PJ Tucker has been a key figure on two of the best teams in the NBA over the past two years, first winning a title in Milwaukee and this past year helping the Heat to a 1-seed in the East and the conference finals.
Tucker had the option to stay in Miami at just over $7 million next year, but will decline that to become a free agent and see if there’s a bigger pay day out there waiting for him — either in Miami or elsewhere — per 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 averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game last season in Miami, shooting 41.5 percent from three (mostly in his beloved corner spot) and providing tremendous defensive intensity and versatility, as has become his calling card. Tucker’s play was instrumental in Miami’s defense being as good as it was this season, and the Heat will surely be interested in bringing him back. However, as he showed a year ago, if they aren’t willing to pay him what someone else will, he will walk and take his talents to a different contender who values him more.
There aren’t a lot of contenders with cap room this summer, but Tucker is the type of player just about every title hopeful would be interested in and teams could look to shuffle their space around to make room for him.