P.J. Tucker Declines Player Option
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Coming off a successful season with the Miami Heat, forward P.J. Tucker will decline his $7.35 million player option and enter free agency.
Tucker will be gaining interest from “several championship-contending teams," according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Last season Tucker averaged seven points, five rebounds, two assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks. He shot 48 percent from the field. He started in 70 of the 71 games he played. He averaged seven points, five rebounds, one assist, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks in the Heat's playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals.
In 2021, he helped Giannis Antetokoumpo and the Milwaukee Bucks win a championship. However, the Bucks ultimately decided to re-sign Bobby Portis over Tucker.
Although he isn’t known for putting up extraordinary numbers, Tucker is known for his defensive advantages. He finished the season with a defensive rating of 110, his best since the 2018-19 season.
Another fundamental trait Tucker possesses is his knowledge of the game. Throughout his career, he has a win share of 40 and a defensive win share of 22.
Declining his player option doesn’t mean the window is closed for the Heat. They can still re-sign him if Tucker doesn't find a better opportunity.
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Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson
