Getty P.J. Tucker #17 of the Miami Heat dribbles against the Boston Celtics in Game Two of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals at FTX Arena on May 19, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
Few players have seamlessly gelled with the Miami Heat like P.J. Tucker did this past season, and head coach Erik Spoelstra couldn’t have spoken more highly of the veteran forward during his end-of-the-year press conference.
“To everybody in the locker room, it’s really a special, genuine feeling when you have somebody that is committed to winning and helping other guys,” Spoelstra said.
“He’s so unselfish, you know, as a player, always taking on the biggest challenges. Defensively, he’ll do all the little things, the dirty work, the tough things, and never complain about it. He never complains or talks about his shots. He’s just completely selfless, an absolute throwback player. That’s why he’s beloved by staff and everybody in the locker room.”
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Based on Spoelstra’s comments, it’s hard to imagine the 37-year-old defensive stud going anywhere next season. But Tucker does have a player option in his contract, and his comments to the Sun-Sentinel on Thursday, June 2, made it seem like he may opt-out.
P.J. Tucker is a dawg ! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
After the Milwaukee Bucks refused to go over the salary cap to keep Tucker, the Heat signed the former second-round pick from the 2006 NBA Draft to a two-year, $14.35 million contract last summer.
“It’s like, ‘Am I a mid-level guy?’” Tucker told the Sun-Sentinel, which according to reporter Ira Winderman, was “in a tone that made it clear he believed he was not.”
Tucker said of his $7.4 million player option for next season, “It’s a label that tells a guy what you think he is worth.”
While it seemed like Tucker returning to Miami was a lock, CBS Sports reporter Sam Quinn surmised, “After a strong postseason run, [Tucker] could probably opt-out and at the very least command multiple years at his current salary.”
Joel Embiid Wished for a Player Like Tucker After the Heat Ended the Sixers’ Postseason
GettyJoel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers controls the ball against P.J. Tucker #17 of the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at Wells Fargo Center on May 12, 2022.
While Tucker’s age is obviously a major concern, as he will turn 38 before the playoffs start next season, he was one of the most reliable players for the Heat this season. The 6-foot-5 defensive anchor who famously refuses to take veteran rest days, appeared in 70 regular-season games (starting 71 of them).
His work ethic and defensive prowess caught the attention of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid during the postseason, who personally gave a shout-out to the Heat forward after the Sixers were eliminated.
“We’ve had a few tough guys since I’ve been here, I can recall Mike Scott. When you have size and toughness, that goes a long way,” Embiid said during the postgame press conference on May 12. “Since I’ve been here I’d be lying if I said we had those types of guys. Nothing against what we have, it’s just the truth. We never have P.J. Tucker, that’s really what I’m trying to say.”
GettyJames Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles against P.J. Tucker #17 of the Miami Heat during the first half in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at FTX Arena on May 10, 2022.
Embiid’s comments could be enticing for Tucker, who already has a solid relationship with Sixer star James Harden, as they were teammates for three years together on the Houston Rockets. Another connection between Tucker and the Sixers is the team’s president of basketball of operations, Daryl Morey, who was the Rockets’ general manager when Tucker signed with Houston in 2017.
An Eastern Conference executive recently told Heavy.com‘s Sean Deveney that the Sixers will be keeping tabs on what Tucker decides to do for next season.
“I think the Sixers will be interested in what P.J. Tucker does in Miami,” the exec told Deveney. “He has a player option and they can only give him the taxpayer’s midlevel, but if he decides he wants out of Miami, he has a relationship with [Daryl] Morey and I think he would be intrigued playing with [Joel] Embiid. He is a guy to watch there.”
Bleacher Report Urged the Bulls to Snag Tucker if He Becomes a Free Agent
Crash course in learning how to be a pro from PJ Tucker
The Heat should make a concerted effort to keep Tucker, as SB Nation’s Matt Pineda wrote of Tucker following the end of the Heat’s postseason run:
We knew he had Heat Culture written over him, but Tucker fit the Heat roster better than expected. He was everything you wanted in a role player in the starting unit and at $7 million, it was a bargain. At one point, he was leading the NBA in three-point percentage. It would be great to have him back.
However, if Tucker decides to become a free agent, there will likely be more than a few teams looking to sign him.
Back in May, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale urged the Chicago Bulls to get “ambitious” and snag the veteran forward, as they need “wing depth, accessory shooting and better backup-center minutes” for which “Tucker effectively addresses all three.”
Favale noted, “Prying him away from an organization captained by Pat Riley is a harrowing endeavor… But his short-term market should be around the non-taxpayer MLE after all he did for the Heat this season. Chicago can separate itself by dangling the entire thing. Miami may not do the same. It already has big money devoted to Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Duncan Robinson, with a pricey extension for Tyler Herro on deck.”
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