Veteran forward P.J. Tucker is stepping away from the Los Angeles Clippers “to reset (his) mindset,” The Athletic reported Wednesday.
Tucker, 38, is expected to rejoin the team following this weekend’s All-Star break, per the report.
Acquired from Philadelphia in the James Harden deal on Nov. 1, Tucker played in 12 games with the Clippers this season before falling completely out of the rotation. He has not appeared in a game since Nov. 27.
He expressed his frustrations ahead of last week’s NBA trade deadline. “All this s– is a f—- joke,” he posted on his Instagram story last Thursday.
“I feel like I still got a lot to contribute to a team to be able to win, whether that’s here or somewhere else,” Tucker told ClutchPoints in December. “I know myself, my worth. I know what I bring. I know what I’ve brought. I know what I can continue to bring. And with that, I want to be able to go to a good team that I can be able to help that.”
Tucker is averaging 1.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 15.9 minutes in 15 games (three starts) this season with the 76ers and Clippers.
He has career averages of 6.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 867 games (659 starts) with seven teams.
Tucker is making $11 million this season and has an $11.5 million player option on his contract for the 2024-25 campaign.
–Field Level Media