Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Notes: George, Offseason, Kuminga, Bamba

November 7th, 2024 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

According to team owner Steve Ballmer, the Clippers wanted to retain Paul George over the summer and “made him a big offer,” writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. But with the Clippers unwilling to add a no-trade clause or a fourth year to the three-year offer they put on the table for George, the star forward considered other options and L.A. began envisioning life without him.

“I don’t know when the blueprint changed,” Ballmer told Youngmisuk. “The truth of the matter is our situation was changing just because the guys are getting older anyway. So the way to think about it with Paul or without Paul, it started to morph on us.”

As Youngmisuk writes, the Clippers showed with the three-year, $150MM deal they offered George that they were willing to continue operating above the second tax apron. But the front office certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea of reducing its payroll, with more punitive roster-building restrictions – including a frozen draft pick seven years out – being implemented for teams in second-apron territory.

“Once your pick becomes frozen, (and) if you’re in the second apron for multiple years, you’re really f—ed,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said. “You’re in a situation where you never have cap space and you never have your mid-level exception and you’re just strictly dealing with minimums and trades. Our goal is we want to be a sustainable contender.”

As Ballmer points out, avoiding a $50MM-per-year commitment to George allowed the Clippers to add a handful of defense-first role players who will fit the team’s new identity and should be very movable on the trade market, if necessary.

“The truth is, with Paul not coming back, we were able to upgrade our team,” Ballmer said. “We don’t (sign) Derrick Jones Jr. if Paul comes back. We don’t (sign) Kris Dunn, (or have) our new defensive identity. Might not have (signed) Kevin Porter Jr., Nico (Batum). … You could say, well, they’re not Paul George. No, they’re not Paul George. … (But) we were able to get three guys who are tough, hard-playing guys. And we still have the ability to consistently make ourselves better. So it was the right choice for us.”

Here’s more on the Clippers:

The Clippers were open to making an opt-in-and-trade George deal with the Warriors before he became a free agent and would likely have pulled the trigger if Golden State had been willing to part with Jonathan Kuminga and a first-round pick, says Sam Amick of The Athletic. The two teams briefly discussed Kuminga, but Golden State pulled him off the table, and since he was the only young Warriors the Clippers viewed as a potential star, talks fizzled after that, Amick explains.
Youngmisuk also addressed the George talks between L.A. and Golden State in his ESPN feature, reiterating that the Clippers ultimately decided the assets available to them in that deal wouldn’t have been worth the cost (in tax penalties and roster flexibility) of taking on matching salaries. “Nothing is better than something,” one league source told ESPN in explaining the team’s decision to let George walk.
Ahead of his return to L.A. on Wednesday as a member of the Sixers, George made it clear he has no hard feelings toward Clippers management and that he had a great relationship with Ballmer and Frank. “They were awesome the whole time I was here,” George said, per Youngmisuk. “Kind of the reason why it was such a shocking decision how it played out at the end. But they were awesome.”
George, who heard plenty of boos during Wednesday’s game from the Clippers faithful, told reporters after the Sixers loss that he thought that reaction was “stupid,” according to Youngmisuk. “It wasn’t something that I demanded a trade or went against the team here. I was a free agent,” George said. “The team presented something that was team-friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation. So there were the cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos, I didn’t get it.”
Clippers center Mohamed Bamba may be nearing his debut after missing the start of the season due to left knee injury management. A source tells Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Bamba has been cleared for contact and has been involved in recent team shootarounds.

Pacific Notes: Booker, Davis, Curry, Coffey

November 5th, 2024 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Devin Booker is experiencing wild swings in performance. The Suns guard earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors but now finds himself in a shooting slump, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes.

Over the last two games, Booker is 12-of-41 from the field while making just two of 16 3-point tries. Booker’s shooting hasn’t affected Phoenix’s bottom line — it has won five straight.

“You just flush it,” Booker said. “Thankfully, it came in a win. That’s what the game’s about, but obviously frustrated. Just missing shots I feel I can make.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers have listed Anthony Davis as questionable to play at Memphis on Wednesday, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Davis is dealing with a left heel contusion, an injury he aggravated in a loss to Detroit on Monday. The nine-time All-Star is averaging a league-best 32.6 points per game.
Stephen Curry returned on Monday from a three-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. The Warriors superstar contributed 24 points and six assists in 24 minutes in a road win over Washington. He was on a minutes limit but coach Steve Kerr believes Curry will see more court time against Boston on Wednesday. “Assuming he feels good, I don’t anticipate a big minutes restriction in Boston,” Kerr said, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
The Clippers posted their first win in their new home, the Intuit Dome, by defeating the Spurs on Monday. Amir Coffey delivered his best outing of the season with 21 points, making all but one of his six 3-point attempts. “Tonight was Amir’s night,” coach Tyronn Lue said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. Coffey needs to have more nights like that — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reflects On Trade That Sent Him To Oklahoma City

November 3rd, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

During Saturday’s visit to Los Angeles, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has developed into an MVP candidate in Oklahoma City, reflected on the 2019 trade that sent him from the Clippers to the Thunder, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “I had a great year here when I was here,” he said. “Their front office made a trade that they thought was best for their team. Same with the Thunder. Then the last five years I’ve tried to focus on my development and the team’s development. I’ve tried to be the best basketball player I can be for the Oklahoma City Thunder. And I’d say it worked out in my favor.”

