Veteran Clippers energy ahead P.J. Tucker has agreed to steer clear of the staff indefinitely, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter hyperlink).
In keeping with Marc J. Spears of Andscape (through Twitter), L.A. seems to be open to transferring on from the previous NBA champ.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations with P.J. all through the offseason and have each determined that he received’t be with the staff in the meanwhile,” the Clippers revealed in an announcement, shared by Spears. “P.J. is a professional who has achieved lots in his profession and there’s extra he desires to perform. We are going to proceed working with P.J. and his consultant to seek out the very best state of affairs for him transferring ahead.”
Maybe two sides are hopeful to work out a commerce of Tucker’s expiring $11.5MM contract, however given his latest manufacturing, a buyout often is the inevitable repair.
Regulation Murray of The Athletic tweets that Tucker, who was a wholesome scratch through the Clippers’ Saturday preseason bout towards the Warriors, was the lone L.A. participant to not attend the staff’s media day festivities final Monday.
The 6’5″ combo ahead was lengthy a commemorated 3-and-D position participant on a number of deep playoff golf equipment in Houston, Miami and Milwaukee, with whom he received a title as a starter in 2021. The Texas alum was traded to the Clippers from the Sixers halfway via 2023/24, as a part of the deal that additionally landed James Harden in L.A.
Now 39, Tucker had his least-productive season ever final 12 months, as a fringe rotation participant with each Philadelphia and L.A. He logged averages of 1.7 factors on .360/.371/1.000 capturing splits, 2.7 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks an evening, throughout 31 appearances with each golf equipment. As a deep-bench piece, the growing old professional may nonetheless have worth to a contending franchise.
Even throughout his most prolific offensive season, 2013/14 with the Suns, Tucker averaged a reasonably modest 9.4 factors on a .431/.387/.776 slash line, together with 6.5 boards, 1.7 assists and 1.4 swipes. He completed twelfth in Defensive Participant of the Yr voting that season, his best-ever such displaying.
