Frustrations & Trade Failure Force Clippers’ Star To Walk Away Until All-Star Break Ends

The Los Angeles Clippers are all set to face the Warriors on Wednesday, with the latest reports coming in about them sending away P.J Tucker home from their current trip. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Tucker will be away from the Clippers for some time to “reset” his mindset. He is expected to return possibly after the “All-Star” break ends.

Charania posted this on X: “Amid three months of frustrations, PJ Tucker will be away from the Los Angeles Clippers to reset mindset and is expected to rejoin the team after the All-Star break, sources say.”

Despite being healthy, Tucker has not played in a game since November 27. In his last six appearances for the Clippers before being benched, the 38-year-old scored no points. Nonetheless, the former NBA Champion has expressed frustration regarding restrictions on playing time.

The Clippers push and pull with PJ Tucker

For quite some time now, Tucker has felt ignored by the Clippers. He’s been a part of one of the best basketball teams these past couple of months and has probably been a bit disregarded. As the Clippers head to face the Warriors on Wednesday, it remains to be seen if Tucker can find his way back into the roster in the coming weeks.

P.J. Tucker is a defensive player, who may find it difficult to find a footing in a team loaded with veterans like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden.

He was traded from the 76ers as part of the James Harden deal earlier when the season began. And after playing just 12 games for the franchise, Tucker has been out of rotation since November 27. Right before the trade deadline, Tucker started to voice his opinions and frustration with the team, letting everyone know of his intentions of playing somewhere else, where people value his talent. Just recently, he took to Instagram to post the following words: “All this s**t is a f***ing joke”. This was right after he was kept within the team after the trade deadline was over.

He has a lot to contribute and has made it clear on many occasions that he wants a place where he is heard, rather than stay inside the locker room or be benched. “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,” Tucker said in an interview with Clutch Points in December. He also reiterated, “I know myself, my worth. I know what I bring….. 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.”

Read More: Destroyed Due to Russian Conflict, PJ Tucker Unloads His Sorrow on His Former Ukrainian Home

While it remains uncertain if Tucker will see a return to the rotation, the Clippers could benefit from his presence, particularly at the power forward position. With Leonard nursing a left adductor strain and facing ongoing injury concerns, the Clippers are proceeding cautiously. Integrating Tucker into a role with limited minutes might help alleviate Leonard’s workload as the season progresses.

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