The Philadelphia 76ers’ signing of forward P.J. Tucker this offseason reportedly is likely to be “placed under the investigation microscope by the league office.”
Tucker, who opted out of his player option for the 2022-23 season with the Miami Heat, signed with the Sixers right at the start of free agency this offseason.
“On top of the NBA’s expected examination of the [New York] Knicks’ now-official signing of Jalen Brunson in free agency, I’m told that Philadelphia’s signing of P.J. Tucker is also likely to be placed under the investigation microscope by the league office,” NBA insider Marc Stein wrote. “Tucker, of course, was signed away from the Miami Heat, who were docked a second-round pick as a penalty for ‘early free agency discussions’ connected to their sign-and-trade acquisition of Kyle Lowry last summer. This Substack reported on June 26 — four days before the start of free agency — that numerous rival teams were already convinced that Tucker was Philly-bound. Tucker’s three-year, $33 million deal to join the Sixers was duly announced by his agent one minute into free agency.”
Last season for the Heat, Tucker averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Tucker is one of the better defenders in the NBA, and Philadelphia clearly sees him as a solid role player in its rotation alongside Joel Embiid and James Harden. However, it’s possible the Sixers went outside the league’s rules to secure such a quick agreement with Tucker.
The Sixers are hoping that Tucker will be able to raise their ceiling in the Eastern Conference in the 2022-23 season and beyond.
Tucker has been an integral player for several playoff teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks team that won the NBA Finals in the 2020-21 season. He helped Miami reach the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
It will be interesting to see if the league finds any wrongdoing regarding the Sixers’ negotiations with Tucker this offseason.
