Championship teams in the modern NBA need two things on every roster, solid 3-and-D players, and veteran leaders who have a wealth of experience playing at the highest level. These profiles are difficult to find, and the players that fit either category are highly sought after every season. And perhaps the role player that has made that role his own more than anyone else is PJ Tucker.
Tucker is an incredible corner-three shooter who is also able to guard multiple positions, including centers. At 37 years of age, with the amount of basketball he has played, one would think that Tucker would be getting phased out of the league, but he is as attractive to contending teams as ever.
Joel Embiid has spoken about how the Sixers ‘need’ a guy like Tucker, while there have been reports that PJ will not be picking up his player option with the Miami Heat for next season. This means almost every contending team is likely trying to get him, and the Brooklyn Nets have been specifically named by Kristian Winfield in his latest report on the subject.
Source: Nets to make run at veteran free agent forward P.J. Tucker https://t.co/m5qJQeCRxL
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) June 22, 2022
“The Nets are one of a number of playoff and championship contenders with tangible interest in veteran free agent forward P.J. Tucker, multiple sources told the Daily News.
“Tucker became an unrestricted free agent after declining his $7 million player option with the Miami Heat earlier this week. He is great friends – “brothers,” in his words – with Nets star Kevin Durant, and adding a player of Tucker’s ilk would provide a much-needed toughness and frontcourt floor spacing to a Nets team lacking both.”
If the Nets retain Kyrie Irving and keep both him and Ben Simmons on the court alongside KD, they will surely challenge for the title. Having PJ Tucker be a part of that roster would be a huge plus for the team. However, with every contending team likely making advances, it’s hard to say if the Nets will succeed in bringing PJ to Brooklyn.
