As repeatedly mentioned in the past, the Philadelphia 76ers have to permanently do away with their persistent proclivity toward signing veterans who are way out of their primes. If this season was any indication, it is that the franchise urgently needs to go even younger than it has been, as fresher legs should naturally mean a lower risk of getting injured.
But if we are on that train, then one might say that the 76ers are traversing toward a grim path. According to recent reports, Philly is going wayward from its earlier declaration that it would be seeking out younger players, as the team seems poised to re-sign 39-year-old Kyle Lowry to another deal in free agency, much to the chagrin of many fans.
That being said, Lowry may soon have some company as a respected veteran who should no longer have a spot on an NBA roster, yet is still forcing the issue. Look no further than former 76ers forward PJ Tucker, who has already signaled that he would be returning for another go-round in the league.
Former 76ers forward PJ Tucker is trumping expectations once again
Tucker, who is even older than Lowry at 40 years of age, has gone on Instagram to formally announce that he would not be retiring just yet. This is certainly a pretty surprising development, as the hard-nosed veteran has barely sniffed the hardwood in the last couple of years.
Since getting traded by the 76ers to the Clippers as part of the James Harden deal, Tucker has only appeared in 31 total games, 38 with LA and just three with the Knicks this season. Clearly, he is nothing more than a locker room presence at this point.
The lone offering that the veteran can boast of at this juncture is his defense, but even that merits some doubt. After all, he is no longer as spry as before, and his foot speed has evidently waned due to his long inaction.
Offensively, he is one of the most negligible players in the NBA. The 76ers learned that the hard way early last season before he got shipped, and it has simply reached a point where even his defense is not enough to compensate for such a jarring lack.
It will be very interesting to see if any team will willingly pick up PJ Tucker (it will definitely not be the Philadelphia 76ers, though) in free agency. But above all else, hopefully, the longtime veteran can get the closure he desires to end his career.