Forward P.J. Tucker reportedly is unlikely to return to the Miami Heat in free agency this offseason.
Tucker reportedly has at least five different teams that will be chasing him in free agency, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls.
Multiple teams — including Atlanta, Minnesota, Brooklyn, Chicago and Philadelphia — are expected to compete for PJ Tucker in free agency. All are expected to offer the full mid-level/TPMLE exception. He is unlikely to return to Miami, per sources.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) June 30, 2022
Tucker opted out of his player option for the 2022-23 season with the Heat to give himself a chance to test the open market this offseason. It appears that there’s plenty of interest around the league when it comes to the veteran.
Last season for the Heat, Tucker averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Tucker is one of the better defenders in the NBA, and he clearly is valued across the league as a key role player.
The Heat will have to look elsewhere at the forward position if they are unable to convince Tucker to stay in Miami. The team has been linked to multiple veterans this offseason, including Otto Porter Jr. and Jae Crowder. The Heat have also been linked to Bobby Portis.
Tucker has been an integral part of several playoff teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks team that won the NBA Finals in the 2020-21 season. He helped Miami reach the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
Tucker has bounced around to several teams in his NBA career, but the fact that he has this many suitors despite being 37 years old shows just how valuable of a player he can be.
