When the Milwaukee Bucks traded for PJ Tucker in March of 2021 ahead of the NBA trade deadline, it was widely believed that his defense and intense personality was the missing piece that the team needed to put them over the hump on their quest for a NBA Championship. And they were right. Tucker’s “Dawg” mentality was adopted by the rest of the team and Milwaukee saw its first NBA title in 50 years.
Unfortunately, but expectedly, Tucker’s time with the Bucks was as brief as it was successful. Following the Bucks’ 2021 title, Tucker signed with the Miami Heat. After one season there, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, who at the time were coached by current Bucks head coach Doc Rivers.
Despite signing a multi-year contract with the 76ers, Philadelphia saw fit to ship Tucker off very early into this season to the Los Angels Clippers along with disgruntled guard James Harden. While the trade freed Philadelphia of the highly publicized Harden drama, it also set the stage for Tucker’s own current situation.
For weeks, Tucker and the Clippers have been publicly at odds over his playing time and role on the team. Things got so bad that Los Angeles decided to send the disgruntled forward home until after the All-Star break.
Former Milwaukee Bucks Champion PJ Tucker Sent Home by the Los Angeles Clippers
According to a report by Shams Charania and Zach Harper of The Athletic, the Clippers were unable to work out a trade for Tucker and he is not willing to accept a buyout. As a result, the team sent him home until after the All-Star break:
“The Clippers sent home two players – PJ Tucker and Bones Hyland – from their road trip vs. the Warriors, and both players are expected to rejoin the team after All-Star break, sources tell The Athletic. Amid three months of frustrations, the Clippers and Tucker have had productive discussions this week about the disgruntled forward staying ready for potentially re-entering the rotation, according to league sources.
“The conversations stemmed from weeks of boiling frustrations surrounding Tucker and his lack of playing time, according to those sources. It led to much-needed and strong conversations among all parties, those sources said.”
So, despite all the trade rumors prior to the deadline, Tucker will finish the season with the Clippers. How the rest of the season goes, and what his role will be on the team, remains to be seen.
It is worth noting that Tucker has a player option for next season. It is safe to say that he will not be exercising that option given what has transpired this year.
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