The NBA free agency period began on Thursday night and the Sixers added a trio of players. The big deal obviously is the new number they’re going to negotiate with James Harden, though we can do some reverse engineering to figure out what that will look like based on other reported deals being done.

Nuggets for you:

 

P.J. Tucker

This has been reported for a few weeks. I believe Keith Pompey was the first to say that the offer was going to be in the three years, $30 million range. It’s the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (MLE).

That’s a beefy contract for a 37 year old, but Tucker is a dog and can still play. He helped Miami big time last season and Milwaukee big time thee season prior. He will play defense, hustle, grind, and shoot corner threes. He really does fit what the Sixers need and his effort here will be appreciated by fans.

 

Danuel House

Another former Houston Rocket who played with Harden and Tucker. He’s coming here on the bi-annual exception, which is defined this way by CBS Sports:

Bi-Annual exception: A cap exception that allows teams to sign a free agent to a contract above the minimum even if they are above the cap. This exception can be used only once every two years, and using it triggers a hard cap. Bi-annual contracts can last two years, and the projected amount for this exception in the 2022-23 season is $4,050,000.”

House is 29 years old, a 6’6″ 3 and D wing. He’s just a solid two-way type of player and he had a really nice three-point shooting season in Utah last year. His best Houston season was in 2019-2020, when he played about 30 minutes per game, scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, and shot 36.3% on 5.3 threes per game. The Sixers needed something more on the wing and House will fill that gap nicely.

 

Trevelin Queen

A 25-year-old shooting guard. He’s the reigning G-League MVP and played for the Rio Grand Valley Vipers. Undrafted out of New Mexico State in 2020.

Stats last year for him:

These are all good moves. House is a good move. Tucker is pricey, but also a good move. James Harden taking less money basically facilitated the House and Tucker additions, and there’s still time and room to work a Tobias Harris or Matisse Thybulle trade as well. The fact that we don’t have a Harden number yet is interesting, because you’d figure with the House and Tucker numbers revealed, that Harden’s $$$ amount would be settled, but perhaps this points to a trade coming down the pike.

Regardless, you look at House + Tucker + DeAnthony Melton and that is a really nice haul considering the Sixers went into this offseason without a lot of salary cap wiggle room. Harden opting out and working with Daryl Morey was a really positive thing here and should re-ignite some energy into this fan base as we head into the summer.