PJ Tucker frustrated at not being traded; return to Houston Rockets uncertain

Houston Rockets striker PJ Tucker, increasingly frustrated that he has not yet been negotiated with a candidate, was a problem on Thursday night and uncertainty remains about when he will return to the team, sources told ESPN.

The Rockets have had several simultaneous business discussions with teams in the past few weeks involving Tucker, negotiations that are expected to result in a deal for Tucker before the March 25 deadline, the sources said.

Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets are among the teams that have discussed possible deals with the Rockets in recent weeks, the sources said.

So far, the Rockets’ preference for a young and productive player in trade negotiations has been an obstacle for teams, which are not willing to give up that type of asset to a 35-year-old player in an expiring contract, they said. the sources.

The Rockets are injured and fell 125 to 105 for the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night, for the 14th straight loss.

Tucker traveled with the Rockets to Sacramento and warmed up before the game, but he was not prepared to join the team on the bench. He had not been listed in the injury report.

Tucker, 35, was an essential player during his three and a half years with the Rockets, contributing significantly more than his average of 6.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game indicate. He always defended his opponent’s top scorer – playing as a center pivot, despite being only six feet tall during Houston’s small ball experiment last season – and served primarily as a 3-point corner threat that spaced the court offensively. Tucker is in the final season of a $ 32 million four-year contract. The Rockets did not guarantee the last year of the deal until February 2020.

Tucker, who played 267 consecutive games until an injured thigh took him off the pitch for two games in February, reported late to the training ground this fall and acknowledged that he felt devalued after discussions over an extension to the contract were halted.

The Rockets thought they were close to signing a two-year extension for $ 17 million with Tucker with a guaranteed $ 10 million, the sources said, but the Houston front office hesitated after Tucker opposed a proposal for a fully-fledged deal. two-year guaranteed loan worth $ 24 million.

Tucker has struggled this season amid the scramble of the Rockets squad after Russell Westbrook and James Harden’s negotiations, posting career casualties on points per game (4.4), field goal percentage (36.6%) and percentage of 3 points (31.4%).