Jordan Tucker believes he has a very particular set of skills that can help the Philadelphia 76ers — and be a nightmare for their opponents.
The 6-foot-7 wing from White Plains, N.Y. will play Summer League for the Sixers for the second straight year and is looking to make an NBA roster.
Tucker, who began his college career at Duke before transferring and spending two seasons in the Big East at Butler, is coming off spending a year in France with Chorale Roanne Basket where he shot 40% from beyond the arc while averaging 10.3 points in 29 games.
“The Sixers got Paul George, so they got a lot of firepower,” Tucker said by phone on Wednesday from his training base in Atlanta. “The only thing I can see is that they need shooting, something I think I do really well. I shoot it really efficiently. I shot about 40% this year in France, so I think that’s something that they’re definitely looking at.
“I think for me, it’s not just the shooting part. Going into Summer League I’m going to try to hang my hat on guarding at a high level, showing guys I can defend. I think if I put those two things together, I have a good chance.”
Of course, Tucker is looking to show the entire league his skillset is NBA ready.
“Obviously, I’m not only playing for the Sixers, I’m auditioning for all 30 NBA teams,” he said. “So just going out there and showing my best self is really the focus.”
Tucker, 26, played Summer League with the Sixers a year ago, averaging 10 points per game in two games in Salt Lake City, and 4.6 points in five games in Las Vegas.
He heads to Utah on Friday for three games before the main Summer League begins in Las Vegas.
“I played with them last year and played pretty well with the opportunity I was given,” Tucker said of the Sixers.
“Obviously, there’s nothing promised for myself or for anybody who didn’t get drafted,” he added. “Just going out there and competing and trying to represent myself the best I possibly can.”
Tucker went undrafted in 2020 after two seasons at Butler and has bounced around between the NBA G League and pro leagues in Macedonia, Bulgaria and France.
“France is one of the highest leagues in Europe,” he said, “so just showing that I can perform in a league like that kind of gave me confidence and a little bit of a reassurance that I still belong.”