Following veteran forward P.J. Tucker and the LA Clippers’ decision to part ways, three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas questioned Tucker’s reasoning. According to Arenas, the 2021 NBA champion should stop expecting to be treated like a bona fide starter and accept whatever role he can get.
On Sunday, the Clippers released a statement regarding their mutual agreement with Tucker to keep him away from the organization ahead of the 2024-25 season. The franchise noted that it will look to trade the 14-year veteran, highlighting his professionalism and career accomplishments.
“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.
“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.”
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LA acquired P.J. Tucker from the Philadelphia 76ers early last season in its blockbuster deal for star guard James Harden. Afterward, he struggled to carve out a consistent role with the team, expressing frustration with his limited playing time.
In early February, Tucker spoke with ESPN and Andscape about his desire to be traded, receiving a $75,000 fine from the NBA. However, his efforts proved futile, as the Clippers retained him past the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
Tucker has since exercised his $11.5 million player option for this season, making him the team’s fifth highest-paid player. However, according to Arenas, he is worth far less.
On Monday’s edition of “Gil’s Arena,” Arenas called out Tucker for carrying himself like a high-level starter, underscoring his bench player-caliber stats.
“You know who you are as a player,” Arenas said. “You started all 75 games last year [2022-23 season with Philadelphia], you averaged 3.5 [points per game]. You know you weren’t really a starter, just the situation you were in, you got to start. This year, came back, you weren’t a starter.”
Arenas likened P.J. Tucker to the latter’s ex-teammate, Milwaukee Bucks reserve forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Many believe Antetokounmpo is only in the NBA to appease his brother, Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and is essentially a glorified hype man.
Nevertheless, Arenas noted that Thanasis is more valuable than Tucker due to his positive attitude, referring to the latter as a locker room “poison.”
“You can be you or you can be ‘The Greek Freak’s’ brother,” Arenas said. “If I’ve gotta pay somebody $5 million, Thanasis will be paid $5 million before you, P.J. I’m sorry. How he presents himself, I know he’s not gonna poison the rest of the team.”
Despite Gilbert Arenas’ criticism, P.J. Tucker is far more accomplished than Thanasis Antetokounmpo
While P.J. Tucker, 39, has experienced a late-career production decline, he remains a far more accomplished player than Thanasis Antetokounmpo.
Tucker played a key role as a starter on Milwaukee’s 2021 championship team, while Antetokounmpo has never eclipsed 10 minutes per game in a season. Moreover, Tucker has garnered a reputation as one of the league’s best 3-and-D role players of the past decade.
However, time will tell whether a competitive team will be willing to take on Tucker’s sizeable expiring salary via trade. If not, perhaps he will consider a contract buyout later in the season.
Across 31 outings last season, P.J. Tucker averaged 1.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.4 3-pointers per game, shooting 36.0%.
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Edited by Tristan Rawcliffe
