PJ Tucker named ideal trade target for Brooklyn Nets at deadline

The intentions of the Brooklyn Nets are clear; championship or bust. On January 13th, 2021, the Nets officially went for broke. They mortgaged their future, acquiring perennial All-Star, James Harden, from the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster four-team trade that also included the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Brooklyn quickly became an NBA Champion favorite. They put together arguably the most daunting Big 3 in NBA history with Harden joining Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Their offense would be nuclear, but their defense, which was already poor before the trade, has gotten even worse.

Since the James Harden trade, the Nets are dead last in the NBA in defensive rating at 119.4. Even with the offensive firepower they have, it is difficult to keep up every night when opposing teams score at will. If the Nets are going to reach the next level, they need to address their defense. One player that would help them accomplish that is PJ Tucker.

Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz named PJ Tucker as a perfect target for the Nets, and for good reason. He gets after it defensively and is versatile enough to guard virtually anyone on the court. With the small ball lineups the Rockets have deployed in recent seasons, Tucker even has experience playing center. That would give Steve Nash multiple lineup combinations that he could tinker with, as he recently started Kevin Durant at center with DeAndre Jordan sidelined by injury.

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The former Texas product is a good target as well because he does not need the ball in his hands. With so many ball-dominant players already on the team, the Nets need more players focused on producing defensively. PJ Tucker does that and won’t hurt the team offensively, as he makes 35.9 percent of his 3-point attempts in his career and would help space the floor for Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant.

The Nets just pulled off the James Harden deal with Houston, so the two front offices have familiarity with each other, which is helpful when it comes to trade negotiations. Reuniting PJ Tucker with James Harden will help with chemistry as well, as the two spent the previous three seasons together.

Snagging Tucker in a trade would greatly improve the Nets defense. DeAndre Jordan has struggled this season, so acquiring another player that can soak up some of the minutes at center. While Tucker is not a prototypical center, standing only 6’5”, he undoubtedly would help Brooklyn on that end of the court.

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