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Stefan Bondy: The Knicks extended a qualifying offer to Kevin McCullar and picked up Ariel Hukporti’s contract option, league sources told the Post. They are not planning to pick up contract option of PJ Tucker.
PJ Tucker on retiring: I'm 40 years young, healthy, and will continue playing the game I've dedicated my life to
PJ Tucker on Wednesday posted a message on social media to address any rumors about him retiring. The 40-year-old posted on his Instagram Story that he will not be retiring and that he plans to continue playing. “Since we are in the era of not doing any fact checking and just repost what we hear from uncredited sources smfh i (sic) have to take time out of my vacation to set the record straight so yall can stop sending me the dumb s-it!” Tucker wrote, profanity censored by LBS. “Never have a mentioned retirement or even given any indication that may be a thing.. I’m 40 years young 100% healthy, able, and will continue playing the game I’ve dedicated my lief to… HOOPIN!!!!!!”
Some people in the organization wanted to use the 15th roster spot to sign a player who could contribute on the floor, while others wanted a veteran who would be OK with not playing and helping behind the scenes, per league sources. The latter group won out and Tucker signed with the team near the end of the regular season to be a veteran voice. “The situations to get stops, to have help, you know what I’m saying?” Tucker continued. “That, to me, we have talent, but that’s 80 percent of everything else – being able to communicate, be able to get stops, to be on the same page on offense and be able to read each other. We needed to do those things instead of putting our hands up and looking at each other.
Some people in the organization wanted to use the 15th roster spot to sign a player who could contribute on the floor, while others wanted a veteran who would be OK with not playing and helping behind the scenes, per league sources. The latter group won out and Tucker signed with the team near the end of the regular season to be a veteran voice.
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PJ Tucker said when he got to New York, the communication within this team was nearly nonexistent. Little by little, though, the group began to hold each other accountable. “That’s been something I’ve been trying to help with — getting them to talk to each other more,” Tucker said after the game. “They all talk to me, but they didn’t talk to each other in real time, in those situations. The situations to get stops, to have help, you know what I’m saying? That, to me, we have talent. But that’s 80 percent of everything else — being able to communicate, be able to get stops, to be on the same page on offense and to be able to read each other. We needed to do those things instead of putting our hands up and looking at each other.
Nick DePaula: PJ Tucker is in the OVO x Air Jordan 8 “Charles Oakley” samples tonight: pic.x.com/6ZAEQPzVW1
PJ Tucker didn’t know what to expect. He got a text Thursday morning that he was part of the rotation for the game against the Pistons, and then, to his surprise, Tucker was the first player off the Knicks bench in a 115-106 loss. By the end, Tucker had logged 27 minutes — by far a season high — while mixing it up physically and scoring his first regular-season points in exactly a year on a trademark corner 3-pointer. “Once I got through my first wind, it was really good,” Tucker said. “I started to open up a little bit. I started to feel good, started talking, getting involved with the game and it’s like riding a bike.”
Tucker relished the chance — and felt at home getting physical. “The plays like that, the box outs, the 50-50 balls, that stuff is that feeling,” Tucker said. “Getting offensive rebounds, it’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m back.’ It felt good.”
Nick DePaula: PJ Tucker debuts his “What The PJ” PEs of the Book 1 pic.x.com/il7qm9E4xY
PJ Tucker debuts his “What The PJ” PEs of the Book 1 pic.twitter.com/il7qm9E4xY
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) April 6, 2025
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PJ Tucker signs two-year deal with Knicks
Shams Charania: After two 10-day contracts, the New York Knicks are planning to sign veteran forward PJ Tucker to a two-year deal, sources tell ESPN. Tucker will return to the Knicks through the season and playoffs, with a team option for 2025-26.
A source said Tucker understood upon signing that playing time wasn’t guaranteed. But he was pitched as a positive locker room presence, specifically for his leadership and experience on a younger roster. “A lot of times when you become a vet and be in the league, like young guys and stuff on the bench, they’re not going to [encourage and motivate teammates]. They’re not going to have your back like that,” Tucker said when he first signed on March 10. “So it’s always good to have vets and like-minded guys that just have each other’s back. And that’s what really makes a team strong — just knowing that they have people there and I support you whether you’re playing good or bad. We’re in it together.”
Stefan Bondy: TJ Warren left the Westchester Knicks not long after the Knicks signed PJ Tucker, league sources told The Post. Warren averaged nearly 23 points for Westchester and was hoping for a call-up to the senior club.
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