In the eyes of the observing teams, the Philadelphia 76ers are on pace to land P.J. Tucker this summer.
Per insider Marc Stein, league circles have growing expectations that Philly will be able to acquire Tucker via rumored $30 million deal.
And should Pat Riley and the Miami Heat managed to pull off a reunion with the veteran, Stein pointed out that it will be a shocker scenario.
Numerous rival teams, meanwhile, say with even more conviction now than they did last week — when I first it reported on Wednesday — that they expect PJ Tucker to land in Philadelphia on a three-year, $30 million deal in free agency. If Pat Riley’s Heat can find a way now to re-sign Tucker, they will definitely surprise some people.
Last week, Tucker decided to turn down his $7.4 million player option for the next season, allowing himself to enter the free agency market as an unrestricted candidate and seek a much better signing.
Sixers franchise man Joel Embiid has expressed his shady desire to team up with Tucker in Pennsylvania ever since the last postseason. As such, reports were released that the big man is strongly supportive of the club’s pursuit of the former Longhorn standout this offseason.
Meanwhile, Miami boss man Riley already made it clear that he plans to regain Tucker in South beach, noting that he is an important part of their ongoing culture.
At age 37, Tucker remains convinced that he is worthy enough of a bigger paycheck after having a productive 2021-2022 season with the Heat, averaging 7.6 points, 5.5 boards, 2.1 assists, and a career-high 41 percent efficiency from the three-point territory.
