10 Players the Philadelphia 76ers signed past their prime
By Tyler Watts
![Philadelphia 76ers, Dwight Howard. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Philadelphia 76ers, Dwight Howard. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/10cc74767596cd9f448f2435f77a3f896bb0b7f43b030119455965dcc6aeeae0.jpg)
7. P.J. Tucker
Every team in the NBA wanted P.J. Tucker in his prime. The 6’5 forward was comfortable spotting up and nailing open 3-pointers with the ability to guard every player on the floor. He was drafted in 2006 but was waived in March of 2007 and spent the next five years playing overseas before returning to the NBA in 2012. He quickly became the 3-and-D wing every team wanted.
Tucker’s team has made the playoffs for seven straight years and every season advanced beyond the first round. He won a ring in 2021 with the Bucks and has played for five different teams in the postseason. Tucker fits on any roster as he brings defense and toughness to the group.
The veteran forward arrived in Philadelphia in 2022 to rejoin forces with James Harden. They played three-plus seasons together in Houston from 2017 to 2021. Tucker gave the 76ers a floor spacer and versatile defender next to Joel Embiid, but it was not enough to help Philadelphia break their second-round playoff curse.
P.J. Tucker was 37 years old when he joined the Philadelphia 76ers. He could no longer handle 30-plus minutes on a nightly basis and his defense took a step backward. Tucker had a positive value over replacement player in his first nine seasons but has slipped below in two of his last three years. He is on the decline and was already past his prime when he arrived in the City of Brotherly Love.