The Los Angeles Lakers could make a move to bring on a proven pro for the home stretch of its 2024-25 season run.

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Well-traveled defense-first combo forward P.J. Tucker, who won a championship as a key role player for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, looks primed to be a premium buyout market candidate this season, after he finally managed to be traded off the L.A. Clippers earlier this month. He could be a useful asset for the Lakers, who could use a bit more defense in the frontcourt.

But that wasn’t the end of Tucker’s travels during trade deadline week. He was later shipped to the Miami Heat, and eventually wrapped into the club’s five-team deal to offload six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors — in that deal, he landed with the Toronto Raptors.

He was first selected by Toronto out of Texas with the No. 35 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, and played 17 contests with the Raptors that season. He went abroad for the next five seasons, but re-emerged in the NBA proper as a critical role player for the Phoenix Suns in 2012-13. Tucker briefly returned to Toronto in 2016-17.

According to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, Tucker is not expected to suit up for the Raptors, and is seen as a likely buyout market candidate. He is currently on an expiring $11.5 million contract.

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He cannot sign with another team, of course, until he finally negotiates a buyout deal.

The 6-foot-5 pro is one of the league’s oldest active players at age 39 (40-year-old Lakers superstar power forward LeBron James is still the oldest, as he has been for two years). Tucker still hasn’t played a single game for any of his teams this season. The 6-foot-5 forward split his 2023-24 season between the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers, but was a deep-bench rotation player already by that point.

Last season with L.A. and Philadelphia, Tucker averaged 1.7 points on .360/.371/1.000 shooting splits, 2.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 steals across just 31 bouts (10 starts).

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