P.J. Tucker has reached an agreement with the Rockets that will have him in Houston for a long time. Tucker and Houston agreed to a four-year, $32 million deal that on the surface should be nothing more than the Rockets adding a strong defensive wing.
However, this trade could have an impact on not only the Rockets, but the Cavaliers and Raptors as well. Tucker's deal has reportedly caused a stall in trade discussions between Houston and Cleveland. The Cavs had planned to trade Iman Shumpert to the Rockets in a salary dump, but with so much money committed to the Rockets, that might be an issue now.
Tucker has agreed to a four-year, $32M deal with the Rockets, league sources tell The Vertical. https://t.co/6w4j6B1YnL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2017
For now, Cavs/Rockets deal for Shumpert has significantly stalled, league sources say. Houston agreed with P.J. Tucker last night. https://t.co/2KekvjOBeg
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2017
While Tucker's deal is gumming up those trade talks, it's also leaving a hole in Toronto's defense. The Raptors were hoping to bring Tucker back after acquiring him in a mid-season trade. Now they have to find a replacement. This could lead to them using more money on another wing such as Patrick Patterson. Losing out on Tucker is a big loss.
Tucker isn't going to shut anybody down one-on-one, but he's a good enough defender to leave by himself. The Rockets are going all in this offseason and Tucker will prove to be a great addition.
