Clippers forward P.J. Tucker is not requesting a buyout and is expected to remain with the team through the remainder of the season, according to TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes (X link). This comes after trade attempts involving Tucker fell short, Haynes adds. This was the expected outcome if Tucker wasn’t moved at the deadline.
It’s no secret Tucker wasn’t thrilled with his role after landing with the Clippers in the James Harden trade at the beginning of the season. After starting in all 78 of his appearances with the Sixers after signing there in 2022, Tucker has only played in just 12 games with Los Angeles. averaging 14.4 minutes per game.
“I want to be somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all. I don’t know what’s going to happen," Tucker said before the deadline to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, "but I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping to go somewhere else whether I get bought out and choose where I go or where I can play,”
Tucker was once seen as a “strong” candidate to be moved before the deadline, but the fact that he has an $11.5M player option for next season appears to have been an issue for opposing teams. The most likely step forward for both sides is Tucker accepting his player option in the offseason and then the two sides working together to find a deal that suits him when teams have a clearer idea of their 2024-25 plans.
For what it’s worth, Tucker seemingly expressed frustration at the situation in an Instagram story following the deadline, with the story reading “All this [junk] is a [freaking] joke” (Instagram link).
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