P.J. Tucker was hoping to be traded to a team that would give him more playing time. That didn't happen, and now he's being fined for his public unrest.
The NBA issued a hefty fine after Tucker publicly requested a trade from the Clippers, announcing that the 38-year-old forward would have to pay $75,000 for his comments ahead of the trade deadline.
Tucker inked a three-year contract with the 76ers before the 2022 season, but he was traded midway through the 2023 campaign in the deal involving James Harden. Since arriving in Los Angeles, Tucker has played in just 12 games with no starts. His 14.4 minutes per game are the lowest of his career.
He has not appeared in a game for the Clippers since Nov. 27 despite no injuries or being listed as inactive, and he has only started wearing his jersey on the bench since the trade deadline, according to ClutchPoints.
Despite his public requests for a trade, Tucker wound up staying in Los Angeles, and the team is reportedly unlikely to buy out his contract and allow him to sign with another team.
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What was P.J. Tucker fined?
Tucker has not hid his desire to leave Los Angeles. He made it clear he never wanted to be part of that trade.
He reportedly told ESPN he is "actively trying to get traded" in a Feb. 6 article. When he stayed on the roster past the trade deadline, he expressed his frustration in an interview with ClutchPoints, saying he did not feel like he had to endure his current role with Los Angeles.
"I feel like I shouldn't have to go through this,” Tucker told ClutchPoints in a Feb. 14 article. “I didn't ask to be here. I didn't ask for and I didn't demand a trade to be here.”
He made it clear to ClutchPoints that he never requested a trade out of Philadelphia.
"I don’t feel like it’s something I have to deal with. I don’t look at it as one of those things," Tucker said. "When I was younger, struggling to play or trying to figure it out, I figured it out, I mastered my craft and what I bring to teams. So, it’s something I got to deal with, yeah, but it is what it is.”
Tucker and veteran Bones Hyland were sent home before the All-Star break to have a mental reset, and both are reportedly expected to rejoin the team on the other side of the break. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told ClutchPoints he understands they want to play and that they were both likely hoping to land in places where they'd have a chance at regular minutes.
“When you've got guys like P.J., who have another year left on his deal, he can ride off into the sunset, he's 70 years old,” Lue said Wednesday. “But he wants to play, he wants to compete, and so you understand that you want guys like that. So, the trade didn't happen, they're going to be here. So, we’re just gonna give them a little time off, get their minds right, and come back [against] Oklahoma City and be ready to go.”
P.J. Tucker contract details
Tucker is in the final year of his three-year, $33.2 million contract. There is a player option for the 2024-25 season at $11.5 million, though it certainly appears highly unlikely he winds up exercising that option.
