Philadelphia 76ers: P.J. Tucker is a perfect trade target

If the Houston Rockets are serious about an all-out fire sale, the Philadelphia 76ers should be first in line to trade for do-it-all forward P.J. Tucker.

When the 2019-20 NBA season opens up, the Philadelphia 76ers starting 5 could look very, very different.

With both of the team’s starting forwards pending free agents and their incumbent shooting guard J.J. Redick‘s contract also set to expire come June 30th, Brett Brown‘s squad could conceivably have three new starters come opening night.

Now conventional wisdom would suggest at least attempting to retain all three players would be a smart call, as with a full season of work together who knows what this team’s future could hold, but realistically, it’s entirely possible that at least one of these players end up elsewhere when free agency officially opens up on June 30th, presumably either Tobias Harris or Jimmy Butler.

More from Philadelphia 76ers

Though one could argue which player is a better fit in Philly, as Harris is a better outside shooter, but Butler’s ball handling and secondary playmaking abilities elevated the team considerably down the stretch, no matter which player ultimately decides to stay and which player decides to go, it’ll be paramount for Elton Brand to find similar talent elsewhere to maintain relevancy in a potentially shook up Eastern Conference.

The answer may lie in Houston.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Rockets GM Daryl Morey is open for business, with every player outside of James Harden potentially available via trade. While this news is particularly surprising, especially for you know, the team’s actual players, it does present an interesting opportunity for a team like Philly to add a starting-caliber player with postseason experience into the fray who may not have been available on the open market.

While conventional wisdom would suggest that Brand and company focus their attention on a player like Chris Paul, or Eric Gordon as obvious additions to Sixers roster, as a team has long been in need of serviceable guard help, but the player who could actually be most beneficial and worthy of a potential first-round draft pick is swing-forward P.J. Tucker.

Measuring in at 6-foot-6, though some list him has short as 6-foot-5, Tucker is one of the most unique players in the NBA, often times lined up as a small ball center in the Rockets’ give-n’-go, fast-paced offensive scheme.

While the 33-year-old isn’t the most athletic player in the league, he makes up for it with toughness, stoutness, and a mean streak on the defensive side of the ball that Philly hasn’t seen this decade.

Oh yeah, and Tucker’s a pretty darn good outside shooter too.

Over the last three seasons, Tucker has hit his 3 point attempts at a 37.6 percent clip, two points above the NBA average. While this mark isn’t as high as Mike Scott, J.J. Redick, or Tobias Harris, the player he’d probably be replacing, it is higher than Butler’s 33.8 clip with the Sixers.

Furthermore, while Tucker isn’t quite as defensively dominant as Butler, he would immediately slot in as the 76ers fourth best defender on this year’s squad, right behind Jimmy G, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons. With the size, strength, and wherewithal to legitimately defend 2-5 – sometimes 1-5 depending on the point – Tucker could come in and contribute minutes both in the paint and on the wings; making Brown’s defensive sets all the more versatile.

And best of all, Tucker’s pretty cheap.

Currently halfway through a four-year, $31.8 million contract, Tucker’s team is on the hook for $8.3 million in 2019-20 and about $7.9 million in 2020-21. While this isn’t no money, it’s far less than the $20-25 million Harris is in line for on a max contract and would free the 76ers up for a spending spree in what may be their last real dip into the waters of free agency for some time.

dark. Next. Philadelphia 76ers trading for Chris Paul would be waste of time

Now could the Sixers potentially find a cheaper player with higher upside in the 2019 NBA Draft? I mean sure, they did steal Landry Shamet 26th overall last summer before trading him to Los Angeles, but with a trip to the 2020 NBA Finals the clear goal next season, I’d wage trading for P.J. Tucker is the Philadelphia 76ers best bet to get noticeably better going into the 2019 season.