Clippers Sign Patrick Baldwin To 10-Day Contract
3:53 pm: Baldwin’s 10-day contract is official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
12:13 pm: The Clippers intend to sign forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. to a 10-day contract, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (via Twitter).
It doesn’t sound like the signing will happen immediately. According to Murray, the expectation is that Baldwin will join the team for Monday’s game in Washington. The Clippers play the Raptors in Toronto on Friday night before getting Saturday and Sunday off.
The 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Baldwin has appeared in 93 regular season games for the Warriors, Wizards, and Clippers since making his NBA debut. He finished last season on a two-way contract with L.A. and rejoined the team for training camp before being waived at the end of the preseason.
So far in 2025/26, Baldwin has played for the San Diego Clippers, L.A.’s G League affiliate. In 17 NBAGL contests, the forward – whose height is now listed at 7’0″, has averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals in 33.9 minutes per game, with a .546/.321/.652 shooting line.
The Clippers have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Baldwin. He’ll carry a cap hit of $131,970, which will move the club to within about $1.15MM of its first-apron hard cap.
As Murray points out (via Twitter), carrying a full 15-man roster for 10 days will give the Clippers some extra flexibility with two-way players Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller. While a player on a two-way contract is permitted to be active for up to 50 regular season games, a team carrying fewer than 15 players on standard deals can’t use more than 90 combined active games for its two-way players.
As long as the Clippers have a 15th man under contract, they could have Sanders, Miller, and TyTy Washington Jr. active without any of those games being considered an “under-15” game and counting toward the team’s 90-game limit. Those games would still count toward each player’s individual limit.
So far this season, the Clippers have used 74 total active games for five two-way players: Sanders, Miller, Washington, Jahmyl Telfort, and RayJ Dennis. Telfort and Dennis have since been waived.
Clippers Notes: Harden, Kawhi, Zubac, Collins, Ballmer, CP3
Reports earlier in the 2025/26 season suggested that at least a handful of teams around the NBA were hoping star guard James Harden would land on the trade block with the Clippers off to a very slow start. But Harden, a Los Angeles native, has helped the team turn things around in recent weeks and tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that he has no desire to leave L.A.
“It’s hard to explain,” Harden said. “Being at home, that’s like the opportunity of a lifetime for me. Just be able to hoop in front of my family, friends, people I grew up with, people that raised me. It’s a different feeling. So as much as people talk all the time. That’s social media, that’s what people’s jobs are to talk. For me, it’s just like I’m actually living in it so I can’t get caught up in what people talk about, how people feel, whatever the case. I’m from L.A. and I’m blessed to be here.”
The Clippers have gone 11-2 since losing 21 of their first 27 games, but they’d still technically be out of the postseason picture if the season ended today — they have the same 17-23 record as the No. 10 Grizzlies, but Memphis holds the tiebreaker. Still, Harden is confident in the Clippers’ ability to “come all the way back” and continue climbing up the Western Conference standings.
“Some teams, when it gets that bad, they just let the wheels fall off,” Harden told Shelburne. “I had interviews where people were asking me, ‘How do you find confidence?’ and I’m like, ‘The confidence is there. The losses are frustrating, but the confidence is still there.’
“I think finding little tweaks and being a lot better defensively is what really helped us out. … Now we got to take one game at a time, just like when we were in the hole. We can come all the way back, but we have to chip away, chip away and really build some momentum going into the All-Star break.”
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Along with Harden, star forward Kawhi Leonard has been leading the Clippers’ surge in recent weeks, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. During their 11-2 stretch, Leonard has averaged 32.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.6 steals per game, with a .507/.440/.916 shooting line. “He’s been huge for us in the fourth quarters the last, what, three, four weeks,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “Just going down the stretch and taking those games over down the stretch has been huge for us.”
- Leonard will be inactive on Friday for the first time since November 22, having been ruled out of a rematch vs. his former team in Toronto due to a right ankle sprain. Center Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain) and forward John Collins (right groin soreness) are considered questionable to suit up after missing Wednesday’s victory after Washington.
- Attorneys representing Clippers owner Steve Ballmer have filed to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that Ballmer used the former green banking company Aspiration to commit fraud by funneling money to Leonard. Ballmer’s lawyers refer to the allegations as “sensational” and “patently false,” according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, who has the full story on the latest development in the Aspiration saga.
