Los Angeles Clippers forward P.J. Tucker was fined $75,000 by the NBA on Thursday for publicly expressing his desire to be traded to another NBA team.
Tucker has not been a regular starter for the Los Angeles Lakers, he has not played a game since Nov.27 and has participated in only 15 games this season. P.J. Tucker started the season with the Philadelphia 76ers and was among a three-team trade that shipped James Harden to the Clippers, Tucker’s value was heavily influenced by his salary rather than his role on the court.
Tucker was frustrated about not being dealt with before the trade deadline and did not hold back in expressing his concerns. The 38-year-old forward will earn $11 million this season and has a $11.5 million player option for next season after signing a multi-year contract with the 76ers in July 2022.
“I feel like I still got a lot to contribute to a team”- P.J. Tucker opens up on the trade controversy surrounding him.
“That’s not on the table,” Tucker said earlier this week to Clutchpoints.
“… I feel like I shouldn’t have to go through this,” Tucker said of his status with the team. “I didn’t ask to be here. I didn’t ask for and I didn’t demand a trade to be here.”
Tucker expressed his frustrations on an Instagram story on Feb 8 “All this s– is a f—- joke,”
“I feel like I still got a lot to contribute to a team to be able to win, whether that’s here or somewhere else,” Tucker told ClutchPoints in December. “I know myself, my worth. I know what I bring. I know what I’ve brought. I know what I can continue to bring. And with that, I want to be able to go to a good team that I can be able to help that.”
Is P.J. Tucker’s trade demand justifiable?
P.J. Tucker has played for many different NBA teams throughout his career. In his 13 NBA seasons, he has played for 7 different teams.
the Toronto Raptors (2006-07, 2017), Phoenix Suns (2012-17), Houston Rockets (2017-21), Milwaukee Bucks (2021), Miami Heat (2021-22), 76ers (2022-23) and Clippers. The forward had a long-spanned career and played for some of the best teams in the country.
In his entire NBA career, he averages 6.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.3 blocks in 867 appearances among which 659 were starts.Despite being a veteran forward who has proved himself countless times, he was sort of disrespected by the Clippers and many fans don’t blame him for his desire to leave the Franchise.
P.J Tucker and guard Bones Hyland were sent home by the Clippers before their game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on Wednesday. The pair is expected to rejoin the team after the All-Star break commences.
