Veteran defensive ace PJ Tucker is frustrated that he hasn’t yet been traded from the Houston Rockets to a title contender, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon. Tucker was a healthy scratch in Thursday’s game at Sacramento, and the uncertainty regarding his personal situation could be an explanation as to why.
Head coach Stephen Silas will address Tucker’s status postgame.
Now 35 years old, Tucker is in the final year of his existing contract, and he appears to be a strong candidate to be traded before the NBA’s March 25 deadline. With the Rockets (11-24) having lost 14 consecutive games, which is the longest skid for the franchise in more than 20 years, there’s little reason for them to take the risk of him leaving for no compensation in the offseason. Moreover, Tucker — who hasn’t won an NBA title in his career — likely wants to compete in the 2021 playoffs.
Tucker is still valued immensely for his defense and leadership, but his lack of production on offense has appeared to limit one of the league’s worst offenses. The 6-foot-5 forward is averaging 4.4 points (36.6% FG, 31.4% on 3-pointers), 4.6 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 30.0 minutes per game, with all of those numbers the worst of his four seasons in Houston. However, many around the NBA believe that his production could be revived if placed around better players and in a contending environment.
Reporting w/ @espn_macmahon: As Rockets continue to discuss deals with several teams, P.J. Tucker is a healthy scratch vs. Kings and remains frustrated that he hasn’t been moved to a contender, sources said. It's unclear when Tucker will return to lineup before March 25 deadline.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2021