James Harden Says Fatigue Isn't Causing High Turnover Rate

November 2nd, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

James Harden insists he’s not too old to be carrying the Clippers at age 35, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Harden is averaging a career-high 6.2 turnovers per game, but he told reporters that’s a result of high usage rather than fatigue. “You seen the usage rate, it’s going to happen. Like turnovers are going to happen,” he said. “I try to, but some of the passes that I thread, a lot of them are successful and some of ’em aren’t. So just trying to find a balance of when to throw and when not to.”

Hard Caps Loom As Potential Obstacles For At Least Three NBA Teams

November 2nd, 2024 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Over half of the NBA's 30 teams face some sort of hard cap for the rest of the 2024/25 league year. A total of 14 clubs are hard-capped at the first tax apron ($178,132,000) as a result of moves they made on the trade market or in free agency, while three more are hard-capped at the second tax apron ($188,931,000).

Those teams won't be permitted to surpass their respective hard caps for any reason for the rest of '24/25, and it's entirely possible - likely, actually - that more clubs will join them on that list as they finalize in-season signings and trades in the coming months. Just a couple weeks ago, the Grizzlies became the 17th team to get hard-capped when they used a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Scotty Pippen Jr.

[RELATED: How NBA Teams Become Hard-Capped]

However, in most cases, a hard cap doesn't actually serve as a material obstacle for a team. For instance, the Hornets are currently hard-capped at the first apron, but their team salary for apron purposes is more than $16MM below that threshold.

While the Hornets could take on some additional salary in a pre-deadline trade, it's extremely hard to imagine a scenario in which they surpass the luxury tax line ($170,814,000), let alone approach their $178MM+ hard cap. Certainly, Charlotte's front office should be aware of that hard cap over the course of the season, but it shouldn't be a front-of-mind concern that would prevent the team from pulling the trigger on any moves it realistically wants to make.

Not every team can afford to approach its hard cap like the Hornets though. For a handful of clubs, the hard cap will be a day-to-day consideration that affects a team's ability to sign a free agent, make a trade, or even carry a full 15-man roster.

Let's take a closer look at which teams have to be most aware of their hard caps over the course of the 2024/25 league year.

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Nuggets Rumors: Booth, Malone, Jokic, Murray, George, KCP

November 1st, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

In an interesting feature story, which is worth reading in full, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne explores the philosophical “disconnect” developing within the Nuggets as they try to capitalize on Nikola Jokic‘s remaining prime years.

As Shelburne writes, Denver has lost four veteran role players — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green and Reggie Jackson — from the team that won the championship in 2023. General manager Calvin Booth acknowledges those departures have created some internal tension between the players and coaching staff and the front office.

“There was this urge to compete, especially from the players and the coaches and even myself,” Booth told ESPN. “You want to win, especially coming off the heels of winning the championship. And that’s probably where the tension started.

“What are you guys trying to do? Are you trying to win? Are you trying to develop? I think everybody had the best intent going in. There was buy-in. But I think competition and the focus on that can distract you from the buy-in.”

Multiple sources tell Shelburne that the Nuggets have been discussing a contract extension with Booth for months, and a deal is expected to be reached soon. Booth has largely focused on finding young players on affordable contracts to build out the Nuggets’ depth due to the roster-building restrictions of the new tax aprons, but head coach Michael Malone has typically turned to more proven veterans.

Shelburne points to big man Zeke Nnaji as “perhaps the best example” of the disconnect between Booth and Malone. After the Nuggets signed him to a four-year, $32MM rookie scale extension last offseason, the 23-year-old Nnaji saw his minutes and effectiveness decline in 2023/24, and he has only played two minutes through the first four games of this season.

