P. J. Tucker’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers is all but over now. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Tucker and the Clippers have mutually agreed for the veteran to step away and Gilbert Arenas had an interesting reaction to that news on Gil’s Arena.
“If I gotta pay somebody $5 million, Thanasis (Antetokounmpo) will be paid $5 million before you PJ,” Arenas said. “I’m sorry. How he presents himself, I know he’s not going to poison the rest of the team.”
“You should be more of Thanasis than acting like James Harden is all I’m saying,” Arenas stated. “You was a champion. Now you’re disgruntled. The damn Clippers are saying they don’t want you. The Clippers.”
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Tucker has poisoned the locker room, but the way he has carried himself since being traded to the Clippers in 2023 has been far from ideal. He has complained about not getting enough playing time and even vocally expressed his desire to be traded back in February, which netted him a $75,000 fine.
You wouldn’t want that kind of character on the team, especially when they’re no longer good enough to play significant minutes like Tucker. The 39-year-old averaged 1.7 points 2.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in 2023-24 for the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
I admire the fact that Tucker, who opted into his $11.54 million player option for 2024-25, still wants to play, but at this point, the best way he can provide value to a team is by being a mentor to younger players. He doesn’t seem to be interested in doing that, though, so I’d probably prefer paying Thanasis Antetokounmpo over him too like Arenas.
While Antetokounmpo, who averaged 0.9 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game in 2023-24, isn’t going to have much of an impact on the court, he has proven to be a great locker room presence for the Milwaukee Bucks. He doesn’t cause any fuss over playing time and is the ideal candidate for that final roster spot.
Antetokounmpo is currently unsigned, though, as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon. The 32-year-old suffered the injury back in May and it remains to be seen when he’ll be able to get back on the court. Antetokounmpo wouldn’t be worried about finding a team, though, as the Bucks will almost certainly re-sign him to appease his brother Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Ron Harper Took A Shot At Gilbert Arenas
Arenas’ take on Tucker went viral on X and eventually came to the attention of former NBA player Ron Harper. Harper reacted to it by ruthlessly stating that Arenas certainly would know about being a poisonous presence in the locker room.
“He should know about poison a locker room.”
I’d say Arenas certainly caused more problems than Tucker. He infamously brought a gun into the Washington Wizards locker room in December 2009 and was suspended for the rest of the season because of it.
So, this certainly comes across as the pot calling the kettle black. Still, while the messenger might not be the right one, the message isn’t outrageous. I would say this was one of the more sensible takes that Arenas has dished out recently.
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