NBA Rumors: Rockets Demanding 'Young, Productive Rotation Player' For PJ Tucker, Per 'ESPN'

From the time Harden publicly expressed his desire to be traded, Tucker has already been giving a hint that he also wanted a change of scenery. Unfortunately, while Harden already found a new home with the Brooklyn Nets, Tucker remains with the Rockets. According to Wojnarowski and MacMahon, the veteran power forward has "grown increasingly frustrated" that he's yet to be moved to a legitimate title contender.

Tucker recently showed how badly he wanted out of Houston by deciding not to join the team in their recent game against the Sacramento Kings.

So far, the Rockets have already engaged in trade discussions with several title contenders involving Tucker. These include the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately, though all of them viewed Tucker as a solid role player, it seems like none of them are willing to pay the Rockets' asking price.

So far, the Rockets' preference for a young, productive rotation player in trade talks has been a sticking point with teams, which haven't been willing to part with that kind of an asset for a 35-year-old on an expiring contract, sources said.

So far, the Rockets' preference for a young, productive rotation player in trade talks has been a sticking point with teams, which haven't been willing to part with that kind of an asset for a 35-year-old on an expiring contract, sources said.

It's understandable why the Bucks, Lakers, Heat, Nets, and other suitors are hesitant to give up a "young, productive rotation player" in exchange for Tucker. Though he remains a reliable contributor on both ends of the floor, he's already on the downside of his career and clearly a rental for his next landing spot.

In the 32 games he played this season, he's only averaging 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. If the Rockets are serious about getting a done deal before the 2021 trade deadline, they should lower their asking price for the veteran power forward.

Before his departure from the Rockets became inevitable, the Rockets tried to prevent Tucker from hitting the free agency market in the 2021 offseason. Like Victor Oladipo, the Rockets also offered the veteran power forward a contract extension.

As revealed by Wojnarowski and MacMahon, the Rockets thought that they were close to signing Tucker to a two-year, $17 million contract extension with $10 million guaranteed. However, the deal fell apart after Tucker's camp reportedly demanded a fully guaranteed two-year deal worth $24 million.