Veteran forward P.J. Tucker confirmed the end of his playing career on social media, closing a 14-season run in the NBA.
Early Years and Return to the League
Tucker entered the NBA as the 35th pick in the 2006 draft after three seasons at Texas. He logged just 83 minutes over 17 games with the Toronto Raptors before being waived in March 2007. Five years overseas followed, setting up his NBA return with the Phoenix Suns in 2012-13.
Stints Across the League
The 6-5 forward spent four-plus seasons in Phoenix, then rejoined Toronto at the 2017 trade deadline. That summer he signed with the Houston Rockets, where he played parts of four seasons until a deadline deal sent him to Milwaukee in 2021. Tucker helped the Bucks capture their first championship in 50 years that same season.
Subsequent stops included Miami, Philadelphia and the LA Clippers. After remaining unsigned for most of 2024-25, he joined the New York Knicks in March 2025, appearing sparingly as the club reached its first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. New York declined its team option last summer, and Tucker had been a free agent since.
Career Numbers
The Raleigh, N.C., native retires with career averages of 6.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.2 minutes per game. He appeared in 886 regular-season contests, starting 667, and posted shooting splits of .425 from the field, .366 from three and .750 at the foul line. Regarded as a rugged, multi-positional defender, Tucker turned 41 two days before announcing his decision.
Source: Hoops Rumors
