Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is on the trade market, and the team wants immediate help in return, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Saturday night’s pre-game show (hat tip to Ben DuBose of USA Today’s Rockets Wire).
The Rockets are looking for “a player that they can plug back into their lineup,” rather than draft picks, he added.
Trade rumors have been swirling around the 35-year-old Tucker ever since Houston was unable to reach a contract extension with him during the offseason. He reportedly refused the team’s latest offer, and both sides agreed to table negotiations last month.
Tucker’s numbers have dipped this year, as he is averaging 4.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 30 minutes per night. However, he remains an elite defender and strong locker room presence, and could be a valuable addition for a contending team. At his age, he no longer fits with a Rockets team that has been trending younger since the James Harden trade.
Wojnarowski expects a “seller’s market” for Tucker, listing the Lakers, Bucks and Nets among many teams that are interested.
Rockets trend towards three point shooters. Clippers trade newly signed Kenard, Patterson and second round pick or another piece
patterson has a no trade clause
Could get more minutes on the rockets. Would start with wood out. And once wood comes back could still play 20+ mins per game
Exceptions 8-9m list
Nuggets $9.5 million
Heat 9.4m
Warriors 9.3m
Pacers 9.3m
76ers 8.2m
Team one of the exceptions
Gray Trent Jr declined 4 years $53 million contract extension
Teams should target
Trent
Lonzo
Tucker
Collins
Nuggets should after Collins or Tucker to upgrade their PF defense…Millsap is always injured
Would hate to see PJ go but at this stage could go somewhere perhaps with another team. I do agree on wanting someone for him over picks. But are teams reluctant due to his age of giving up someone. So PJ and Cousins are gone or could be soon. Cousins last game tomorrow. Oladipo next and what will they want for him. If going back to small ball again. I want someone who can help and not be a rental. Draft picks could help down line but something besides just them. I doubt Rockets go anywhere this season after this loosing streak but can understand trying to get better. Will Wall remain a Rocket going forward. Would love to see Silas succeed but will not till gets a team can work with
Lakers get fleeced; ha no thanks
They want Maxey.
That’s not happening.
a 3 team involving the bulls and Lakers could be interesting.
bulls:Kuzma Horton-Tucker and Caruso
Lakers: Tucker and Nwaba
Rockets: Markkanen
From the Bull’s standpoint, this trade doesn’t help. Just more benchwarmers. The Bulls need ‘better than average’ players, not just more average players. The Bulls have to be patient and not just make moves that will just take the team in a sideways direction.
From the Lakers standpoint, this is not a good trade also. Only the Rockets will do well with this three way trade.
lol i hate the lakers but why would they give up even more shooting especially now..i know Tucker can make threes but Kuzma can score in more ways
Why would the Bulls do this horrible trade? Delete this.
Terrible for Lakers
The Lakers are out on that x10
Lol. Lakers give up 3 important rotation players, & get a 35-yr. old PF who is shooting under .400 from the field, & D-no-3 SG, while HOU gives up its spare parts & somehow gets an All-Star in return.
Since the Thunder have the right to swap with the Rockets it makes sense for them to avoid tanking. What is the point of losing if all you are doing is giving a rival a better draft pick? Yeah it is top 4 protected, but even being the worst team in the league only gives you a 40% chance at a top 4 pick. Might as well try and sneak into the 10th seed and get a little playoff revenue.
How about this deal?
Raptors get
PJ Tucker
DeMarcus Cousins
Rockets get
Aron Baynes
Malachi Flynn
The Rockets gets a needed big man along with a young PG to groom behind Wall. The Raptors get the size they need and Cousins is still technically on the Rockets so he is still tradable. Toronto would still probably need to pick up another big man to play with Cousins (Drummond?), but they still have their 2021 1st round pick to dangle for a upgrade.
Hez old
Tucker for Bamba
Tucker for Monk & Nick Richards
Tucker for Bonga, Wagner, T.Brown
Tucker for S.Johnson, McCaw, 2nd
Tucker & Kurucs for Hood, 2nd
Tucker for D.Powell or Richardson
Tucker & Exum for Barton, Bol
Tucker, Kurucs, Cousins for M.Leonard, Okpala, Silva
Tucker for Mathews, Gasol, Mckinnie
Tucker & Cuz for T.Brown, Wagner, Bonga
With Cuz, Dipo, Tucker & Exum, the Rockets could be Gunslingers & Riverboat Gamblers at the TD
Barton and Bol? C’mon, that is a lot fir the Nuggets to give up.
Barton isn’t worth his contract & has a player option next season. They have Morris who is ready to go.
