Former NBA Forward P.J. Tucker Announces Retirement

After three college seasons at Texas, Tucker was selected 35th overall in the 2006 NBA draft. He spent his rookie season in Toronto, the team that drafted him, but only played 83 total minutes over 17 games with the Raptors before he was cut in March of 2007.

Tucker played five years overseas prior to rejoining the NBA with the Suns in 2012/13. The 6’5″ combo forward spent four-plus seasons with Phoenix before to being sent back to Toronto ahead of the 2017 trade deadline. He signed with the Rockets that year in free agency, and proceeded to spend parts of four seasons with Houston, which sent him to Milwaukee ahead of the 2021 deadline.

Tucker finished out the 2020/21 campaign with the Bucks, helping the team win its first championship in 50 years. He spent the following three seasons with the Heat, Sixers and Clippers, and was out of the league for most of last season until he signed with the Knicks in March 2025.

The North Carolina native barely played for New York, which advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. The Knicks declined their team option on Tucker last summer, and he has been a free agent ever since.

Tucker, who turned 41 years old two days ago, holds career averages of 6.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.2 minutes per game across 886 regular season appearances, 667 of which were starts. The 14-year veteran was mostly known for being a solid defender who could guard multiple positions. His career shooting slash line was .425/.366/.750.