- Although the Clippers announced they were “parting ways” with Chris Paul in early December, he’s stuck in limbo as the team remains on the lookout for a trade opportunity to avoid waiving his guaranteed contract. Appearing on Good Sports with Kevin Hart & Kenan Thompson (YouTube link), Paul said he’s still hoping to land in a more favorable situation for the second half of the season. “I’m working out and training every day,” he said. “In all honesty, with the way all that stuff went down and all that, I think for me, I just love this game so much that I don’t want it to end like that. I’ve enjoyed the time (off), for sure. I get a chance to go to my kids’ games, but I don’t know yet (where I’ll end up).”
Scotto’s Latest: Clippers, Kings, AD, Hawks, Kuminga, Poeltl
The Kings and Clippers engaged in exploratory talks about a possible trade that would have sent forward DeMar DeRozan and guard Keon Ellis to Los Angeles in exchange for big man John Collins and another “small salary filler,” reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
However, those conversations occurred before the Clippers reeled off 11 wins in their past 13 games, according to Scotto. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the talks are dead, the implication seems to be that L.A. is far less likely at this point to shake up its roster in a major way.
After getting off to a 6-21 start, the Clippers are now 17-23, tied with Memphis for the 10th-best record in the Western Conference.
Here are a few more items of interest from Scotto:
- Given how limited Anthony Davis‘ value will be this winter as he recovers from a hand injury, several NBA executives who spoke to HoopsHype predicted that the Mavericks will hang onto him for the rest of the season unless Dallas is content to essentially salary-dump him. The Hawks, the team most frequently connected to Davis, aren’t operating with any urgency now that he’s hurt again, per Scotto.
- Exploring whether any new teams can be added to the list of potential suitors for Jonathan Kuminga, Scotto says the Heat and Wizards were previously thought to be in the mix, but Miami’s interested has diminished and Washington is unlikely to seriously pursue the Warriors forward. Scotto does confirm that the Trail Blazers are believed to have some interest in Kuminga, as Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports previously reported.
- In addition to doing so with Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, the Raptors have also been gauging Jakob Poeltl‘s value on the trade market, Scotto writes. Poeltl is dealing with back issues this season and is owed $103.5MM over the next four years after this one, so it’s probably safe to assume he wouldn’t be a hot commodity.
Nuggets Notes: Watson, Jones, Trade Market, Booth
Fourth-year forward Peyton Watson has generated “significant” interest on the trade market ahead of his restricted free agency this summer, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. However, according to Scotto, the Nuggets have rebuffed those inquiries on Watson and hope to re-sign him to a new contract during the offseason.
Watson has taken on a larger role this season due to a series of injuries affecting key Denver players and has responded admirably. Since entering the starting lineup on a full-time basis two months ago, the 23-year-old has averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 32.6 minutes per game with a shooting line of .523/.434/.741. He was named the NBA’s Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Monday.
Re-signing him won’t be simple, however. The Nuggets already have over $201MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2026/27, including nearly $186MM for their top five highest-paid players (Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, and Christian Braun). Given Watson’s rising value, re-signing him could push Denver into second-apron territory if the team isn’t able to shed salary elsewhere.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- Echoing reporting from Marc Stein, Scotto cites league sources who say two-way standout Spencer Jones will eventually be promoted from his two-way contract to the Nuggets’ standard roster. Like Watson, Jones has made the most of an increased role due to Denver’s injuries. The 24-year-old wing has averaged 8.0 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .503/.381/.622 shooting while playing solid defense in 25 games as a starter.
- While it may not be an overly eventful trade deadline for the Nuggets, they’re expected to monitor both the trade and buyout markets in case an opportunity to add a veteran point guard pops up, league sources tell Scotto. The team is currently operating slightly over the luxury tax line and will want to keep a roster spot for Jones’ promotion, which could complicate those efforts to add backcourt help.
- While former Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth made his share of missteps during his time on the job, he was a “legit” talent evaluator, argues Troy Renck of The Denver Post (subscription required). Renck contends that former head coach Michael Malone seemed intent on proving to Booth that young players like Watson, Jalen Pickett, and Zeke Nnaji weren’t good enough, whereas head coach David Adelman has gotten the most out of them, especially since Jokic went down with a knee injury.
Domantas Sabonis Expected To Return Friday For Kings
January 16: Sabonis is expected to play on Friday, confirms Anthony Slater of ESPN.
January 15: Three-time All-Star center Domantas Sabonis was a full participant during Thursday’s practice and the Kings are optimistic he could return as soon as Friday’s game against Washington, reports Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (Twitter video link).
