The New York Knicks plan to sign veteran forward PJ Tucker to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Tucker, 39, held discussions with multiple teams this week before deciding on the Knicks. He has not appeared in a game this season.
Tucker began the season on the Los Angeles Clippers roster, but the organization announced in October that he would remain away from the team as they tried to “find the best situation for him moving forward.” In February 2024, Tucker was fined $75,000 for publicly requesting a trade.
“I want to be somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all,” Tucker said last February. “I don’t know what’s going to happen but I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping to go somewhere else, whether I get bought out and choose where I go or where I can play.”
Tucker finally got his wish this season when the Clippers traded him to the Utah Jazz, who then flipped him to the Toronto Raptors as part of the five-team Jimmy Butler blockbuster. The Raptors eventually waived Tucker on Feb. 28, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Because Tucker was waived prior to March 1, he is eligible to play in the postseason for a new team. Whether he’ll remain with the Knicks that long remains to be seen.
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Tucker’s arrival comes in the wake of guard Jalen Brunson’s ankle injury and center Ariel Hukporti’s meniscus tear. In addition, the team is being cautious with big man Mitchell Robinson upon his return. It’s unclear how much, if at all, Tucker will play given Tom Thibodeau’s reluctance to go deep into his bench, but the Knicks could use some extra depth right now.
If Tucker does suit up, the team will hope that he can provide some toughness and defensive versatility as they battle for playoff seeding. Entering Saturday, an off day during their long West Coast road trip, they are in third place in the Eastern Conference at 40-23, but their advantage over the surging Milwaukee Bucks is down to just three games.
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