According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, PJ Tucker will choose the Philadelphia 76ers’ three-year offer over returning with the Miami Heat or Milwaukee Bucks.

“Sources believe Harden will sign a two-year extension for a little less than the maximum after picking up that option. But if Harden picks up his player option, the Sixers will have $151.7 million in salary tied up with 13 players. And this is where things get tricky.”

With that said, due to the complications of this PJ Tucker deal, it appears very likely we see a Tobias Harris trade. I wouldn’t rule out the team packaging several of its current bench pieces that have been mentioned in trade talks such as Shake Milton, Mattisse Thybulle, or Furkan Korkmaz.

Not to mention the opt-in deadline for Harden is tomorrow.

Pompey also noted that Tucker has relations inside Philadelphia, besides the obvious ones that go beyond basketball. So, at this point, it’s only a matter of “when”, and not “if” this deal gets done.

Regardless, I sure hope NFTs aren’t what Keith Pompey means by “outside” of basketball. PJ Tucker isn’t the only former Rocket that Sixers GM Daryl Morey has been trying to trade for either. Apparently, he was trying to engage in a three-team trade that would send Eric Gordon to the Sixers.

In either case, the sense around the NBA is that Tucker will be rejoining Harden and Morey in Philadelphia.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today