Knicks' P.J. Tucker Denies NBA Retirement Rumors in IG Photo, 'I'm 40 Years Young'

New York Knicks veteran forward P.J. Tucker isn't ready to close the door on his NBA career just yet.

Tucker took to Instagram to clear up any rumors of his impending retirement, posting a photo that read, in part, "I’m 40 years young, [100 percent] healthy, able, and will continue playing the game I’ve dedicated my life to."

After signing Tucker to a two-year deal in March following a pair of 10-day contracts, the Knicks have the choice of exercising his $3.5 million team option to retain him for another year or declining it and letting him hit the open market. While he didn't see much playing time throughout the 2024-25 season, his veteran presence was crucial to a team full of young stars, so New York could opt to bring him back on a cheaper deal even if it declines the team option.

The Athletic's James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz reported that the Knicks added Tucker to the fold because the front office "believed the locker room needed more leadership, a presence to help with communication issues that had plagued the group both on and off the court all season."

During New York's incredible postseason run that saw the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 but fall short of making the NBA Finals, Tucker was responsible for calling players-only meetings to address the team's issues on the floor.

"They all talk to me," Tucker said after the team's Eastern Conference semifinals Game 1 comeback win over the Boston Celtics. "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 be able to read each other. We needed to do those things instead of putting our hands up and looking at each other. It’s changed. Do I think it needs to get better? One hundred percent. But it’s come a long way since I’ve got here, for sure."

Tucker will be hoping to have a similar impact on the Knicks or any other locker room he's in as he continues his career during the 2025-26 season.