P.J. Tucker away from Clippers as they work toward split ahead of the season

P.J. Tucker’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers is apparently over.

The Clippers announced on Sunday that the veteran forward will be away from the team “for the time being” while they work to “find the best situation for him moving forward.”

The Clippers first acquired Tucker last season as part of their deal to land James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers. Tucker didn’t play much in Los Angeles last year once that deal was done, either. He appeared in 28 games, mostly off the bench, and averaged just 1.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15 minutes per contest.

Tucker, who turned 39 earlier this year, picked up his $11.5 million player option with the team for this season. It’s unclear what the Clippers and Tucker will agree to with their split, or which team will be willing to buy him out of his deal to sign him. Tucker has not played with the Clippers so far in the preseason this fall, and he was the only player on the team not at their media day.

Tucker, who the Toronto Raptors first selected in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft out of Texas, returned to the NBA ahead of the 2012-13 campaign after spending five seasons playing professionally abroad. He’s spent time with the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat before he arrived in Philadelphia in 2022. In total, Tucker has averaged 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 883 games in his career. He won a championship with the Bucks in 2021, too.

The Clippers will open their season against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23.