brooklyn Nets. With the likes of Jeff Green, Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown Jr. all set to enter free agency, the Nets are on the lookout to add more veteran players to their ranks and someone who could improve them a the defensive end.
Tucker won't provide much help at the offensive end and doesn't need the ball in his hands to influence games, something that suits the Brooklyn Nets tremendously. That's because they already have four elite offensive players and shooters like Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Joe Harris in their ranks.
PJ Tucker could also play in a small-ball lineup for the Brooklyn Nets, something he has done before for the Houston Rockets and is a decent option when it comes to playing as a stretch 4 or 5. He also has pretty solid connections with players like Durant and Harden, which could play a huge factor if he does end up with the Nets.
However, the Brooklyn Nets are strangled for cap space this summer and can only offer him up to the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception they have this off-season. With the way PJ Tucker has performed in the 2021 NBA playoffs, his market value has certainly increased, as per NBA rumors.
It remains to be seen if Tucker would swap a title-winning team for another contender and also take a significant pay-cut in the process. As Schiffer mentioned, at the moment, it is looking quite unlikely that PJ Tucker would leave the Bucks.