Here’s more on the Nuggets, all courtesy of Shelburne:

For his part, Jokic declined to weigh in on any strain between the front office and coaching staff regarding the team’s roster construction, telling Shelburne, “That’s not my job.” However, forward Michael Porter Jr. says players are well aware that the team could look much different next offseason, depending on how the Nuggets perform in 2024/25. “If we don’t win it this year,” Porter told ESPN. “We all know they might have to break it up.”
A team source told Shelburne that guard Jamal Murray “was basically on one leg” by the end of last season’s playoffs, which saw Denver fall to Minnesota in the second round. After he struggled in the postseason and Olympics, the Nuggets signed Murray to a four-year, maximum-salary extension. They thought he’d enter training camp “with something to prove,” but sources tell Shelburne there has been some concern with his early-season struggles, particularly with his shot and conditioning level.
According to Shelburne’s sources, the Nuggets checked in on Paul George‘s availability this offseason while he was still a member of the Clippers, but Denver was unwilling to include former first-round picks Christian Braun, Peyton Watson or Julian Strawther in those talks, and the Clips had no interest in taking back long-term salary. Shelburne suggests Denver offered Porter and Nnaji for George.
Shelburne also hears from sources who say the Nuggets could have received either Tim Hardaway Jr. or Josh Green in a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks that would have sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Dallas. The Nuggets declined, and the Mavericks ended up trading both of those players in separate sign-and-trades involving Quentin Grimes and Klay Thompson, while Caldwell-Pope signed with the Magic as a free agent.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Jones, DeRozan, Hield, Clippers

October 31st, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns didn’t have a traditional point guard in their starting lineup for most of the 2023/24 season, deploying shooting guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal as their primary ball-handlers. While Booker tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that “we were willing to learn and do it,” Beal admits the adjustment to the new role wasn’t a smooth one.

“They were using me more as a facilitator than a scorer and honestly, that kind of f—ed with my head,” Beal told ESPN. “Literally this whole summer, I had just had a whole reflection, just like, ‘Who are you?’ I had to have a real talk with myself, you know. I took some time to look at myself in the mirror to answer: ‘What do I need to do better? Who am I?’ And then just get back to that.”

Recognizing that a more traditional point guard would help maximize the offensive abilities of the Suns’ stars, the front office entered free agency this summer looking to address the position using its limited resources. Phoenix was able to land Monte Morris on a minimum-salary contract, then improbably signed Tyus Jones to a similar deal.

As Shelburne writes, Jones received interest from teams like the Wizards, Pistons, Spurs, and Nets, and could have signed for $8-12MM per year if he had been willing to join a lottery-bound club. Faced with a decision on whether to go for the money or to take a discount to join a contender and revisit free agency in 2025, Jones opted for the latter route after San Antonio signed Chris Paul.

Through four games with the Suns, Jones has been his usual efficient self, running the offense, knocking down three-pointers, and taking care of the ball. He has made 37.5% of his outside shots and has compiled 24 assists to just three turnovers.

“Tyus makes our life so much easier,” Beal told Shelburne. “I have a lot more weight off my shoulders. We can just go do what everybody knows us for.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

DeMar DeRozan‘s ability to get to the free throw line and make his foul shots has helped make an already-dangerous Kings offense even better, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento finished dead last in the NBA last season with a 74.5% free throw percentage, but ranks second so far this season at 82.8%. DeRozan is 26-of-31 (83.9%) from the line through four games.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy, whose team fell to the new-look Kings on Tuesday, said his first thought was “oh no” when he learned Sacramento had acquired DeRozan this past offseason, according to Anderson. “That’s a whole different thing to have to prepare for,” Hardy said. “(De’Aaron) Fox, (Domantas) Sabonis (and) the up-tempo style was already enough of a problem to gameplan for and prep your team for. … It’s like pitching in baseball. You can’t throw a fastball every pitch. I think having that change of pace with DeMar, a change in style, is going to be beneficial for them as they go throughout the season.”
Buddy Hield, who joined the Warriors on a four-year, $37.8MM contract this offseason, has given his new team exactly what it was looking for from him, says Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Hield leads the NBA with 24 made three-pointers and has knocked down 50% of his attempts in his first five games. “He knows what he does well,” Brandin Podziemski said prior to Wednesday’s win in New Orleans. “Obviously, he’s shown that for the first four games. He knows what’s made him a bunch of money in this league and has helped him win.”
The San Diego Clippers’ roster for training camp includes a handful of players with NBA experience, with forward Braxton Key, forward Tosan Evbuomwan, and guard Nate Darling among those in camp with the Clippers‘ G League affiliate.

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Lineup, Waters, Wiggins, Moody

October 30th, 2024 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

With Stephen Curry sidelined on Tuesday due to a sprained ankle and Andrew Wiggins out dealing with a back strain, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr decided to revamp his starting lineup, removing Jonathan Kuminga and inserting Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and Buddy Hield alongside Trayce Jackson-Davis and Draymond Green. As Kendra Andrews of ESPN relays, Kerr explained his thinking following an 18-point win over New Orleans.

“Without Steph and Wiggs, I didn’t want to start Trayce, Draymond, and JK,” Kerr said. “I wanted a little more spacing. I knew it would be a JK game. I knew he would play a lot … this is just about combinations and getting a bit more spacing on the floor to start. All it is, is shuffling the lineup to try to get the right five-man grouping out there.”

