P.J. Tucker

Jimmy Butler Headed To Warriors, Agrees To Extension

February 5th, 2025 at 7:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors will acquire Jimmy Butler from the Heat in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson and a protected first-round pick, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Pistons are also involved in the trade and will receive Lindy Waters III from Golden State and Josh Richardson from Miami, Charania tweets.

Schröder, meanwhile, is heading to Utah, which was first reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). P.J. Tucker, whom the Jazz acquired over the weekend, will be sent to Miami, sources tell Charania (Twitter link). Tucker played for the Heat during the 2021/22 season.

It was originally slated to be a five-team deal with Anderson going to the Raptors, but that part fell through, sources tell Charania (Twitter links). He adds that Miami is currently holding onto Anderson, who has an $8.78MM salary and one more guaranteed year left on his contract after this season.

Miami will have a full 15-man roster if Anderson isn’t moved elsewhere before the trade deadline, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Charania reports that Butler has agreed to a two-year, maximum-salary extension with the Warriors that will run through the 2026/27 season. As part of that deal, which projects to be worth $111MM, he will decline his $52.4MM player option for next season.

An inability to work out an extension is the major reason that Butler was unhappy in Miami. He had been suspended three times over the past month and was away from the team as the front office tried to find an acceptable offer before Thursday’s deadline.

Butler, a six-time All-Star who had averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on .540/.361/.801 shooting in 25 games for Miami this season, had requested a trade in hopes of going to a team that was willing to make a long-term commitment.

Phoenix was widely reported to be his preferred destination, but the Suns were unable to work out a trade involving Bradley Beal, who holds a no-trade clause, and were apparently unwilling to make a deal with Miami that included Kevin Durant. As a result, Butler will instead join a Warriors team that was one of four clubs initially said to be on his wish list back in December and will get the extension he was seeking all along.

Under his new deal, Butler will earn a projected $54.13MM next season and $56.83MM in 2026/27, according to salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). Gozlan notes that adding Butler ensures that the Warriors will continue to have a large payroll, and they’ll be deep in luxury tax territory if they re-sign restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.

Butler has a $407,123 trade bonus that would increase his current salary to $49.2MM, Gozlan adds. However, Butler may need to waive that trade bonus to help Golden State fill out its roster and remain under the first apron, per Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

Without accounting for the bonus, the team projects to be $1.8MM below the apron with 11 players under contract. The Warriors will have to fill at least three of their four open roster spots within two weeks. Marks states that it’s possible, but the timing of each signing will be important.

The Heat had an opportunity to duck beneath the tax threshold, according to Gozlan (Twitter link), but that won’t happen if they hold onto Anderson. According to Marks (Twitter link), Miami is currently $7.8MM above the tax line and $3.1MM over the first apron.

Miami will receive the Warriors’ 2025 first-round pick with top-10 protection, sources tell Zach Lowe (Twitter link). The same protection will be in effect for 2026 if the pick doesn’t convey this year. In the unlikely event it lands in the top 10 in each of the next two years, it would be unprotected in 2027.

The Heat had reportedly been opposed to taking back salary that extended beyond the 2025/26 season, but were willing to make an exception for Wiggins, who holds a $30.2MM player option for ’26/27. At his best, the former No. 1 overall pick is an impact two-way player capable of being a secondary scorer on offense and handling challenging defensive assignments on the other end of the court.

Wiggins is averaging 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 30.1 minutes per game across 43 outings this season, with a .444/.379/.777 shooting line.

The Pistons will receive a second-round pick from Golden State for taking on Waters’ and Richardson’s expiring minimum contracts, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, who doesn’t offer any more specifics on the pick.

Detroit currently has 14 players under contract but also reached a deal to acquire KJ Martin from Philadelphia in addition to Waters and Richardson. Depending on the order in which the Pistons complete their reported deals, they’ll need to waive one or two players from their current roster.

