Grading Sixers early free agency signings of PJ Tucker, 2 other players
The Philadelphia 76ers were one of the more aggressive teams when the free agency period opened on Thursday at 6 p.m. EDT.
They made three signings rather quickly: veteran PJ Tucker and two more former Houston Rockets, Danuel House Jr. and Trevelin Queen. The idea was to bring in more physical players who are mentally tough and can bolster the team’s depth, which was depleted by the James Harden trade.
The Sixers were able to make those moves rather quickly due to Harden opting out of his $47.3 million player option, giving the team some financial flexibility. He was a big help in Philadelphia being able to replenish its roster depth.
Here are the grades for each addition the Sixers have made thus far:
P.J. Tucker: B-plus
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Tucker’s contract: 3-years $33.2 million
Tucker is 37 years old. That is going to be something to watch: he will continue to age and lose a step, but he makes up for that with toughness and smarts. He is the glue guy that can keep the team together and give it a boost when needed. His corner 3-point shooting is going to be a welcomed addition for Harden when he drives into the paint.
Danuel House Jr.: B
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House’s contract: 2-years $8.5 million
House Jr. is going to give the Sixers a much-needed 3-and-D ability. He is a career 36.6% shooter from deep, and he shot 41.5% from beyond the arc in 25 games for the Utah Jazz in the 2021-22 season. He is going to be very helpful off the bench. The only real problem could be his relationship with Harden after the incident in the 2020 bubble while with the Rockets.
Trevelin Queen: B-minus
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Queen’s contract: 2-years $3.3 million
Queen is a low risk, high reward signing. He has 10 games of NBA experience under his belt with the Rockets in the 2021-22 season when he was on a two-way deal, but he also was the G League MVP in 2022 when he led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the G League title. He has good size to be a contributor off the bench, so it will be interesting to see how coach Doc Rivers utilizes him.
