Clippers veteran P.J. Tucker has been fined $75k by the NBA for his public comments in which he basically asked to be traded.
The NBA announced on Thursday that it fined Tucker the hefty amount “for public comments reported during the week of February 5 expressing a desire to be traded to another team.”
Tucker told ESPN before the trade deadline that he was “actively trying to get traded.”
He also affirmed his desire to be traded to Andscape during the week of the trade deadline.
“I want to be somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all,” Tucker said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen but I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping to go somewhere else, whether I get bought out and choose where I go or where I can play.”
LA are absolutely stacked this season with All-Star veterans Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden, so Tucker has only played in three games.
The 38-year-old didn’t get his wish as the Clippers didn’t trade him, and he spoke openly about his frustration regarding his situation this week.
“No, not necessarily because I feel like I shouldn’t have to go through this,” Tucker told C/P’s Tom Azarly. “I didn’t ask to be here. I didn’t ask for and I didn’t demand a trade to be here.”
LAC coach Ty Lue took a friendly jab at the veteran following his comments.
“When you’ve got guys like PJ, who have another year left on his deal, he can ride off into the sunset, he’s 70 years old,” Lue said. “But he wants to play, he wants to compete. And so you understand that you want guys like that.”
A buyout for P.J. doesn’t seem very likely, considering he is making $11 million this season, so him and his giant shoe collection may well be stuck in LA.
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