According to a report, the NBA is likely to launch an investigation on P.J. Tucker’s contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Tucker was a free agent playing for Miami Heat before he got transferred to the 76ers. The three-year deal is worth $33.2 million.
Marc Stein, a veteran NBA reporter, relayed the news on Friday, saying that there is an indication that contract tampering might have happened.
“On top of the NBA’s expected examination of the 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,” Stein explained in his most recent Substack newsletter.
Tucker has connections to the 76ers. When he was playing for the Houston Rockets, he befriended teammate James Harden who now handles the Sixers’ backcourt. Daryl Morey, the Sixers’ manager, was the Rockets’ general manager at that time too.
This allegation is not the first for Morey as he once received a penalty for contract tampering. There is a high possibility that the Sixers will be penalized again for violating the same guideline.
The alertness to tampering became high the last offseason. At that time, the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls had pursued Kyle Lowry and Lonzo Ball, respectively. Both teams managed to sign those point guards.
The association quickly caught up with the case. Eventually, those teams gave up the second-round picks because of that.
The following has been announced by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/SDE7TcwtmE
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 1, 2021
Other teams eyeing Tucker
Tucker has shown a great performance during his stint with the Miami team. In the last season, the Heat got 53 wins out of the total 82 games they played. Tucker started most of the games that he participated in.
His contribution helped the Heat achieve first in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, the team also made it to the NBA semifinals.
Since June, the Sixers have shown interest in acquiring Tucker, as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Brooklyn Nets. Insiders also mentioned that the Heat had planned to bring him back for the next season.
On June 30, the NBA free agency moratorium started. Then, Tucker’s contract term with the Sixers was posted on social media Twitter by Shams Charania of Stadium.
Free agent PJ Tucker is finalizing a three-year, $33.2 million fully guaranteed deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, his agent Andre Buck (@andrebuck14) told @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
Per his contract, Tucker has an option for that third and final year to continue. Tucker may choose to opt-in or even retire from the sport once his contract has been completed.
The Sixers will reportedly pay the player $10.490.000 before his salary will increase in the second and third seasons of the contract. The salary for the 2024-25 season is estimated to be around $11.5 million.
In the Sixers, Tucker will likely start as a small forward. His new teammates include Harden and Tyrese Maxey at the backcourt and also runner-up MVP Joel Emblid at the frontcourt.
According to analysts, Tucker’s playing style will be a great addition to the team. Tucker is especially powerful when shooting from the corner. His 3-point ability was even said to be in the 99th percentile based on Cleaning the Glass. Tucker complements Harden on the offensive side of the team.