The New York Knicks' 15th roster spot opened up after P.J. Tucker's second 10-day contract expired. He signed his first 10-day deal with the team on March 10, and the Knicks signed him to a second, but they can't sign him to a third (per the CBA).
The only way Tucker can rejoin New York this season is if he signs a standard contract. He wasn't with the team during their 110-93 win over Portland on Sunday, but he could soon be back on the sidelines. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that Tucker is "a strong candidate to re-sign at a later date."
As Bondy mentioned, the Knicks could sign another free agent to a 10-day contract in the meantime. The end of the regular season is on April 13 (13 days away), and the team's roster for the playoffs must be set by 3 p.m. ET on April 14.
P.J. Tucker is a 'strong candidate' to fill Knicks' final roster spot
Tucker played only two minutes for New York, and that was during his first 10-day contract. He got some garbage time minutes in March 19's loss to San Antonio.
The expectation was never that he'd play rotational minutes, but rather be a veteran leader. He's been in the league since 2006, when his NBA journey began in Toronto. Tucker won a championship with Milwaukee in 2021, another bonus to having him around in New York.
The forward hadn't played in a game all season before signing with the Knicks earlier this month. He started the season with the Clippers and was traded to the Jazz before the deadline. Utah traded Tucker to the Raptors, and Toronto waived him at the end of February.
Josh Hart talked about what it was like to have Tucker around on the "Roommates Show" podcast. He said the 39-year-old was "great in terms of being vocal" and "talking to guys individually." Those are reasons why the Knicks signed him in the first place.
Even though Tucker is a "strong candidate" to fill the final roster spot, New York could pivot in another direction. Fans won't have to wait long to find out, with the end of the regular season less than two weeks away. Maybe Tucker will be on the bench yelling at Hart to shoot open threes throughout the playoffs.