Every NBA championship contender needs role players to get through the playoffs.
All teams need bruisers, guys who are willing to put their bodies on the line, get in everybody’s faces, and just grind every single minute they set foot on the court.
Notably, P.J. Tucker is the kind of player who checks all those boxes.
Tucker has made a living in the league for being the ultimate hustler, and undersized fighter who’ll never give up on any possession, a versatile defender, and even a trustworthy corner three-point shooter.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him land with yet another team this season.
He’s not getting much run with the Los Angeles Clippers, and a report by Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports states that the Washington Wizards could look to trade for him in a salary-dumping move.
Fischer adds that he’d become a prime buyout candidate and that both the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns would instantly become suitors for him as a free agent (via NBA Central):
“The Clippers’ P.J. Tucker remains a strong trade candidate, with the Wizards being mentioned as a possible landing spot, sources said. Washington would offer the opportunity of a buyout for Tucker. The Suns and Bucks are two teams considered as possible homes for Tucker if he were to become a free agent, sources said,” reported Fischer.
The Suns and Bucks are potential landing spots for PJ Tucker, per @JakeLFischer
“The Clippers’ P.J. Tucker remains a strong trade candidate, with the Wizards being mentioned as a possible landing spot, sources said. Washington would offer the opportunity of a buyout for Tucker.… pic.twitter.com/ta8URYBPpg
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 17, 2024
The former NBA champion is the ultimate journeyman, so he has a past with both franchises, even winning the title with Giannis and the Bucks in 2021.
Both teams have struggled to keep their opponents off the offensive glass and get stops, so he’d be a huge pickup, even at his age.
Tucker is currently averaging career-lows all over the board, averaging 1.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game on 14.4 minutes a night, making just 12 appearances for the Clippers this season, so he’d definitely welcome a chance to get more playing time somewhere else as he rides into the sunset.
NEXT: James Harden Gets Honest About His Future With Clippers