It’s worth noting that the Pistons could theoretically fit Martin into their $8MM room exception and take on Waters and Richardson using the minimum salary exception, which means their $14MM in cap room could still be used for a separate trade before they complete their two reported agreements. We’ll see if that ends up happening before Thursday’s deadline.

As part of the Tucker-Schröder swap of expiring contracts, the Jazz will receive the more favorable 2031 second-round pick from the Heat or Pacers, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

This week’s latest mega-deal seems to ensure that Kevin Durant will remain with the Suns past the deadline. The Warriors and Heat were reportedly the teams making the strongest effort to get Phoenix to part with Durant.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Scotto’s Latest: DFS, Grimes, Kleber, Toppin, Jazz

February 2nd, 2025 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers‘ acquisition of Luka Doncic in the three-team blockbuster with the Mavericks and Jazz could improve their odds of retaining veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto previously reported that Finney-Smith was expected to decline his $15.4MM option for next season in order to enter unrestricted free agency. Doncic and Finney-Smith, who was acquired from the Nets this season, are close friends. Doncic will undoubtedly lobby the Lakers’ front office to retain Finney-Smith, Scotto notes.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Mavericks‘ acquisition of young guard Max Christie along with Anthony Davis in the trade could impact Quentin Grimes‘ status with the organization. Grimes, who reportedly declined a three-year rookie scale extension offer prior to the October deadline, has become a key contributor, averaging 10.2 points per game while shooting 46.7% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc. He’ll become eligible for restricted free agency this summer, while Christie is signed through 2027/28, including a player option.
Prior to adding current injured Maxi Kleber to the Doncic deal, the Mavericks held exploratory talks involving Kleber with the Pacers. Dallas had its eyes on power forward Obi Toppin. Kleber is signed through the 2025/26 season and if he’s not dealt again prior to Thursday’s deadline, he’ll become a more valuable trade asset for the Lakers in the offseason when he’ll have an expiring $11MM contract.
The Jazz, who facilitated the Doncic/Davis trade, are expected to remain active ahead of the trade deadline. Utah is looking to flip veteran forward P.J. Tucker, who was acquired from the Clippers on Saturday, for another team’s salary dump to land more future draft assets. Tucker will be bought out of his $11.54MM contract if he’s not traded. John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton have all come up in trade discussions. Walker Kessler has also drawn interest but the Jazz’s high price tag makes it unlikely he’ll be dealt this week.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Horford, Tucker, Trade Deadline, Pritchard

February 1st, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

With everybody healthy for Friday’s game against New Orleans, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla tinkered with his closing lineup, according to to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Mazzulla rotated his centers in the final minutes of the two-point victory, using Kristaps Porzingis when Boston had the ball and Al Horford when the team was on defense.

“Just different looks,” Mazzulla explained. “We need to play different ways, different coverages. Give them different ones. We just needed to change the matchup and give them a different coverage, looking to take away the three and so just kind of do that.”

Terada notes that Porzingis played well defensively, collecting three steals and four blocks. However, Mazzulla opted to use Horford in key defensive possessions because he’s more effective in closing out on perimeter shooters.

“For me, nothing changed,” Porzingis said. “We trust Al and he comes in for defense and when my name gets called, I’m always ready. Nothing changed.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

