Is P.J. Tucker playing tonight against LA Lakers? Latest update on NBA veteran forward after Clippers trade (November 1)

With James Harden finally moved to the LA Clippers, he will also be joined by P.J. Tucker and FilipPetrusev. Not only did the Clippers land another All-Star-caliber player in Harden, but they also acquired a defensive specialist in Tucker.

Despite losing roster pieces such as Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, and K.J. Martin, this was a move that the Clippers wanted to see through.

On paper, the LA Clippers roster has enough to make a deep playoff run, provided everyone on the team stays healthy. Speaking of health, is P.J. Tucker playing on Wednesday night against the LA Lakers? According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Tucker is available to suit up in the matchup.

From Charania's report, the Clippers forward passed his physical exam as he was also not listed on the team's injury report. Previously, the NBA insider reported that Tucker needed to pass his physical first before being cleared to play.

With Tucker cleared to play, the LA Clippers will have a bolstered defensive frontcourt as he will be playing alongside Ivica Zubac. Additionally, the spacing will also be further improved as P.J. Tucker is a career 36.6% shooter from beyond the arc.

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What to expect in the Clippers' matchup against the Lakers with P.J. Tucker available to play?

A Clippers and Lakers matchup has been one of the few games that NBA fans have been looking forward to. With the presence of numerous All-Stars, from LeBron James to Kawhi Leonard, along with both teams located in Los Angeles, some of the additional pieces involved often go overlooked.

It is where P.J. Tucker comes in with both teams' additional roster pieces lined up against one another. Tucker can instantly make his impact with the Clippers through his defensive ability. The LA Clippers are not short of elite defenders from Leonard and Paul George.

Tucker adds a different look in the frontcourt as he can easily complement Zubac's game without jeopardizing the team's spacing. Additionally, it also works in Kawhi Leonard's favor as he will no longer have to play the power forward position.

Leonard can then focus on defending the perimeter alongside Paul George now that the team has Tucker protecting the paint down low with Zubac. Clippers fans can look forward as well to how the two will defend Anthony Davis down low.