P.J. Tucker said he was caught off guard by his inclusion in the James Harden trade to the LA Clippers. Tucker said the deal also blindsided Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
“I wasn’t expecting to get traded, so I didn’t know. It kind of came out of nowhere,” Tucker said. “And from what I know, he didn’t know either. But you never know with this stuff, man. It’s the NBA. You never know.”
Tucker said he had no desire to leave the Sixers, despite rumors that he and Harden were a package deal.
“James’ situation had nothing to do with me,” Tucker said. “As much as I get thrown in it, I’m kind of a casualty in that sense.”
But Tucker is happy to have a chance to compete for a title with LA.
“I don’t want to play if I’m not playing for a team that has a chance to win it,” Tucker said. “Eighteen years, if I’m not chasing that then I can’t play. There’s no point. And this team definitely has a chance. You look at our personnel. I don’t know how many teams that have it on paper like we do.”