Report: Teams trying to acquire Suns forward P.J. Tucker via sign-and-trade
Jul 5, 2014, 8:37 PM | Updated: 8:37 pm
While the first of Eric Bledsoe’s potential suitors has been revealed, the same can’t be said for fellow restricted free agent P.J. Tucker.
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Mark J. Spears, unnamed teams currently seeking Tucker’s services are hesitant about making any type of offer, because the widespread belief is that the Phoenix Suns will be quick to match it.
To combat that issue, however, Spears added that some teams have already reached out to the Suns with the intention of acquiring the 29-year-old via a sign-and-trade deal.
In his second full NBA season, Tucker averaged career-highs in points (9.4), rebounds (6.5), assists (1.7) and steals (1.4) per game, while also establishing himself as one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders.
If he has his way, though, Tucker sounds like a man who wants to return to the Suns in 2014-15.
“I love Phoenix, and I hope to be back in Phoenix,” Tucker told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s Burns and Gambo on June 12. “Phoenix has been my home the last two years, and it’s been awesome. I love everybody in the organization — top to bottom. (The) front office has been great, and they’ve shown me so much love. So, it’s always near and dear.”
For his services last season, the two-time Majerle Hustle Award-winner made just under $900,000.