Sabonis will be listed as questionable for tomorrow’s contest vs. the Wizards, a league source tells James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com (Twitter link).
Sabonis, 29, has been out of action since November 16 due to a partially torn meniscus in his left knee. He has missed Sacramento’s last 27 games with the injury.
The Lithuanian big man has led the league in rebounds per game each of the past three seasons. In 11 games in 2025/26, Sabonis has averaged 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.2 minutes per contest.
The 11-30 Kings struggled mightily this season, but they’ve played better of late and are currently on their first three-game winning streak of the season. They’ve beaten three projected playoff teams — the Rockets, Lakers and Knicks — during the ongoing homestand, which wraps up next Wednesday against Toronto.
Sabonis’ name has popped up in several trade rumors this season with Sacramento near the bottom of the NBA’s standings — the Raptors have been the team most frequently linked to him. He’s on a lucrative long-term contract that runs through ’27/28.
Bucks Rumors: Giannis, Morant, Rollins, Monk, Ellis, Portis, More
Thursday’s loss to San Antonio marked the halfway point of the Bucks‘ season, and the team’s 17-24 record is its worst first-half mark since 2015/16, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Although Nehm describes Milwaukee as looking “lost,” the front office has held firm on its stance that star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t going anywhere this season and that it wants to add an impact player alongside the two-time MVP, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“We always manage to pull something off,” a team source told Collier.
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is one potential target the Bucks have been linked to as of late. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Memphis has sought guard Ryan Rollins and Milwaukee’s lone tradable first-round pick (in either 2031 or 2032) in discussions with Milwaukee about Morant.
However, the Bucks have been “wary” about including that first-round pick in any trade talks to date, per Collier, who hears from rival executives that that first-rounder would likely only be on the table for a “star.” Morant, who has made two All-Star teams, certainly fit that bill at one point but may no longer be viewed that way, as he has battled injuries and seen his production decline in recent years.
As Collier writes, the Wizards’ deal for Trae Young might be instructive when considering the sort of trade that makes the most sense for the Bucks. Washington gave up no draft picks and a significant expiring contract as part of the package for Young, with the Hawks looking to get off the hook for his $49MM player option in 2026/27.
Milwaukee is in a good position to make a similar move for a player on a non-expiring deal, says Collier, noting that Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and Jerami Grant are a few of the trade candidates with multiyear contracts who have been linked to the team. Collier also cites Heat forward Andrew Wiggins and Hornets Miles Bridges as a couple more examples.
The Bucks have had exploratory discussions with the Kings about a deal that would send Bobby Portis and a minimum-salary player to Sacramento in exchange for Monk and Keon Ellis, league sources tell Scotto. A trade for a higher-salary player such as Morant or LaVine would require Milwaukee to sacrifice more rotation pieces for matching purposes, but the team has considered that possibility, gauging the market for forward Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM cap hit) as well as Portis ($13.4MM), Scotto writes.
As Collier observes, the Bucks would be more equipped to make a significant splash during the 2026 offeason, when they’ll have up to three first-round picks available to trade (2026, 2031, and 2033). But the club – which has a +7.7 net rating with Antetokounmpo on the floor in 2025/26 – hasn’t given up on this season, even if some rival executives aren’t convinced Milwaukee should continue with its win-now approach.
“At some point, you’re just digging deeper and deeper,” an Eastern Conference exec told ESPN. “There might not be light at the end of the tunnel. It might just be a hole.”
Pistons, Celtics Among Teams To Express Interest In Jaren Jackson Jr.
While the Grizzlies have made point guard Ja Morant available, there’s no indication that stance has extended to big man Jaren Jackson Jr. In fact, multiple reports have indicated that Memphis wants to hang onto Jackson and build around him.
Still, that hasn’t stopped a certain agent-turned-podcast-host from speculating about a potential trade involving Jackson, and it hasn’t stopped teams from calling the Grizzlies to register interest in the former Defensive Player of the Year. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Pistons and Celtics are among the teams to convey their interest.
Detroit has Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart in its frontcourt but has been in the market for a power forward or center who can stretch the floor — Jackson fits that bill, having made 37.3% of 5.0 three-pointers per game since the start of last season. As for Boston, the 2024 champions lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet in 2025 free agency while also trading away Kristaps Porzingis, so it makes sense that the Celtics would be seeking an impact big man.
As Scotto points out, if the Grizzlies traded both Morant and Jackson, it would create a path for the club to rebuild around a younger core led by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells. While Memphis still views Jackson – who is just 26 years old and is under contract through at least 2029 – as a part of that core, more teams figure to inquire about his availability if Morant is moved ahead of the February 5 deadline, Scotto writes.
