At age 37 and about to enter his 13th NBA season, there is still a lot of demand for P.J. Tucker.
Enough demand that Tucker is going to opt out of his $7.4 million contract with the Miami Heat to explore free agency, a story broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Miami’s PJ Tucker will opt out of his $7.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season and enter free agency, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Several championship contending teams are expected to compete for Tucker, who was a key part of Milwaukee’s title run in 2021.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 20, 2022
Tucker will have contenders vying for his services, and while the bidding could get up to the mid-level exception — $10.4 million — it’s more likely Tucker would take a little less for two years fully guaranteed. It may take two years, $18 million to lock him down.
It’s money well spent for a contender. Tucker averaged 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds a game for the Heat, but what he really brings is physical, switchable defense, plus he shot 41.5% on corner 3s last season. He brings a vital playoff component with his defense and floor spacing, and it was evident this postseason how the Bucks missed him.
Expect all the contenders to get in the mix for Tucker this summer — including the Heat.
