Celebrate P.J. Tucker’s Utah Jazz tenure while you can.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported Sunday the Jazz are looking to trade Tucker and his $11.5 million expiring salary in a move that would see them absorb more money in return for draft assets.
Should a trade fail to materialize, Utah is expected to strike a buyout with the 39-year-old forward, per Scotto.
The Jazz acquired Tucker along with center Mo Bamba, a future second-round pick and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Patty Mills and forward Drew Eubanks last Saturday. They have already waived Bamba and it’s only a matter of time before Tucker is out the door as well.
Finding a suitor for the 6’5″ forward may not be easy between now and Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline, though Utah’s willingness to take on additional salary will help.
Tucker has yet to appear in a game this season. The Clippers announced in October he’d be away from the team while they tried to pursue any trade avenues.
Along with having to shake off some rust as a result of his extended break from the court, Tucker’s performance the last two seasons has left something to be desired. Between spells with the Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, he averaged 3.0 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 38.9 percent from three-point range.
Tucker found a great niche with the Houston Rockets as a small-ball 4 for head coach Mike D’Antoni, and he even played some center when D’Antoni sacrificed size for athleticism and switchability.
But those days are getting further and further into the past. Tucker was a good rebounder and defender with Philadelphia and Los Angeles, but that wasn’t enough to outweigh what limited value he provided offensively.
For a contending team, maybe it makes sense to trade for Tucker as a cost-savings maneuver in the hope he has something left in the tank for the second half of the season.
Otherwise, waiting until the Jazz buy him out seems the better low-risk play.
Joseph Zucker
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