P.J. Tucker could wind up being an option on the buyout market after today’s Clippers-Jazz trade, Terada suggests in a separate story. Tucker hasn’t played yet this season, but he’s a tough defender with a lot of playoff experience. As a second apron team, the Celtics are limited in the buyout candidates they can pursue, but they’re eligible to sign Tucker because his $11.5MM salary is below the $12.8MM mid-level exception. Boston has kept a roster spot open since the start of the season.
In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive puts the chances of a Celtics trade by the deadline at 95%. Robb says it’s possible the team could move Jaden Springer to reduce its luxury tax bill, even though he’s been an important contributor lately. Beyond that, Robb sees a need to upgrade from Springer, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman on the wing, as well as Xavier Tillman in the frontcourt.
Payton Pritchard has become famous for his success on long-distance shots at the end of quarters, but he’s proving there’s a lot more to his game than that, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Holmes examines how Pritchard has been able to work his way up from a little-used reserve to become a point of emphasis for opposing coaches on a team filled with stars. “Every day, I’m trying to prove that I can still reach another level,” he said. “I can still show people what I’m trying to become. That’s why I’m always challenging the best that we have — like Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum). I’m trying to become as good as them one day. That’s why I challenge them. I’m trying to keep taking steps to better myself, which, at the end of the day, is only going to better our team.”

Clippers Trade Tucker, Bamba To Jazz For Eubanks, Mills

February 1st, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Tristan Tucker

2:18 pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from both teams.

11:39 am: The Clippers are trading forward P.J. Tucker, center Mohamed Bamba, a future second-round pick and cash to the Jazz for big man Drew Eubanks and guard Patty Mills, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The second-rounder is the Clippers’ 2030 pick, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It’s a cost-cutting move for the Clippers, who will dip below the luxury tax line by swapping Tucker ($11.54MM) out for Eubanks ($5MM). Both Bamba ($2.1MM) and Mills ($2.1MM) are on expiring minimum-salary contracts.

Los Angeles had been operating about $2.47MM above the tax line, but will move below it by approximately $4.07MM as a result of this deal.

Besides generating significant savings this season, the move could financially benefit the team in the long run, since it’s a first step toward resetting the repeater taxpayer clock after spending the previous four years in tax territory.

The Clippers will also create trade exceptions worth $6.54MM and $2.1MM as a result of the deal, as cap experts Yossi Gozlan and Marks note (Twitter links).

Tucker was originally acquired in the trade that brought James Harden to Los Angeles. He only appeared in 28 regular season games (along with two playoff outings) with the franchise in 2023/24.

In February 2024, Tucker spent time away from the team just before the All-Star break. The forward was unhappy with his playing time, but was not traded before last year’s deadline and had a player option worth $11.54MM that made him an unrealistic buyout candidate.

Tucker picked up that option during the 2024 offseason, since he would have had no chance to earn that sort of guaranteed money on the free agent market. Los Angeles was expected to part ways with Tucker over the summer, but a trade or waiver didn’t come to fruition at that time. In October 2024, he and the Clippers mutually agreed that he would remain away from the team while the sides worked toward finding him a new home.

Approximately 15 months after he first arrived in Los Angeles, Tucker has finally been traded and now looks like a prime buyout candidate. The 39-year-old didn’t suit up at all this year for the Clippers and seems unlikely to play for the Jazz either. It’s reasonable to assume that Tucker would prefer to play for a contender with an opportunity to contribute, unless both he and Utah are happy with keeping him in a mentorship role.

Tucker started 75 games for the 54-win Sixers in 2022/23 and 70 games for the 53-win Heat in ’21/22. Any team would be eligible to sign him if he’s bought out since his pre-waiver salary of $11.54MM is lower than the $12.8MM mid-level exception.

Eubanks, who turns 28 today, has seen the most action this season of any the four players involved in the deal. He’ll give the Clippers a new look in the frontcourt. In 37 games (four starts) this season, he has averaged 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per night.

Eubanks signed with the Jazz this past summer on a two-year deal worth $9.75MM. However, the $4.75MM he’s due next year is fully non-guaranteed, giving Los Angeles some extra flexibility.

Mills was holding the Jazz veteran slot that Tucker could potentially take over. The 36-year-old split last season between Atlanta and Miami before signing in Utah. He has appeared in 17 games in 2024/25, averaging 4.4 points per contest. According to Murray (Twitter link), the Clippers plan to keep Mills on the roster for now. It’s possible that changes, however, depending on what additional moves the team might make at the trade deadline or on the buyout market.

