Getty Sixers guards Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey battle for the ball during a game versus New York in 2020.
The Philadelphia 76ers are aiming to be big players in free agency amid rumors that P.J. Tucker is a top priority. Team president Daryl Morey already confirmed he has full support from ownership to spend as much money as he needs to improve the roster.
The Sixers started that process by exercising a $1.9 million team option on veteran guard Shake Milton. The move was first reported by Philly Voice’s Kyle Neubeck. Milton was the backup point guard for a stretch last season before the James Harden trade shook up the guard rotation. His role for the 2022-23 season remains clouded, especially after the Sixers acquired De’Anthony Melton.
Philadelphia’s decision could have been done with a bigger goal in mind. The Sixers are able to use Milton as leverage in a trade as they look to create enough cap space to potentially hand Tucker a three-year, $30 million deal. The team has been rumored to be shopping other wing players, namely Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz, to free up extra money.
“We’re excited for free agency,” Morey told reporters after the draft. “I don’t know how it’ll play out. Josh [Harris] and David [Blitzer] have given us every ability to do whatever we need to do in free agency to make the team better now. Add hopefully another rotation piece.”
Houston trims the roster down to 18 guaranteed contracts after the John Wall buyout.
$30M below the luxury tax and plenty of options either in the trade market or free agency this offseason.
Eric Gordon is the lone player earning $10M+
Eric Gordon has been another guy constantly linked to the Sixers in a trade scenario. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents starting at 6 p.m. on June 30, although no deals can become official until July 6.
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Tucker Expected to Ditch Miami for Philadelphia
The smoke around Tucker signing in Philadelphia has reached five-alarm status. There is a new report every other day about it, assuming the Sixers can work out the financials. Veteran reporter Marc Stein thinks it’s a done deal, especially when factoring in Joel Embiid’s strong backing of it.
He wrote that “numerous rival teams” have become convinced that Tucker will sign a $30 million deal in Philly. Remember, Tucker played for the Houston Rockets alongside Harden and under Morey’s watch as general manager.
“I’ve been writing for days about the growing belief among rival teams that the Sixers will successfully lure P.J. Tucker away from Miami in free agency with a three-year deal in the $30 million range,” Stein wrote. “Sources insisted again Sunday night that it would be very surprising at this point if the anticipated Harden/Tucker/Morey reunion in Philly collapses.”
The news comes mere days after the Bucks County Courier Times reported that Tucker “almost surely won’t become a 76er.” Stay tuned.
PJ Tucker could be Philly bound, per @TheSteinLine
“sources insisted again Sunday night that it would be very surprising at this point if the anticipated Harden/Tucker/Morey reunion in Philly collapses.”
Jaden Springer Playing in Summer League
Jaden Springer will participate in the 2022 NBA Summer League. Games begin in Salt Lake City, Utah (July 5-July 7) before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada (July 7-July 17).
So the Summer Sixers might look like:
PG: Cassius Winston, Myles Powell (maybe)
SG: Isaiah Joe, Jaden Springer (prob), Aminu Mohammed
SF: Julian Champagnie, Charlie Brown Jr., Aaron Henry (hopefully)
PF: Micheal Foster Jr, Justin Smith
C: Charles Bassey (prob), Filip Petrušev
The second-year guard out of Tennessee was a two-way player last season and bounced around between the Sixers and the Delaware Blue Coats of the G League. He averaged 14.9 points and 4.7 rebounds for Delaware, while seeing action in two games for Philadelphia. Springer was the team’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft.
“A lot of guys take a huge step forward Year 2. I think we expect that with Jaden,” Morey said. “He’s defensively an NBA player — (already) there, in my opinion. And then the offense was really coming on strong.”
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Sixers Exercise Option on Fan-Favorite Guard Amid Trade Rumors