The Houston Rockets, while not really in the playoff race themselves, could swing the race to the top. Houston has made their intentions clear, as they will be sellers at the deadline, with DeMarcus Cousins being waived as the first salvo in that gameplan. Other names like Eric Gordon, Victor Oladipo, and PJ Tucker have been available for trade.
Houston has numerous pieces that teams around the league would love to acquire to help their push toward the postseason. Oladipo will probably land the biggest package in return, but Gordon has also received interest. The player that is likeliest to be traded is Tucker.
While Oladipo is young enough still to be a piece for the future, and Gordon’s contract could complicate trades for him, Tucker is a prime target on the trade market. Turning 36 years old in May and in the final year of a contract, a rebuilding team such as the Rockets have no real use for him. So, getting something of value in return on the trade market makes sense.
There will be no shortage of suitors for the former Texas Longhorn. Right now, there are four contenders, so far, that have expressed interest in a trade for PJ Tucker.
Those four contenders are the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat.
His game fits seamlessly alongside superstars, as he is a jack-of-all-trades on the defensive end, as he can defend virtually anyone on the court, even playing some center as he did under the Mike D’Antonio regime in Houston. Offensively, he doesn’t need the ball in his hands and is a sniper from the corners, enabling teams to open things up on that side of the court.
Of the four contenders mentioned, the Nets are likely where he’d most want to end up so he can play alongside his friend, James Harden, once again, and finish what they set out to do in Houston.
In Los Angeles, PJ Tucker would provide some more front-court insurance in the wake of Anthony Davis’ injury. He would take some pressure off of LeBron James defensively on the perimeter, as well. Milwaukee could use some depth in the front-court as well, as Bobby Portis is the only real front-court option they have right now with the second unit.
Miami would love to have Tucker, as he could help replace some of the defensive intensity, versatility, and three-point shooting they lost when Jae Crowder signed with the Phoenix Suns in free agency.
Expect the market for Tucker to heat up in the coming weeks. It feels like it is a matter of when, not if, he will be on the move before the March 25th deadline.
