The NBA on Thursday fined Los Angeles Clippers forward P.J. Tucker $75,000 “for public comments reported during the week of February 5 expressing a desire to be traded to another team.”
Tucker has played in only 15 games this season, none since Nov. 27, despite being healthy. Starting the season with the Philadelphia 76ers, he was part of a three-team trade that shipped guard James Harden to the Clippers, but Tucker’s value might have been more for his salary impact than his role on the court.
ESPN reported on Feb. 6 that Tucker said he is “actively trying to get traded” from the Clippers.
The 38-year-old had expressed his frustration to ClutchPoints about not being dealt before the trade deadline. He had signed a multi-year contract with the 76ers in July 2022. He’s making $11 million this season and has a $11.5 million player option for next season.
“That’s not on the table,” Tucker told ClutchPoints earlier this week of the player option.
“... 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.”
He averages 1.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.4 minutes in 12 games for Los Angeles.
Tucker has played for seven different teams in his 13 NBA seasons: 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. He averages 6.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.3 blocks in 867 games (659 starts).
The Clippers sent Tucker and also disappointed guard Bones Hyland home before the game Wednesday against the host Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. The pair are expected to be with the team after the All-star break for the Clippers’ next planned official practice on Feb. 21.
Tucker expressed his frustrations ahead of last week’s NBA trade deadline. “All this s-- is a f---- joke,” he posted on his Instagram story Feb. 8.
“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.”
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