3 Teams That Should Trade for P.J. Tucker
Cleveland Cavaliers
No LeBron, the Cleveland Cavaliers do not necessarily need another playmaker. The Cavs, however, could use another defender to throw at the Golden State Warriors in their inevitable Finals rematch.
If the Cavaliers were to acquire Tucker, they would be able to add him to the list of capable defenders such as DeAndre Liggins, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, and Richard Jefferson to throw at the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant.
Of course, Tucker's presence would also help out in their possible Eastern Conference matchups against the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards. Adding a veteran defender such as Tucker would give the Cavaliers depth in case of injury and -- most of all -- could help limit LeBron's regular season minutes.
Head coach Tyron Lue has mentioned the need to scale back James' minutes, and adding veteran depth would help do so. LeBron is averaging the most minutes he's ever averaged in a season since turning 30 years of age.
The Cavaliers' current backup to James is Richard Jefferson. Although Jefferson is doing a fine job in the bench role, adding Tucker could make the Cavaliers even better. Here is how the two stack up to each other on the defensive end.
| Statistical Category | Richard Jefferson | P.J. Tucker |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes per Game | 19.9 | 28.6 |
| Steals per Game | 0.3 | 1.5 |
| Defensive Rating | 112 | 111 |
| Defensive Win Shares | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| Defensive Box Plus/Minus | -0.8 | 1.5 |
The difference that Tucker could make might not be massive, but for a team looking to repeat as NBA champions, any improvement is a big improvement.