Bamba signed with the Clippers during the summer of 2024. He appeared in 28 games with Los Angeles, making two starts and recording averages of 4.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.0 BPG. The former lottery pick is still just 26 years old and could get a look down the stretch from the Jazz, perhaps claiming Eubanks’ spot on the depth chart.

Scotto’s Latest: Clippers, Boucher, Brown, Nurkic

January 28th, 2025 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers are currently operating about $2.5MM above the luxury tax threshold and would like to duck below that line at the trade deadline, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

That’s not surprising, given that the Clippers were a taxpayer in each of the previous four seasons and are now subject to repeater taxpayer penalties. Getting out of tax territory wouldn’t just save them from paying repeater rates in 2024/25 — it would also be the first step toward resetting the repeater clock for future seasons.

Clippers forward P.J. Tucker and guard Bones Hyland are the team’s two most obvious trade chips in any cost-cutting deal. Both players are on expiring contracts, with Tucker – who has been away from the team – earning $11.5MM, while Hyland – who has had a very limited role – making $4.2MM. Scotto classifies both players as “available,” which feels like an understatement. i don’t expect either player could be moved without a sweetener.

According to Scotto, a best-case scenario for the Clippers would be to duck the tax while also adding a backup big man to fortify their depth chart. If they’re able to create an open spot on their 15-man roster and have enough room below the tax, second-year forward Jordan Miller remains a candidate to be promoted from his two-way deal, as Scotto previously reported.

Scotto adds that the Clippers are looking to avoid taking on any contracts that run beyond 2025/26, since they’re prioritizing cap flexibility for the summer of ’26.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Nuggets, Clippers, and Knicks are among the teams to register some level of interest in Raptors big man Chris Boucher, Scotto reports. Boucher is on an expiring $10.8MM contract.
Scotto confirms that Raptors wing Bruce Brown, who has a $23MM expiring contract, is a candidate to be included in a multi-team Jimmy Butler trade, as has been previously reported. There are a number of playoff-caliber teams hoping that Brown ends up being bought out after the deadline instead, Scotto adds.
The Suns are exploring the possibility of attaching one of their newly acquired first-round picks to center Jusuf Nurkic in order to land a quality rotation player via trade, sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto says Phoenix doesn’t view Nurkic as a salary dump and believes he’ll have more value on the trade market in the summer as he enters the final year of his contract. While I agree he may be easier to move in the summer, it’s hard to imagine Nurkic having positive or even neutral trade value at that point due to his $19.4MM cap hit for 2025/26.

Trade Rumors: Kuminga, Nets, Sixers, Murphy, Springer, Tucker

October 25th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Kuminga was believed to be seeking a maximum-salary or near-max contract ahead of Monday’s rookie scale extension deadline, which is why he and the Warriors didn’t agree to terms on a deal, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said today on the B/R App. However, Fischer believes Golden State will be comfortable paying Kuminga big money if he shows this season that his impressive stretch from January to March was no fluke and continues to take strides toward stardom.

“The Warriors will be happy to pay Jonathan Kuminga that top dollar if that sample size is stretched out over the entire course of the 2024/25 season,” Fischer said.

Still, Fischer noted that Kuminga isn’t necessarily a lock to remain with the Warriors long-term and suggested two potential suitors worth keeping an eye on for the fourth-year forward (video clip).

One is no surprise: Brooklyn is currently the only team projected to have maximum-salary cap room and Fischer says Kuminga has “come up” in past trade talks between the Nets and Warriors. The Nets aren’t necessarily specifically targeting the 22-year-old, Fischer clarifies, but their cap situation makes them a potential threat when Kuminga reaches restricted free agency, especially since general manager Sean Marks has shown a willingness in the past to sign RFAs to lucrative offer sheets.

