NBA Trade Rumors: PJ Tucker expected to force a move to the Philadelphia 76ers

PJ Tucker has been linked to several teams in recent weeks and the latest NBA trade rumors suggest that the veteran wants a move to Philadelphia 76ers. Tucker has played a crucial role for the Houston Rockets in the last few years but is expected to be on the market with the franchise now heading towards a rebuild.

PJ Tucker is reportedly attracting interest from several contenders, including the LA Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets. However, as per Tom Haberstroh of TrueHoop, Tucker wants a move to the Philadelphia 76ers. Haberstroh wrote:

"Several rival executives expect disgruntled Rockets forward PJ Tucker to find his way to Philadelphia, whether in a buyout or a trade that nets the Rockets a second-round pick."

Just your first daily reminder that PJ Tucker had a 1 on 3 one man fast break and finished at the rim. pic.twitter.com/A1MAPozMnd
— Rockets Yoda (@Achiles_Ovrated) February 27, 2021

PJ Tucker is on a team-friendly expiring contract worth $7.9 million. The Philadelphia 76ers have a few expiring deals on their own payroll that they can use to match salaries. Philly can also absorb Tucker's salary directly with the $8.1 million exception they created in the Al Horford trade. However, they're already above the luxury tax threshold and would like to minimize the cap hit.

NBA Trade Rumors: Exploring PJ Tucker's fit with the Philadelphia 76ers

Tucker's playing style suits the Sixers' 3-and-D policy

The Philadelphia 76ers only had one goal in mind this offseason– to surround Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons with better shooters. They did that by acquiring the likes of Seth Curry and Danny Green via trade which also saw Al Horford's bad contract getting off the books.

Since this strategy has already borne fruit for the Philadelphia 76ers, there's no reason why they shouldn't continue on this path. Known primarily for his feisty playing style, PJ Tucker isn't the greatest spot-up shooter in the world. But he has a way of slotting in the corner pockets for other playmakers to create open looks for him.

Interesting buzz around PJ Tucker. Here’s what I know: Several teams believe he would be effective in a more limited role - rejuvenating his game on a title-contending roster where he can play fewer minutes.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 4, 2021

PJ Tucker won't displace Tobias Harris out of the starting lineup, but he's certainly an upgrade over the Philadelphia 76ers' backup power forward, Mike Scott. Most importantly, Tucker has already proved with the Rockets that he impacts winning and there aren't many better role players available in the market.

Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Teams have a great deal of interest in Houston Rockets' Eric Gordon