P.J. Tucker Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Re-Sign P.J. Tucker

July 23rd, 2014 at 7:35pm CST by Alex Lee

JULY 23RD: The deal is official, the team announced. The Suns used cap space to complete the transaction.

7:22pm: The third year of Tucker’s deal includes about $3.8MM of non-guaranteed money, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Coro also indicates that Tucker has yet to sign the contract.

JULY 10TH, 6:35pm: The Suns will re-sign restricted free agent P.J. Tucker to a three year deal worth $16.5MM, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Tucker met with Suns owner Robert Sarver and head coach Jeff Hornacek yesterday and it was believed that talks would spill over to today. The terms of the deal would allow Phoenix to utilize Tucker’s Early Bird Rights, their Mid-level exception or their available cap room to bring back the forward, though there have yet to be reports of which option they’ll choose.

The 29-year-old Texas product has carved out a nice role the past two seasons in Phoenix as a solid defender and a positive influence in the locker room. Tucker, who is represented by the Arete Sports Agency, averaged 9.4 points and 6.5 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game last season for a Suns team that nearly made the playoffs. While Phoenix has been mentioned as suitors for some of the NBA’s top free agents, it has mostly been on the periphery. However, they’ve had a busy Thursday after reportedly hosting restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas and now locking up Tucker.

There was talk last week that several teams had inquired about the possibility of acquiring Tucker from Phoenix via sign and trade but they came away convinced that the Suns were determined to keep him. The Wizards and Raptors were specifically reported to have had interest.

Western Notes: Miller, Bosh, Tucker, Mavs

July 14th, 2014 at 9:07pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Rockets and the Mavericks are interested in Mike Miller, reports Mark Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Nuggets have the best financial offer on the table for Miller, but Dallas, Houston, and the Cavaliers offer him a better chance to play for a winner, tweets Stein.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Tucker, Sterling, Lakers

July 10th, 2014 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns are more likely to spend wisely this summer now that their chances of landing Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James are all but over, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Phoenix wasn’t expected to offer the max to Gordon Hayward if the team had the chance to meet with him, as was the plan before Hayward inked his offer sheet with the Hornets. Here’s more on the Suns and the rest of the Pacific Division:

Restricted free agent P.J. Tucker met Wednesday with Suns owner Robert Sarver and Jeff Hornacek, as Coro notes in the same piece, and Tucker’s reps at the Arete Sports Agency plan to continue the dialogue with the Suns today, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
The Suns originally planned to let 50th overall pick Alec Brown sign overseas for this coming season, but that was before fellow stretch power forward Channing Frye agreed to a deal with the Magic, Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough said, as Coro observes. Brown is drawing interest from a team in Spain in case he doesn’t end up on the Suns this year, according to Coro.
Donald Sterling vowed never to sell the Clippers and threatened to maintain lawsuits against the NBA for the rest of his life, making those remarks during testimony Wednesday in probate court, as Linda Deutsch of The Associated Press details. The trial continues today to determine whether Sterling’s wife, Shelly, has the right to sell the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Kobe Bryant said he would welcome former teammate Byron Scott as coach of the Lakers, citing their “tremendously close relationship” over the years, notes Sean Lewis of The Associated Press. Bryant also said that he was “extremely proud” of the team’s efforts to rebuild its roster, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding observes.
The Lakers remain in contact with free agent Kent Bazemore, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.

Western Notes: Novak, Tucker, Hawes

July 4th, 2014 at 9:54pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Jazz were looking for a sharpshooting veteran big man going into free agency, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News heard (Twitter link), and with the team’s agreement to trade for Steve Novak, it appears that’s just what it has. Utah envisions Novak as a stretch power forward, notes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (on Twitter).

Here’s more from out west:

The Jazz were also high on Novak’s plus-minus numbers from recent years, according to Jones (Twitter link).
With Novak reportedly on his way to Utah, Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune looks at what the player brings to the Jazz.
Some teams have inquired about the possibility of a sign and trade for the Suns restricted free agent P.J. Tucker, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Spears also tweets that Tucker is receiving interest from teams, but they’re hesitant to make an offer due to fears that it will be matched by Phoenix.
Spencer Hawes passed on an offer from the Blazers on Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Portland moved on from that rejection and signed Chris Kaman, according to the tweet.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Raptors, Rose

July 4th, 2014 at 8:09pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Andre Drummond said he’ll do whatever’s necessary to convince restricted free agent Greg Monroe to remain with the Pistons and feels confident Monroe will return given his affection for Detroit, as Drummond told MLive’s David Mayo. Drummond expressed doubt that the team would trade Josh Smith, in spite of rumors.

Here’s more from the east:

The dispute over just how large a role Derrick Rose played in Chicago’s pitch to Carmelo Anthony seems to indicate a disconnect somewhere, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com believes it signals a deeper misunderstanding between the Bulls and Rose’s camp (Twitter links).
Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira appear likely to join the Raptors this year, but GM Masai Ujiri has indicated that the team probably won’t ink second-round pick DeAndre Daniels for this coming season, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
The Raptors are enamored with P.J. Tucker, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who wonders if the team will throw an offer sheet his way now they know Steve Novak‘s contract is coming off the books (Twitter links).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Thomas, Deng, Granger, Carmelo

July 3rd, 2014 at 11:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Some items from around the league as we get ready for tomorrow’s fireworks and plenty of free agency fireworks to come..