The other team worth watching, according to Fischer, is the Sixers, who would only have a chance to acquire Kuminga on the trade market. Philadelphia has conveyed a willingness to give up draft capital to add another impact player, Fischer explains, and could use KJ Martin‘s pseudo-expiring contract as a salary-matching piece.

That sort of deal may not appeal to the Warriors, and acquiring Kuminga and then paying him in free agency would result in a massive payroll in 2025/26 and beyond for the 76ers, who already have three players on maximum-salary contracts. But Fischer suggests Philadelphia has “a lot of willingness” to go deep into luxury tax territory for the right opportunity to “cement (their) title window.”

Here are a few more trade notes and rumors from around the league:

According to Fischer, Trey Murphy was another player believed to be on the Nets‘ and Sixers‘ radars as a potential free agent and trade target, respectively, but he’s off the table after signing a four-year, $112MM extension with the Pelicans.
After identifying Celtics guard Jaden Springer as a trade candidate last week, Fischer reiterated that point in his rumor round-up on Friday, noting that moving Springer at or before the February trade deadline would create tax savings for Boston and would open up a roster spot for Lonnie Walker or another player. Fischer added that the Celtics recently called a number of teams to gauge Springer’s trade value.
The Sixers, Heat, Bucks, and Suns are among the teams that have spoken to P.J. Tucker‘s representation about a possible trade, sources tell Kelly Iko and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). As we relayed on Thursday, the Clippers have granted Tucker’s agent Andre Buck permission to talk to potential trade partners to try to find his client a new home, but the veteran forward’s $11.54MM cap hit will make it difficult to find a deal that works for L.A.

Pacific Notes: Tucker, Clippers, Kuminga, Durant

October 24th, 2024 at 6:44pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Following reports earlier this month that P.J. Tucker would remain away from the team, the Clippers granted permission for Tucker’s agent Andre Buck to speak with other clubs in order to facilitate a trade, according to NBA insider Chris B. Haynes (Twitter link). The two sides will continue to work together to find a new home for Tucker as he remains away from the Clippers.

As we noted in early October, it may be difficult to find a trade that is palatable for all sides involved considering Tucker is due $11.54MM this season and played sparingly last season. Tucker was originally traded to the Clippers early last season as part of the deal that sent James Harden to Los Angeles. However, he was unhappy with his limited new role, spending some time away from the team last season and even publicly discussing his desire to be traded.

Tucker and his expiring contract could hold appeal for a team looking to shed long-term salary or a contending team looking for defensive depth. However, he may very well need to be bought out in order to switch teams, something he’s seemingly been unwilling to do to this point.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

A former Clippers strength and conditioning coach, Randy Shelton, is suing the team and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for wrongful termination, among other things, according to NBA insider Chris B. Haynes (Twitter link). The staffer claims he was fired for complaining that Kawhi Leonard was being subject to unsafe and illegal treatments for his injuries over the years. The Clippers issued a statement refuting the claim. “Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit,” the statement reads (Twitter link via Haynes). “We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full. This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.” In a separate statement to Haynes, Shelton’s team responded. “We hope that our client’s lawsuit will serve as a wakeup call to the Clippers organization that their players are not just dollar values, but are humans requiring proper – and not hastened – health and recovery treatment for the careers and lives afterwards,” John David, one of Shelton’s representatives, said (Twitter link).
Shelton previously worked alongside Leonard at San Diego State and the Spurs, and he alleges that he was part of a multi-year effort to recruit the six-time All-Star to the Clippers that “leapt well beyond the bounds of the NBA constitution.” According to an ESPN story from Ramona Shelburne and Baxter Holmes, he is seeking “significant” but unspecified damages.
Because he didn’t agree to an extension before the regular season, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga enters the final year of his contract with some variability in terms of what his next contract looks like, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Kuminga recently addressed the lack of an extension: “I’m not really concerned about it. I’m just concerned about coming out here and performing every other day. I ain’t really thinking about that. The time came and nothing happened. So I’m not very concerned about it much anymore. I can just be me and not think about it. I’ve been through so much. A lot of people don’t know me, don’t know what I’ve been through. There’s not too many things that can break me.”
In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Suns star forward Kevin Durant said he doesn’t think about the hypothetical records he could have broken or added to if he hadn’t miss a season-and-a-half from 2019-21 due to an Achilles injury. “Nah, I never looked at it as, ‘Man, what if I had gotten this many points?’ It’s all part of the journey,” Durant said. “Getting hurt is a part of the journey. Getting hurt is a part of basketball. It’s something that I can [understand]. There’s some adversity that you need to go through in order for you to understand what this really means. I think those injuries were one of those things for me.“

