Former NBA champion stepping away from Clippers
Dec 21, 2019; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker (17) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Pops Junior era in Los Angeles appears to be over.
The LA Clippers announced on Sunday that they have reached a mutual agreement with veteran forward PJ Tucker that he will not be with the team moving forward.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations with PJ throughout the offseason and have both decided that he won’t be with the team for the time being,” the statement from the Clippers read. “PJ is a pro who has achieved a lot in his career and there’s more he wants to accomplish. We will continue working with PJ and his representative to find the best situation for him moving forward.”
Tucker had long been regarded as one of the better dirty-work role players in the league and started on the Milwaukee Bucks team that won the NBA championship in 2021. But Tucker is 39 years old now and averaged career lows with 1.7 points per game on 36.0 percent from the field last season.
The Tucker match with the Clippers was a shoddy one to begin with. He arrived last year as a salary throw-in to the James Harden trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Tucker was never able to crack the Clippers’ rotation on a regular basis (spending months as a healthy scratch) and was already sent home and fined by the team last season over his frustration with his role.
It will not get any better for Tucker this season either as the Clippers added newcomers to their frontcourt such as Derrick Jones Jr, Mo Bamba, and Nicolas Batum. While Tucker did pick up his $11.5 million player option with the Clippers for 2024-25 (a no-brainer move considering his true market value at this point), it looks like a parting of ways is inevitable, presumably via buyout, trade, or perhaps a waive-and-stretch.
