A former NBA Champion Is Waived, Becoming Free Agent

He has been a key member of an NBA championship team, plus another Finals team, and now has joined the free agent ranks, open to sign with any interested party. The Toronto Raptors have waived PJ Tucker, who they acquired as part of a deadline flurry of deals, but he was never intended to join the team.

BREAKING: The Toronto Raptors have WAIVED newly acquired forward PJ Tucker.

Who should sign the soon-to-be 40 year old? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/4rWih7zOxH
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) February 28, 2025

Tucker will turn 40 in May, and hasn't played much basketball in the past two years. He hasn't played at all this campaign, and got into just 31 games in 2023-24 while being nailed to the LA Clippers bench for most of the second half of the season.

He stayed away from the Clippers this year while waiting for them to find a trade. Then came a whirlwind of activity as he was sent to the Utah Jazz on Feb. 1st, then was thrown into a deal with the Miami Heat as salary fodder in a deadline move a few days later, then quickly flipped to Toronto for Davion Mitchell.

Whether any team tries to get something out of Tucker heading down the stretch remains to be seen. He must be on a roster by Saturday in order to be eligible for the playoffs.

Tucker has also suited up in his 13-year career for the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers. He was originally drafted by the Raptors but played only 17 games for them in 2006 before heading to Europe for a few seasons. He was re-obtained by the team 10 years later in a deadline deal, but played just 24 games with them then.

Tucker was a key part of the 2021 Bucks championship team.