Sixers Urged to Target Finals-Tested Forward As PJ Tucker Replacement

Getty P.J. Tucker #17 of the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s never too early to begin preparing for the future. And for the Philadelphia 76ers, the future could go many different ways depending on how the next few months play out.

While superstar decisions involving James Harden and Joel Embiid loom large, there are also a handful of smaller decisions Philadelphia must address. Is Danuel House a long-term option? He’s rarely seen the floor of late but owns a player option next season. Is there a way to solve PJ Tucker‘s aging? Aside from a time machine, the answer is no. Nonetheless, his contract runs an additional two seasons.

At some point, Tucker is going to hit a cliff. The Sixers must be prepared.

According to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, the Sixers should target Suns forward Torrey Craig in this summer’s free agency. Craig, who went to the Finals with Phoenix two seasons ago, could fill in some of the holes expected between House’s inefficiency and Tucker’s age.

“Torrey Craig is particularly interesting in the aftermath of the failed Danuel House signing and given P.J. Tucker’s aging curve,” Favale wrote.

Adding Craig gives the Sixers a bit more of a surefire perimeter threat, something the team hoped it was getting in House and Tucker.

“He is drilling almost 40 percent of his threes and isn’t afraid to take them, and he appreciably improves Philly’s unspectacular presence on the offensive glass—all while providing assignment flexibility at the defensive end.”

Though never having the most consistent professional career stateside, Craig has shown out on the international stage. He was named the NBL’s Defensive MVP, playing for Australia’s top league.

Harden on the Move This Summer?

Free-agent deals aren’t the only decisions looming large for Philadelphia. On Christmas Day, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that James Harden has been quietly eyeing a return to the Rockets.

As Wojnarowski wrote, “Harden and his inner circle have been openly weighing Houston in recent months, sources said, a remarkable possibility given that he requested and received a trade out of the franchise less than two years ago…His future with the 76ers remains a fluid proposition,” per ESPN.

Harden spent just over eight seasons with the Rockets, earning MVP honors with the club in 2017. But the Rockets are vastly different now than when Harden played for them last.

With a young core of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith, Jr., the Rockets offer an enticing group that Harden could foreseeable play around. Additionally, the Rockets appear on a crash course with the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, currently owning the league’s worst record.

Embiid Requesting a Trade?

Much of the Sixers’ future hinges on how the team performs in the playoffs. And after years of second-round exits, few teams face the same level of playoff urgency as the Sixers.

But folks in the front office must ask themselves what happens in the team’s worst-case scenario. Michael Pina of The Ringer offered a bleak prediction if such a scenario comes to fruition.

“After a playoff flameout in Round 1, the Sixers will be in shambles. Harden will sign with the Rockets, and Embiid will ask out,” Pina wrote back in January. “But, just as Brooklyn managed with Durant, Philadelphia won’t deal its perennial MVP candidate and the chaos will eventually blow over, with Embiid remaining on the only team he’s ever played for. (Bonus prediction: Embiid will not be an All-Star starter.)”

Fortunately, the Sixers are cruising into the All-Star Break, sitting comfortably at third in the Eastern Conference. Embiid and Harden are finding their groove, while Tyrese Maxey is looking more comfortable by the game.

But what happens if Philadelphia gets saddled with a tough first-round matchup? Previous bogey-teams like the Miami Heat (seventh in the East currently) potentially await Philadelphia in round one.

Miami isn’t very good this season, but an Erik Spoelstra-led squad is hardly what anyone in the East wants to see right off the bat.