P.J. Tucker Away From Clippers Indefinitely

October 6th, 2024 at 2:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Clippers and P.J. Tucker have mutually agreed that the veteran forward will remain away from the team indefinitely, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (via Twitter), L.A. is working with Tucker’s agent to try find a new situation for the former NBA champ.

“We’ve had ongoing conversations with P.J. throughout the offseason and have both decided that he won’t be with the team for the time being,” the Clippers said in a statement, first shared by Spears. “P.J. is a pro who has achieved a lot in his career and there’s more he wants to accomplish. We will continue working with P.J. and his representative to find the best situation for him moving forward.”

It sounds like the two sides will try to find a trade involving Tucker’s expiring $11.54MM contract, but given his recent production, a buyout may be the inevitable outcome.

As Law Murray of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), Tucker – who was a healthy scratch during the Clippers’ Saturday preseason bout against the Warriors – was the lone L.A. player to not attend the team’s media day festivities last Monday.

The 6’5″ combo forward had an effective run as a venerated three-and-D role player on playoff teams in Houston, Miami and Milwaukee. Tucker won his lone NBA championship to date as a member of the Bucks in 2021 — a trade deadline addition that year, he came off the bench down the stretch for Milwaukee, then was elevated to the starting lineup during the team’s postseason title run.

The Texas alum was traded to the Clippers from the Sixers early in the 2023/24 season as part of the deal that also landed James Harden in Los Angeles. Tucker subsequently had his least productive season since his rookie year in 2006/07, serving as a fringe rotation player in L.A. and appearing in just 28 games for the team, including none for nearly three months from late November to late February.

Tucker spent some time away from the Clippers last season after word broke that he was unhappy with his situation in L.A. He was fined by the NBA in February for publicly expressing a desire to be traded. While there was a sense after he exercised his player option for 2024/25 in June that the Clippers might part ways with Tucker over the offseason, reporting in August indicated he was likely to open the season with the team.

Tucker, 39, averaged a career-worst 1.7 points per game in 31 total appearances for the Sixers and Clippers, adding 2.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.5 steals in 15.7 minutes per contest. However, as a deep-bench piece on a more favorable contract, the aging pro could still add value to a contending franchise as a versatile frontcourt defender.

Even during his most prolific offensive season, 2013/14 with the Suns, Tucker averaged a fairly modest 9.4 points on .431/.387/.776 shooting, along with 6.5 boards, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He finished 12th in Defensive Player of the Year voting that season.

L.A. Notes: Harden, Tucker, Porter, LeBron, Redick

October 4th, 2024 at 4:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Following the offseason departure of Paul George, Clippers star James Harden knows he’ll have an increased workload in 2024/25. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the 35-year-old said he’s in great shape (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic).

“I’m on pace,” Harden said. “At the start of the season I’m gonna be … in the best shape I’ve been in in five, six, seven years. I don’t really wanna talk, I just wanna go out there and show it. I feel like I’ve been talking too much.”

A 10-time All-Star and former NBA MVP, Harden averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 8.5 APG and 1.1 SPG on .428/.381/.878 shooting in 72 games with Los Angeles last season. He re-signed with the Clips on a two-year, $70MM deal over the summer, including a player option for 2025/26.

