There may be a light or two at the end of the tunnel for Pops Junior.
Veteran NBA writer Marc Stein said this week in his latest post to Substack that veteran LA Clippers forward PJ Tucker still has a “healthy level of admiration” from two of his former teams — the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat. Stein does note however that a Tucker trade could be difficult since he is making $11 million this season with a $11.5 million player option for 2024-25.
Tucker, a salary-based inclusion in the James Harden trade between the Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, has fallen out of the rotation in Los Angeles completely. As a result, Tucker has grown unhappy, and the Clippers may look to part ways with him.
The 38-year-old Tucker enjoyed very fruitful tenures with both the Bucks and the Heat. With the former, he was arguably their most important role player en route to their 2021 NBA championship with his defense, corner three-point shooting, and ability to extend offensive possessions. Tucker then continued more of the same for the latter in 2022, making 70 starts, shooting a career-high 41.5 percent from deep, and helping lead Miami to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Of course, Father Time has caught up to Tucker, who is no longer all that effective from long range and is too slow and worn down to stay in front of most of his defensive assignments these days. But both the Bucks and the Heat are title contenders who may look to upgrade at the trade deadline (especially the Heat), and Tucker is another veteran option out there assuming that there is a way to make the logistics work.
