1. PJ Tucker, Philadelphia 76ers
Tucker has bounced around from team to team over the last few seasons, but he always seems to come out of these wild trades smelling like a rose and ending up on contending teams. Philly wanted some of that corner 3-pointer magic, but Tucker’s contract is questionable.
Tucker signed a three-year, $33 million contract even though he hasn’t averaged more than eight points per game since 2015-16. Tucker’s value clearly goes beyond the box score, but $11 million per year to someone who will be 40 by the time the contract ends
PJ Tucker is an overpay for a Toronto Raptors rival.
The 76ers had a rock-solid rotation before they decided to acquire Tucker, but the veteran starting to show his age could throw a wrench into things. Replacing Danny Green as the designated corner 3-ball marksman, Tucker’s skillset seems too niche for s contract like that at this stage of his career.
The Raptors will ask Porter to do a lot of things that Philadelphia will task Tucker with, and they likely won’t have to commit as much to him from a financial point of view. Tucker is a fine one-year upgrade, but that long-year deal will be something that Daryl Morey is going to have to navigate around.