The top three teams, in order, for Kings restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas are the Lakers, Heat, and Pistons, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit Free Press.
The Wizards have reached out to Anthony Morrow, Marvin Williams, P.J. Tucker, Luol Deng, and Danny Granger, among others, league sources tell Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
The Lakers came away very impressed with Carmelo Anthony after their meeting with him and they really believe that they got a sense for him as a person, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Of course, the bigger question is how Melo feels about the Lakers.
John Canzano of The Oregonian isn’t exactly doing cartwheels over the Blazers‘ signing of Chris Kaman.

Western Rumors: Suns, Love, Miller, Miles

July 2nd, 2014 at 3:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns have spoken with Pau Gasol, Trevor Ariza, Luol Deng, Spencer Hawes, Danny Granger, Ed Davis, Marvin Williams, Josh McRoberts, Gordon Hayward, Chandler Parsons, Isaiah Thomas and Patrick Patterson, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Still, Coro cautions that they aren’t necessarily interested in all of them. Phoenix also made contact with Eric Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker and Channing Frye on the first day of free agency, Coro adds. Here’s more from the West, including a Kevin Love update:

The Wolves are indeed insisting that the Warriors take back Kevin Martin in any trade involving Love, a source tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). Minnesota is also holding firm on its insistence that Klay Thompson be a part of the Warriors’ package, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press.
The Clippers, Nuggets, Rockets, Thunder and the incumbent Grizzlies are among the teams pursuing Mike Miller, tweets Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. He’ll allow the Grizzlies to make a final push before he makes his decision, and while he said on Sports56 radio in Memphis that he’s received at least five offers, he added that his heart is in Memphis, as Tillery notes (Twitter link).
The Thunder and C.J. Miles had mutual interest before he agreed to sign with the Pacers, but Oklahoma City wasn’t willing to have the contract go quite as long as the four years that Indiana gave him, as The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry tweets. The Thunder are believed to be limiting their new contracts this summer to two years with Kevin Durant‘s potential free agency looming in 2016, Mayberry adds (on Twitter).
The Clippers have reached out to unrestricted free agent Ed Davis, reports Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
The Jazz are among several teams interested in Kent Bazemore, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).

Suns Extend Qualifying Offers To Bledsoe, Tucker

June 27th, 2014 at 1:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns have tendered qualifying offers to Eric Bledsoe and P.J. Tucker, making them restricted free agents, the team announced via press release. It’s a largely academic procedural move for both, particularly in the case of Bledsoe, who seems capable of commanding a maximum salary contract. Phoenix will have the ability to match offers from other teams for each as long as their qualifying offers remain on the table.

Bledsoe’s qualifying offer is worth $3,726,966 while Tucker’s amounts to $2,875,131. Tucker, who proved one of the league’s best bargains on a minimum-salary deal the past two seasons, is high on returning to the Suns, but the client of the Arete Sports Agency is looking for a raise. It seems like it’ll take money in the neighborhood of the $5.305MM non-taxpayer’s mid-level to secure Tucker, though Phoenix’s ability to match offers might depress that figure. The Suns have his Early Bird rights, allowing them to pay up to about $6MM to re-sign him, but they can also use cap space if necessary.

The team has made it clear it will match any offer for Bledsoe, so he seems destined to remain in Phoenix, in spite of interest from the Lakers and Mavs. He’s No. 4 in the latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.

Western Notes: Tucker, Draft, Spurs

June 15th, 2014 at 11:38am CST by Eddie Scarito

P.J. Tucker is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but is expected to be back with the Suns, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Speaking about the free agent process, Tucker said, “It’s always kind of crazy. You don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t think teams know all the time when another team is going to jump out there. I’m excited to go through it. I don’t know what their (the Suns’) direction is. I know I had great years and that they like me, but they might look another direction. It’s a business. Always has been, always will be. Maybe they draft a player who they think can do what I do at my position. Maybe they move on, maybe they don’t. I don’t know. I’m excited to see, though.“

Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Hill, Tucker, Nash

April 2nd, 2014 at 10:57am CST by Chuck Myron

Jermaine O’Neal has hinted that he’ll retire after the season, but the 35-year-old scored 20 points Tuesday in an overtime win, and he says the rumors surrounding coach Mark Jackson and the team have been a galvanizing force in the Warriors locker room. Jeff Caplan of NBA.com has more from the 18th-year veteran, and we have the latest from around the Pacific Division:

Jordan Hill won’t rule out a return to the Lakers in free agency this summer, but not if it means playing the same limited role he’s seen this season, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Hill would reportedly like the team to replace Mike D’Antoni, but Tuesday the power forward offered praise and respect for the Lakers coach. Still, if D’Antoni is back with the team next year, Hill certainly won’t be, Medina writes.
P.J. Tucker, a restricted free agent this summer, calls the months ahead “the most important time in my career,” but he feels indebted to the Suns, and the Arete Sports Agency client fully intends on re-signing with them, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. “Of course, why would I not?” Tucker said. “They brought me here. I think I exceeded their expectations and mine with what has transpired. Of course, I want to retire a Sun.”
The Lakers plan to keep Steve Nash and his full $9.701MM salary for next season, and his 10-assist effort Tuesday against the Blazers shows that he’s still capable of being more than just a sunk cost for the team, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.