NBA Free Agency began this evening at 6PM EST, and the Philadelphia 76ers started the negotiating period off by signing three former Houston Rockets. P.J. Tucker, Daniel House Jr., and Trevelin Queen all agreed to deals with the Sixers and have a new home in Philadelphia next season.
The first signing announced at 6:01PM was a fully guaranteed three-year, $33.2 million deal for P.J. Tucker. This signing was not a surprise, as it had been rumored that there was mutual interest between Tucker and the team for a couple weeks. Yesterday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the deal for Tucker was all but done.
Last season, Tucker averaged 7.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG for the Miami Heat and was a key piece to their run to the Eastern Conference Finals. He also won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks and most notably played for the Houston Rockets alongside James Harden. Joel Embiid specifically mentioned P.J. Tucker as a player that the 76ers needed going forward. He expressed that they needed someone to provide toughness and defense, and Daryl Morey went out and got him with the help of James Harden (opting out and taking less money for next season).
The 76ers also added wing player Daniel House Jr. to a two-year $8.5 million dollar deal during the first hour of free agency. Daniel House is also a former Rocket who played under Daryl Morey with James Harden. Last season he spent the majority of his time playing for the Utah Jazz and averaged 6.8 ppg and 2.7 RPG. House is a 6’7 athletic wing who is a good catch-and-shoot three-point shooter and a solid defender.
House Jr. had his best season in 2019 playing for the James Harden-led Houston Rockets. He averaged 10.5 ppg and 4.2 rebounds as the Rockets leaned all the way into small ball, splitting time at both forward spots. House was signed using the Bi-Annual Exception, which was made available when James Harden opted out of his $47 million player option.
The third deal of the evening for the 76ers included signing guard Trevelin Queen to a non-guaranteed deal. Queen played 10 games with the Houston Rockets last season but spent the majority of his time in the G-League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Queen was the G-League MVP last season, averaging 25.3 ppg, 6.6 RPG, and 5.2 APG. Queen will bring length, athleticism, and versatility to a roster that really needs it.
Daryl Morey and the 76ers had a solid start to free agency, addressing some team needs right away. With rumors of James Harden signing a new deal later in the weekend, there could be more moves to come.
