After two 10-day contracts with the New York Knicks, forward P.J. Tucker has agreed on a two-year contract to stay with the Knicks through the season and playoffs, along with a team option for the 2025-26 season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, Tucker’s final 10-day contract expired while both sides agreed on a deal.
SNY’s Ian Begley also reported Tucker’s rest-of-season deal with the Knicks will leave the organization with enough room under the second apron to add another veteran free agent at the conclusion of the regular season.
Tucker, 39, appeared in one game for New York across both of his 10-day contracts, playing two minutes during the team’s 120-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on March 19.
The 39-year-old provides a veteran locker-room presence for the Knicks. He has postseason experience, helping the Milwaukee Bucks win the 2021 NBA finals while appearing in 23 playoff games throughout his 14-year NBA career.
“He’s been great in terms of being vocal and talking to guys individually and doing those things,” Josh Hart said of Tucker on the “Roommates Show” podcast with Knicks teammate Jalen Brunson.
“I think with him, and all of us struggle with finding the right time to address certain things and hold guys accountable,” Hart continued. “In the group setting, I think that’s something that everybody’s trying to figure out.”
Tucker kicked off his NBA career in 2006-07 with the Toronto Raptors, appearing in only 17 games during his rookie season. Thereafter, he bounced around other professional basketball leagues in multiple foreign countries, including Israel, Ukraine, and Germany.
Tucker returned to the National Basketball Association with the Phoenix Suns during the 2012-13 season. He spent four seasons in Phoenix and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors during the 2013-2014 season.
Tucker then spent some time in Houston with the Rockets from 2017 to 2021, where he continued to solidify himself as a dependable role player before being dealt to the Bucks in March 2021 with Rodions Kurucs and Milwaukee’s 2022 first-round pick back to the Bucks in exchange for D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, and an unprotected 2023 first-round pick.
Currently the oldest player on Tom Thibodeau’s squad, P.J. Tucker provides a winning experience as a veteran in the New York Knicks locker room, which is something the team needs.