Scotto also checks in on Morant’s market, citing league sources who say that the Heat, Bucks, Kings, Raptors, and Pelicans have expressed some interest. However, it sounds like most of those teams would only be interested in the two-time All-Star as a buy-low target.
According to Scotto, there have been whispers for months that Morant and his camp view Miami as a favorable landing spot. But rival executives who spoke to HoopsHype believe the Heat’s “dream scenario” would be landing Giannis Antetokounmpo if he becomes available in the summer, so the club will be reluctant to give up any assets that would compromise that possibility.
An ESPN report from earlier today classified league-wide interest in Morant as “tepid,” and Sam Amick of The Athletic has heard the same. According to Amick, Miami and Milwaukee are considered unlikely landing spots for the Grizzlies guard, while Sacramento doesn’t view him as a great fit for its timeline and would be unwilling to include any draft capital in an offer. Scotto adds that some rival executives wondered whether the Nets or Rockets might have interest in Morant, but neither club seems to.
Morant is currently sidelined with a right calf injury and didn’t play in the NBA’s first ever regular season game in Germany on Thursday. Amid rumors that Morant doesn’t want to play for Memphis at all anymore, commissioner Adam Silver said he’s hopeful the star guard will be able to suit up on Sunday in London.
“I know he has a tremendous following globally,” Silver said ahead of Thursday’s game in Berlin, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “And I wish he were able to play tonight. I’m still holding out hope he’ll be able to play when we’re in London on Sunday. So, yes, I’m disappointed he’s not on the floor tonight, but I understand he’s injured.”
Trade Rumors: Morant, Heat, Lakers, Raptors, Bucks, Wolves
Classifying the level of league-wide trade interest in Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant as “tepid,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst say the Heat‘s interest, specifically, has been overstated.
As Bontemps and Windhorst explain, Miami has been “laser focused” on keeping its salary cap relatively clean for the 2027 offseason, when superstars like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo could become free agents. Sources tell ESPN that it’s highly unlikely the team would pivot away from that plan in order to acquire Morant, whose contract includes a guaranteed $44.9MM salary for 2027/28.
Addressing ESPN’s report, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) essentially agrees, writing that the Heat haven’t made an offer for Morant and are only interested if it’s a “complete giveaway” from Memphis’ perspective. Jackson jokes that the Grizzlies might even need to throw in a first-round pick to entice Miami.
As for which other teams might be in the mix for Morant, sources who spoke to Bontemps and Windhorst don’t believe there’s much of a market for the two-time All-Star, whose production has declined in recent years, but the Bucks were repeatedly mentioned as one possible option, per ESPN’s duo.
Here’s more from Bontemps and Windhorst on the NBA trade market:
- The Lakers are seeking help on the perimeter and rim protection as they consider their in-season options, league sources tell ESPN. “They’re going to be looking for bargain deals and they might be able to find one if they’re willing to take on long-term money,” one Western Conference general manager said. “But they probably need to make sure that player is a good fit with Luka (Doncic) to justify it.”
- The Raptors have been gauging the trade value of several of their players, including guard Immanuel Quickley and forward RJ Barrett, sources tell Bontemps and Windhorst. While other teams may be reluctant to take on long-term salary for potential trade candidates like Morant, Domantas Sabonis, or Anthony Davis, the Raptors – who have been linked to each of those players – would be in better position to do because their offers would include multiyear contracts of their own (Quickley, Barrett, and/or Jakob Poeltl), ESPN’s duo points out. Still, a lack of bigger expiring contracts means Toronto would have to include draft compensation to strengthen its offers.
- The Bucks have expressed interest in talent “at basically any position” and are widely regarded as a team that will make a meaningful move at the deadline, according to ESPN. “Milwaukee still has a first-round pick they can trade, and they’re $14 million under the luxury tax,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “I’ve seen teams make chicken salad with less.”
- According to Bontemps and Windhorst, executives believe the Timberwolves are hoping to bolster their backcourt while also reducing their payroll, as they’re poised to pay a significant tax bill for a second straight season. It will be difficult for Minnesota to make a real upgrade without giving up at least one rotation player, however.
Hoops Rumors’ 2026 NBA 10-Day Contract Tracker
On January 5, NBA teams became eligible to sign players to standard 10-day contracts, and many of the signings that take place between now and the end of the regular season in April will be of the 10-day variety. Hoops Rumors maintains a database that allows you to keep on top of those deals, tracking every 10-day signing all season long.
