Clippers' P.J. Tucker Says 'All This S--t Is a F--king Joke' After NBA Trade Deadline
P.J. Tucker does not appear to be happy he's still on the Los Angeles Clippers' roster.
The veteran forward posted "All this s--t is a f--king joke" on his Instagram Story (h/t Hoop Central) after he wasn't dealt before the Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
Marc J. Spears of Andscape added that a buyout "appears unlikely" for Tucker.
"I want to be somewhere where I'm needed, wanted and can do it all," Tucker told Spears earlier on Thursday. "I don't know what's going to happen 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."
Chris Haynes of TNT Sports and Bleacher Report reported after the trade deadline that Tucker wouldn't request a buyout, however, while ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk was "told last night [it] just wouldn't make financial sense for Tucker to take a buyout and give up a lot of money."
Tucker, 38, has been a non-factor for the Clippers this season and has fallen almost entirely out of the rotation, appearing in just 12 games for the team since being traded to SoCal from the Philadelphia 76ers in the deal that brought James Harden to Los Angeles.
Tucker is averaging just 1.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15 total appearances during the 2023-24 campaign. The Clippers have turned to a starting 5 of Harden, Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac, while Norman Powell, Russell Westbrook, Mason Plumlee, Amir Coffey and Daniel Theis has been the preferred second unit.
The Clippers are 34-16 and one of the hotter teams in the NBA, so there's little reason to believe they'll shake up the rotation too significantly, barring injuries. And Tucker hasn't been shy about expressing his displeasure over falling out of favor, or his desire move on.
"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," he told Tomer Azarly of 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."
As of now, however, it doesn't appear Tucker is going anywhere. He sure isn't happy about it.
