The Los Angeles Clippers have traded PJ Tucker, Mo Bamba, a future second-round pick and cash to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills. The deal, announced Saturday, is basically a salary dump for the Clippers, which ends a yearlong saga with Tucker in L.A. that started with him publicly expressing he wanted a trade in February 2024.
Tucker has not played a game this season for the Clippers, as the two sides mutually agreed that he would remain away from the team while L.A. figured out a situation for his future. Essentially, the Clippers were paying Tucker to stay away from the team until they found a trade for him. Now they’ve found it, where the Jazz will take on Tucker’s expiring $11.5 million contract, as well as Bamba’s $2 million expiring contract.
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Tucker could be viewed as a buyout candidate, as it’s difficult to see the Jazz wanting to keep him for the remainder of the season, as he would likely rather play on a championship-contending team with the hopes of being a contributing player. While Tucker hasn’t seen a ton of playing time over the past two seasons, he’s not too far removed from being a significant piece on two NBA Finals teams — one of which he helped win a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tucker is now 39, so there’s valuable concern about picking up a player his age who hasn’t played significant minutes in some time. However, if Utah does buy him out, a contending team could see it as less of a risk to take a flier on him at a significantly lower price than the $11.5 million he’s making for the rest of the season.
Bamba has only seen action in 28 games this season, averaging just 12.6 minutes off the bench, and now heads to a Utah team where finding playing time will also be difficult behind Walker Kessler and rookie Kyle Filipowski. Bamba could also be a buyout candidate after the trade deadline, but that depends on how the Jazz view his importance on this roster. He’s also on an expiring contract, so there’s no harm in keeping him for the remainder of the season, but given the glutton of big men the Jazz currently have — unless another trade is in the pipeline — it’s difficult to see Bamba’s place on this team.
For the Clippers, they get off one disgruntled player’s contract, and save some money for a future trade at the deadline or on the buyout market. It also brings the Clippers below the luxury tax, which is a win in itself under this new CBA that is incredibly restrictive to high-spending teams. By trading both Tucker, Bamba and some cash, L.A. now falls $4 million below the tax.
The Clippers also get a backup big man in Eubanks who can be serviceable off the bench, and if he doesn’t work out, then they haven’t committed too much as he’s on an expiring contract. Mills is a savvy veteran guard who didn’t see the court much in Utah, but could be of more use on the Clippers. He’s also on an expiring contract, so there’s no concern about being pot committed to either of these players.
Regardless of how much use the Clippers get out of Eubanks and Mills, though, this is a win from a financial standpoint and suggests that L.A. isn’t done dealing before the trade deadline on Feb. 6.
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