Although Kuminga came off the bench for the first time this fall, his 17 points and 28 minutes were both season highs. Still, while Kerr made it clear with his comments and rotation decisions that it wasn’t a demotion for Kuminga, it would have been easy for him to view it as one. Asked after the game how he felt about the move, the fourth-year forward, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, suggested to reporters that he and Kerr didn’t have any sort of extended conversation about it.

“It wasn’t my decision. I got a text, this is how it’s going to go, this is who it’s going to be, and I went with it,” Kuminga said. “What am I supposed to do … ask why am I not starting? This is the decision of the coach, and we will follow what he’s going to do. … At the end of the day, I’m still a professional. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Lindy Waters has seen the floor in all four Warriors games, but Tuesday was the first time he earned rotation minutes, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The 27-year-old guard delivered in a major way, racking up 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in nearly 31 minutes of action. Golden State was a plus-26 in those minutes. “From day one of camp, this guy has been one of our best players, frankly,” Kerr said, joking that he’ll have to expand his rotation from 12 players to 13 when everyone is healthy in order to incorporate Waters.
Kerr and the Warriors plan to continue using an extended rotation for the foreseeable future, according to Andrews, who hears from sources that the club wants to use the first 30 games to trim that rotation based on which role players make the strongest cases for minutes.
Taking a look back at the Warriors’ offseason pursuits of Paul George and Lauri Markkanen, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN covers some familiar ground while also providing a couple new details. According to Youngmisuk, Kuminga’s name was never seriously discussed with the Clippers in regard to George — Golden State’s offer likely would have consisted of Wiggins, Moody, expiring contracts, and “some draft capital,” Youngmisuk writes. The Clippers weren’t interested, since taking on Wiggins’ contract would have meant continuing to operate over the tax aprons and may have complicated their pursuit of a young star in the future, sources tell ESPN.
The Santa Cruz Warriors have announced their training camp roster ahead of the 2024/25 G League season, with former lottery pick Kevin Knox among the headliners.

Pacific Notes: Curry, Melton, Zubac, Davis, Ellis

October 28th, 2024 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors star guard Stephen Curry will miss at least the next two games due to a left ankle sprain, Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes.

Curry underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, which occurred during Sunday night’s home opener against the Clippers during the third quarter. He returned to the game with eight minutes remaining in the fourth, then twisted the same ankle.

He will be reevaluated on Friday.

“The MRI was positive,” coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s the main thing. No significant damage.”

De’Anthony Melton will also miss the next two games due to a back injury. He underwent an MRI which revealed no structural damage. Melton missed 44 games last season with the Sixers because of back problems.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Clippers center Ivica Zubac signed a three-year, $58.6MM extension this offseason and has been a force on both ends in the early going, earning a nomination for conference Player of the Week. “It’s only three games, but I’m trying to bring the consistency,” he said, per Law Murray of The Athletic. “I’m trying to keep it up as long as I can. I’m trying to bring the same stuff every night to the teammates so they can count on me on the defensive end and the offensive end. They can count on me to do that — protect the rim, score in the post, finish around the rim.” Zubac is averaging 22.7 points, 14.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
Zubac didn’t earn Player of the Week honors due to Anthony Davis‘ overpowering start. The Lakers big man averaged 34 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.7 steals in the first three games. “Being aggressive every time down the floor. Being dominant every game,” Davis told Mark Medina of Athlon Sports. “Doing my job, doing my part in helping this team do what we got to do. That’s taking on a matchup defensively, taking on a role offensively, being a leader of the team, carrying us in games, playoffs, whatever it takes.”
Keon Ellis appeared in 57 games for the Kings, including 21 starts, last season. However, he never left the bench against the Lakers on Saturday. Coach Mike Brown indicated prior to Sacramento’s game on Monday that Ellis is a victim of numbers. “It’s just about a minutes crunch more than anything else, and second it’s a situation thing,” Brown said, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

Clippers Exercise 2025/26 Option On Kobe Brown’s Contract

October 28th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have exercised their 2025/26 option on Kobe Brown‘s rookie contract, Law Murray of The Athletic tweets.

Brown is due to make $2,654,692 next season after earning $2,533,920 in ’24/25. The 24-year-old was the 30th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Missouri.

Brown saw action in 44 regular season games as a rookie, though he only averaged 9.0 minutes per contest. He posted averages of 2.0 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists in those 44 games and made 18 starts at the G League level as well.

Brown also appeared in three postseason games but has yet to see any action this season.

With the Clippers signing Kawhi Leonard, Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac to extensions this calendar year, plus James Harden holding a $36.3MM option on his contract for the 2025/26 season, they need some low-cost options to round out the roster. This locks in Brown for another season as he continues to develop his game and attempts to become a rotation player.

Brown excelled in Summer League action, averaging 16.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 4.2 APG.