P.J. Tucker does not want to give up any money to facilitate a buyout from the L.A. Clippers, but now he will have to give up some money in the form of a fine by the NBA.
The league announced Thursday that the veteran forward has been fined $75,000. The reason given was Tucker’s “public comments” in which he expressed “a desire to be traded to another team.”
The 38-year-old Tucker arrived on the Clippers as part of the James Harden trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in early November.
He was no good in 12 early appearances for the Clippers (averaging 1.2 points per game on 28.6 percent shooting). Tucker was then pulled from the rotation entirely by the end of November as the team focused on placing youth and athleticism around their stars instead.
Tucker, a former NBA champion, has been incensed about the decision and attempted to force a trade before the deadline.
He was unsuccessful though as the Clippers could not find a taker for the over $11 million per year still left on his contract through 2026. Tucker then posted a vulgar reaction on social media to not being traded and has since been sent home early by the Clippers before the All-Star break.
As for the comments that did Tucker in, the NBA stated that they were “reported during the week of February 5” (days before the trade deadline).
As such, it appears they were Tucker’s remarks that were relayed by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk on a Feb. 5 podcast episode of “The Hoop Collective.”
“P.J. Tucker … wants to be traded, has made no secret about that,” said Youngmisuk at the time, per SI. “He even told me that just last week in Toronto. I think his words were ‘actively looking to get traded.’”
In any case, Tucker also recently said he is not entertaining the possibility of giving back some money so that the Clippers can buy out his contract. Thus, his situation is not any closer to a resolution, and his wallet is now $75,000 lighter regardless.
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