PJ Tucker explains why he chose to leave Heat, join Sixers in free agency
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CAMDEN, N.J.–The Philadelphia 76ers were able to accomplish their goals in the offseason as they went out and brought in guys that fixed their issues which were toughness and two-way players.
After being eliminated in Round 2 of the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, it was clear that the Sixers needed to make some changes to the roster in order to improve. They had their stars in Joel Embiid and James Harden, but now they needed some help in the aforementioned departments.
Philadelphia added PJ Tucker at the outset of free agency as they stole him away from the Miami Heat. Tucker and the Heat just eliminated the Sixers in the 2022 playoffs and he then decided to leave them to join Philadelphia in a bit of a surprise move considering how great he was in Miami.
“Honestly, me and James were trying to come here the year before so I kind of already knew the vibe and the rhythm of the team, it just made sense,” said Tucker on Monday at media day. “It just made sense, honestly.”
It also helps that the Sixers are a contender. The veteran out of Texas did not want to go to a team that did not have a chance at winning a championship in the coming season.
“When you’re a free agent, I’ve been looking at it all,” he added. “Especially being a vet. I can’t imagine playing for a team that’s not fighting for a championship anymore, you know, being in a situation you feel like you can’t win. I couldn’t do that. So picking the best situation for me and checking all the boxes, it just checked all the boxes.”
Tucker, despite being 37 years old, is still a big piece out on the floor and it looks like he can be a big difference-maker out on the floor for the Sixers as they continue to chase a championship.
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