James Harden trade and 4 other regrettable 76ers moves Daryl Morey botched

3. Signing P.J. Tucker

Morey and Tucker have history. The executive helped bring the 6’5 forward to Houston in 2017 on a four-year $32 million contract. They needed his floor spacing and defense to improve their title odds. The Rockets made the conference finals in his first season, and Tucker bonded with James Harden.

It was the superstar who took less money to make sure the 76ers could sign Tucker to a three-year $33.2 million contract in 2022. The 3-and-D forward helped Milwaukee win a championship in 2021 and went to the conference finals with the Heat in 2022. He was eager to be back with Harden and Morey, but still had his sights set on winning.

Signing a 37-year-old for three seasons was not wise. To make matters worse, Tucker declined sharply in year one. He was playing 25 minutes per game, but his production dipped across the board. The Sixers had to trade him and quickly sent him packing when trading Harden to the Clippers. Now, LA is on the hook for Tucker’s $11 million player option for the 2024-25 season.

Daryl Morey was wise to get out of it, but signing P.J. Tucker for $11 million per year at 37 would never end well. He wanted talent and thought Tucker fit. Morey overpaid, and the Philadelphia 76ers were stuck giving him significant minutes for one season.