P.J. Tucker signed with the Miami Heat Tuesday evening. The two sides agreed to a two-year contract worth $15 million, per Shams. This contract ties him down through the 2023 season.
PJ Tucker is signing a two-year, $15 million deal with Miami, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. https://t.co/Pti5ZYmeg0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 3, 2021
PJ Tucker Signs with the Miami Heat
PJ Tucker has an amazing story. After winning the Big 12 Player of the Year Award back in 2006, Tucker ventured overseas and built a solid resume in Europe and Israel, winning a pair of championships in his five-year stint. He signed with the Phoenix Suns during the post-Nash era, and eventually worked his way into a four-year deal with the Houston Rockets. Upon signing in Houston, Tucker’s reputation as a hard-nosed, hard worker began to surface, and since then he’s become one of the better role players in the league.
Tucker was the last outlaw from the Rockets championship-contending run, and he was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline. He gave the Bucks a brand new identity on the defensive side of the ball. During the 2021 Finals run, Tucker harassed All-Stars Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker, making all of their lives tougher. He may have just been the Bucks’s final piece; his presence gave them an experienced stopper and they might not have made this title run without his defensive tenacity.
What the signing means for the future
At 36, PJ Tucker is about to enter the twilight of his career, but it’s never been about stats with the former Longhorn. Tucker’s work ethic and defensive prowess will keep him around longer than most players who reach that age. For the immediate future, it gives the Miami Heat another tough player to pair with Butler. Tucker fits the rugged Heat culture, and after losing Jae Crowder last summer, they lacked the presence of a hardworking, no-nonsense player.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