The complaint/story is: Porter isn’t helping Jokic with defense/rebounding. Tucker could possibly enable the Nuggets to play Porter,Jokic, Tucker lineups.
Maybe a 1st instead of Bol, it was hypothetical, and I was trying to stick to the for a player trade, like the article says, as much as possible. DEN doesn’t have a lot of Wiggle room with Harris & Barton contracts.
Victor Oladipo for John Collins (ATL)
PJ Tucker for Gary Trent Jr (Port) +picks
Maclemore & Gordon for LaMelo Ball (Cha)
Waive Cousins, he’s not much of a trade bait.
This will give us a good group of young players going forward.
You think you are getting LaMelo Ball for Ben McLemore and Eric Gordon?
I appreciate that you love your team, but none of those trades are even remotely fair.
Got ya…The NBA is now fair in it’s individual teams business moves. Uni-brow to the Lakers so they could load up for Bron was fair, and I guess Kawhi, PG and Ibaka all to the Clippers were fair.. I get your point and you are absolutely correct.
(“I appreciate that you love your team”) who is my team?
Based on your deals being slanted toward the Rockets and the fact that your user name includes the word “Houston” well I’ll guess your team is the Raptors. Am I right?
This dude seriously thinks the Hornets are trading LaMelo Ball? That’s the dumbest comment I have ever seen. Delete this.
Here we go with the name calling, I thought opinions in comments were just that. why do I have to be dumb to post an opinion. I must be the dumbest engineer in my unit. Have fun, gonna find a more mature crowd to discuss my opinions with….
Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim
Why not trade Cousins for Jokic?
You have to try to trade Oladipo too. He’s good but he wants to go to Miami and the Rockets aren’t winning any time soon. They can lose him for nothing or get at least 2 first picks, or a young player plus a pick.
Trade him to Boston for two firsts. They seem desperate for depth.
Sixers will give you Terrance Ferguson and Tony Bradley plus a second round pick.
Bradley would be really handy for them as they lack depth at centre
That’s a great deal for HOU & I would advise they take it, if it’s offered. I like Bradley & Houston needs a Big. Ferguson is eh, the 2nd if by 2022 & unprotected is perfect if I’m the HOU FO.
I like that deal.
Yeah glad you like it. As a Philly fan, Tucker would be perfect for the locker room, plus he would be solid off the bench. Maxey Milton Korkmaz Thybulle Tucker Howard all off the bench lots of defence and shooting plus experience
Ferguson is awful. Rox says no
The best Houston can probably get is a disappointing former first rounders like maybe Langford from Boston.
Carsen Edwards and Romeo Langford been saying this for a while.
One must wonder what HOU is hoping to get from PJ… I mean he is gotta be the worst starting PF in the league, they should be happy to get rid of him for nothing, just not adding assets to get him off the door, right?
Can’t see many teams that he could even be part of the end of the bench, just not an NBA player.
Apparently everyone thinks he’s Dennis Rodman in 1996 or something… He’s a decent role player but that’s about it.
His soaring over-valuation stems from being the primary benefactor while playing with the James Harden Rockets. He’d help in Philly, Miami, Boston, BRK, TOR, POR, CHA, ORL, DAL.
Its a long list of possible takers, but still over-valued according to media reports.
Start high, settle in the middle somewhere.
I remember last year when he was one of the final cuts for the national team and everyone here couldn’t understand why he was even considered to be that good. If you just look at his stats they’re pretty bad except for his 3-point shooting, which has also been poor recently. But Tucker is still one of the best defenders in the NBA, that’s where his true value lies.
Tucker can help a lot of teams, but asking for a player that can also help Houston (now) could easily complicate what should be a relatively simple trade of an older veteran on an expiring contract.
Funny, they didn’t get much in the way of players for Harden, which would have been much easier. What happened to draft picks are the best currency?
Agreed. They’re trying to stay “competitive” in the west, but should accept that there’s going to be an extended dry spell with the powerhouses in the league. Get as young as possible and then run and gun.
140-135 win or lose (mostly) each night, but put butts in the seat.
A lot of commenters seem to think Tucker has much more value than he actually does. GMs aren’t racing to their phones to inquire about a <5 PPG player
Tucker wanted a contract from Rockets. They didn’t want to pay. And with Harden gone definitely not paying him. They are only team that owes him. No other team is paying him big. At 35 he can still help a contender. Excellent defender and rebounder. Can knock down threes. But how much can you expect to get when he’s leaving next yr. I’m sure they will take best offer. Whoever wants him most I guess.
Bucks pull the trigger now!