The Clippers made one of the first moves of trade deadline week on Saturday, upgrading their frontcourt with big man Drew Eubanks in a deal with the Utah Jazz. The swap was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.com. The Clippers landed Eubanks and guard Patty Mills in exchange for forward P.J. Tucker, Mo Bamba, a future second-round pick and cash.
The move accomplishes a few goals for the teams involved. The Clippers dump some salary in Tucker, which will help them avoid the luxury tax for the time being. They also get an upgrade for their center rotation in Eubanks. Meanwhile, the Jazz add another draft asset and get a look at Bamba.
The element of this deal that is worth watching from a Celtics perspective is Tucker. The 39-year-old forward has not played in a game this season and has been away from the Clippers since February 2024 after he was pulled from the team’s rotation.
The rebuilding Jazz will have no interest in playing Tucker to close out the year so he’s going to be on the move in all likelihood again one way or another in the coming weeks. The team could theoretically trade him again before the deadline to facilitate another deal but the more likely scenario is that he is bought out by Utah after the deadline. That would leave him free to sign with any team after he cleared waivers, something that would certainly happen if he’s bought out since he’s making $11.5 million this year.
The Celtics still have an open roster spot but are dealing with a second apron restriction when it comes to being a second apron team. They aren’t not allowed per CBA rules to sign any player bought out that was making more than the mid-level exception ($12.7 million) this year. Tucker falls under that line so he would be free to sign with Boston or any other team if bought out.
Whether the Celtics or Tucker would have any interest in each other following a potential Jazz buyout is another question. Tucker will certainly be looking for a playing opportunity after being out of action for the past year but whether any playoff team has a rotation spot for him is another question. The Celtics certainly don’t when they are healthy but they may be in the market for depth help on the wing, especially if they trade away Jaden Springer this week for luxury tax savings.
Tucker’s future could be settled by then if he’s moved again by the deadline but he’s certainly a name to monitor on the buyout market if he stays put past the trade deadline.
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