Report: Suns re-sign P.J. Tucker to 3-year, $16.5M deal
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The Phoenix Suns have re-signed restricted free agent P.J. Tucker, inking their primary defensive weapon to a three-year, $16.5 million contract according to a report from Yahoo Sports.
Suns will re-sign forward PJ Tucker to a three-year, $16.5 million deal, a source told Yahoo.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 10, 2014
The report has been confirmed by other outlets as well.
It's a nice signing for both sides, with Tucker earning a substantial raise from the $884,293 he made last season but the Suns locking down a versatile and valuable piece, probably for a shade below his actual value. Even better for the team is that $3.8 million of the deal's third year is not guaranteed, making the deal highly tradeable.
Tucker was originally a second-round pick out of Texas by the Toronto Raptors in 2006 but struggled to carve out a role in the league. After one season and just 17 games in the NBA, Tucker took off for Israel, followed by the Ukraine, Greece, Italy and Germany over a five-year stretch.
As a 27-year-old, Tucker returned to the NBA on a two-year deal with the Suns, quickly emerging as an overseas gem. He averaged 6.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 2012-13, earning 24.2 minutes a game, upping those rates to 9.4, 6.5 and 30.7, respectively, under new head coach Jeff Hornacek this season.
Splitting time between the two and the three, Tucker earned the trust of Hornacek at the defensive end, checking the opposition's primary wing scorer on most occasions. Still just 29, that's a role Tucker should be able to stay in for three more seasons, helping lead the young upstart Suns on that end of the floor.