In the wake of the Houston departure of close friend James Harden, it seems veteran teammate PJ Tucker might have his days numbered, as well. Now 35 years old, Tucker is in the final year of his current contract, and he and the Rockets have yet to come to terms on an extension.
Even without an extension, it made sense to potentially keep Tucker when the Rockets were pushing forward with Harden — a perennial All-Star guard and MVP finalist. But with Houston’s status as a title contender in doubt after the Harden trade, the upside of keeping Tucker for the 2020-21 season (without an extension) may not be enough to justify the risk of him leaving for no compensation in 2021 free agency.
Thus, unless Tucker agrees to a new deal with the Rockets, it may make sense for the Rockets to explore trades before the March 25 deadline. Per Kelly Iko of The Athletic, other teams are ready.
Multiple teams have inquired about P.J. Tucker’s availability and have expressed interest in acquiring the veteran forward, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) January 13, 2021
Known for his versatile defense, toughness, and corner 3-point shooting, Tucker has averaged 6.7 points (37.3% on 3-pointers) and 5.9 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game over his four seasons in Houston. A valued leader and key voice in the locker room, Tucker hasn’t missed a single game in either the regular season or playoffs for the Rockets.
Dating back to 2012-13, he’s played in the most games of any NBA player. As such, even at 35 years old, his market should be robust as a desirable frontcourt role player for title contenders.