Besides featuring all of this year’s 10-day deals, our 10-Day Contract Tracker includes information on all 10-day contracts signed since the 2006/07 season. The search filters in the database make it easy to sort by team, player, and/or year.
For instance, if you want to see all the 10-day contracts that the Lakers have signed since 2007, including Kobe Bufkin’s current deal, you can do so here. If you want to view Bufkin’s history of 10-day deals, that list is here.
You can also see whether a player and team signed a second 10-day contract or if those short-term deals led to an agreement that covered the rest of the season. Additionally, our tracker notes which 10-day deals remain active, saving you the hassle of having to figure out whether a particular contract ends on, say, Wednesday or Thursday.
A link to our 10-Day Contract Tracker can be found at any time in the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site. On our mobile site, you can find it on our “Features” page. We’ll be keeping it up to date for the rest of the season, so be sure to check back to keep tabs on the latest signings as they become official.
Warriors’ Vets Say Kuminga Situation Not A Distraction
It was an eventful Thursday in the Bay Area, where the day began with forward Jonathan Kuminga issuing a trade demand and wrapped up with a 126-113 victory over a New York team missing star point guard Jalen Brunson. After the win, head coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors‘ veteran stars made it clear that they don’t view the Kuminga situation as a distraction.
“Jonathan’s a great young guy,” Kerr said, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “His teammates like him. He’s handling himself well. There won’t be a distraction.”
“Everyone around here can confidently say it won’t be a distraction because he is not a distraction,” forward Draymond Green told reporters, including ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry and six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler each conveyed a similar sentiment. Curry indicated that he’s focused on winning games and that the Kuminga situation will “resolve itself one way or the other.” Butler said his teammates “love JK,” adding that won’t change if he’s traded. Asked whether he wants to see the Warriors grant Kuminga’s trade request, Butler shut down the line of questioning, suggesting it wasn’t his place to weigh in.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey,” Butler said, per Slater. “It ain’t got nothing to do with me. I want JK to be happy. At the end of the day, that’s what I want. Whatever brings him his joy and his happiness, that’s what I want.”
Kuminga, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft, appeared to be on the verge of a breakout when he averaged 16.1 points per game and shot 52.9% from the field in 74 games in 2023/24. However, he missed significant time due to an ankle injury in ’24/25 and was held out of the rotation in several key games at the end of the season and in the postseason.
After a protracted restricted free agency standoff that saw him re-sign with the Warriors on a two-year, $46.8MM deal that includes a second-year team option, Kuminga opened this season in the starting lineup and played well, earning kudos from Kerr. But when the fifth-year forward and Golden State began to struggle and he dealt with another injury (this one affecting his knee), Kuminga was removed from the starting five and then taken out of the rotation altogether.
Although the 23-year-old hasn’t played in 14 consecutive games (and 17 of the past 18), Kerr insisted on Thursday that his relationship with Kuminga isn’t acrimonious, as Friedell relays.
“Our relationship is fine,” Kerr said. “There’s not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff. Just is what it is, a difficult situation for everybody. Part of this league, part of the job. So we just keep moving forward, but tough situation. I don’t really have much to add.”
As we outlined on Thursday, the Kings remain very much in the mix for Kuminga, though they’re not willing to offer as strong a package as they did during the offseason. The Lakers and Mavericks are among the other teams rumored to have some level of interest. Golden State has until February 5 to make a deal, and if Kuminga does get moved, Green is optimistic about his teammate’s ability to “reach his full potential” with his new team.
“Wherever that is in this league, it’s not always how we envision it,” Green said, per Friedell. “I’ve been so lucky and fortunate to play in one place for 14 years. How rare is that though? The reality is it’s more likely that it happens the opposite way than the way it’s going for myself or Steph, Klay (Thompson). 13, 14 years in one spot, it just doesn’t happen.
“So for a guy like that who’s drafted (with) the seventh pick, you expect it all to go the way you want it to go, the way you think it should go. And sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. But that doesn’t make him any worse of a player. That doesn’t make this any worse of an organization. Sometimes things just don’t work out.
“… But I know how talented he is, I know how good of a teammate he is, I know how good of a person he is. And usually when you have those three things going for you, it works out in the end. So I have zero doubt that no matter what happens with him, whether it’s here or anywhere else, it’s going to work out for him in the end because he works his tail off and he’s a great person and a great teammate. And things work for those guys.”