NBA Rumors: Sixers Aren't Discussing a P.J. Tucker Trade With Rockets?
The trade deadline is just a couple of weeks away, and the Philadelphia 76ers could make a deal or two sooner than later. At this point, it's no secret the Sixers are a good team. After all, they've led the Eastern Conference for months now.
But like all hopeful championship contenders, the Sixers aren't perfect, and they could use some upgrades. Lately, there's been a lot of smoke surrounding a possible trade for Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry.
By now, it's becoming quite clear that the idea of trading for Lowry isn't nearly as popular as the Raptors' interest in actually dealing the veteran guard. As much as Lowry would help the Sixers get over the top, the chances of him remaining in Toronto are much higher.
Stars aside, another popular trade candidate linked to the Sixers over the last month or two has been Houston Rockets veteran forward P.J. Tucker. As the Rockets continue to struggle this season, the 35-year-old is ready to move on a join a contender.
Considering Daryl Morey's strong connection with Houston, many expect the Sixers to land Tucker eventually. However, a recent report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski indicates the Sixers might not even be in on Tucker at the moment.
On Thursday night, as the Rockets were getting ready to face the Sacramento Kings, Tucker had no intentions of participating. At this point, Houston and the veteran are ready to move on from each other and have agreed that Tucker has played his last minutes for the Rockets.
The Rockets have been negotiating with several teams regarding Tucker, and the Sixers don't seem to be one of them. Per Wojnarowski's report, the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and the Brooklyn Nets are teams that have discussed possible deals with the Rockets in recent weeks.
Perhaps, the Sixers were in on Tucker but dropped out for one or two reasons. One, the Rockets' price tag for Tucker seems a bit pricey. It's been rumored before that Houston is seeking a second-round pick, but now they want a young and productive role player in return for the 35-year-old forward on an expiring contract.
Two, Houston could simply be avoiding another trade with the 76ers. As we've learned in the past, the Sixers made a hard push for James Harden and were even willing to part ways with Ben Simmons to get him, but Houston's ownership reportedly did everything in their power to prevent a Harden-Morey reunion from happening in Philly.
Regardless of the reasoning, it seems the Sixers are quickly fading out of the auction for Tucker, and there's a much higher chance they'll be competing against the Rockets' disgruntled forward rather than competing with him.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