Here’s more on the two Los Angeles-based teams:

Clippers forward P.J. Tucker, who exercised his $11.54MM player option for ’24/25 over the summer, was not present for the team’s media day, tweets Murray of The Athletic. It’s unclear if Tucker’s absence was a mutual decision or a sign of a deeper disconnect, but the 39-year-old was unhappy with his limited role last season after being sent to the Clips in the Harden deal. For what it’s worth, Tucker is with the team at its training camp in Hawai’i, Murray notes (via Twitter).
Kevin Porter Jr. is grateful the Clippers gave him what could be his last chance after he was out of the NBA last season, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Porter reached a plea agreement of a third-degree reckless assault misdemeanor in January after having been originally charged last fall with felony counts of assault and strangulation following an altercation with his former girlfriend in New York. He may still face discipline from the NBA, which is investigating the case. “I’m accountable for whatever comes, the league is going to do what the league does and I’m ready for it,” Porter said. “I’ve been getting ready for this season and nothing else really is going to provoke that.”
Lakers superstar LeBron James will sit out Friday’s preseason opener vs. Minnesota for rest purposes but is expected to play in Sunday’s contest vs. Phoenix, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, James is the oldest player in the league for the second straight season, turning 40 years old in December. James played for Team USA over the summer, helping the Americans win a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris.
In an interesting feature for ESPN, Ramona Shelburne takes a look at how LeBron’s decision to sign with the Lakers back in 2018 was influenced by the “standard of care” the organization showed during Kobe Bryant‘s final years — and how the team wants to avoid having the end of James’ career play out like Kobe’s did, with the team unable to surround its franchise icon with a roster capable of championship contention. Of course, the current iteration of the Lakers has a much higher floor than the group that won 65 total games in Bryant’s last three NBA seasons, thanks in large part to the fact that LeBron continues to play at such a high level.
New Lakers head coach J.J. Redick is earning early rave reviews from his players. Rui Hachimura and Bronny James cited the fact that Redick was in the NBA so recently as a key reason why it’s been easy to connect with him (Twitter links via Mike Trudell and McMenamin), while D’Angelo Russell lauded the first-year coach’s “high IQ,” per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Clippers Preparing To Retain P.J. Tucker Into Regular Season?

August 16th, 2024 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers are preparing for the possibility that veteran forward P.J. Tucker will still be on their roster when the regular season begins, league sources tell Law Murray of The Athletic.

Tucker, who had a limited role in Los Angeles last season after arriving from Philadelphia in the James Harden trade, picked up his $11.54MM player option for the 2024/25 season in June.

Murray previously reported that L.A. was expected to part ways with the 13-year NBA veteran this offseason, either by trading or waiving him. However, moving Tucker’s expiring contract in a salary-dump trade would almost certainly require the Clippers to attach more valuable assets, given his negative trade value.

There aren’t many teams around the league who are in position to take on Tucker’s $11.54MM salary and the Clippers likely don’t feel as much urgency to move off the contract at this point, given that they’ve already used their bi-annual exception and most of their mid-level exception — removing Tucker’s deal from their books wouldn’t really create much practical spending flexibility.

While Murray suggests that a deal is unlikely to happen before training camp, Tucker remains a strong candidate to be moved at some point before the February trade deadline. His expiring salary could be used for matching purposes to help accommodate a mid-season move for the Clippers.

Tucker appeared in just 28 regular season games for Los Angeles in 2023/24, averaging 1.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per contest, and he wasn’t used until Game 5 of the club’s first-round playoff series vs. Dallas.

During his best years in Houston, Tucker was a tough, switchable frontcourt defender who had the quickness to guard out to the perimeter and the strength to match up against bigger players. He was also a threat to knock down corner threes on offense. Now 39 years old, the forward is no longer as effective a three-and-D contributor and doesn’t command serious attention from opposing defenses — he averaged just 1.6 shot attempts per game in 2023/24.

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