Clippers Rumors

Pacific Notes: Simmons, Bamba, Lakers, Tucker, Suns, Fultz

As we detailed on Friday, Ben Simmons‘ debut with the Clippers on Thursday went about as well as it reasonably could have, earning him praise from head coach Tyronn Lue.

Lue wasn’t the only one impressed by the former No. 1 overall pick, who registered 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in his first game for his new team. Simmons’ Clippers teammates spoke after the game about the immediate impact he made on the court, per Law Murray of The Athletic.

“It’s easy to play basketball with smart players,” forward Nicolas Batum said. “That’s why he was the No. 1 pick, that’s why he was an All-Star in the NBA, because he’s a unique player, a very good basketball player. He just needs the right system, the right person to get his confidence back. And I’ve been there. I’ve been in his shoes five years ago. I think he came to the right spot to get it.”

While Batum was never an All-Star like Simmons, his stock was at an all-time low when he joined the Clippers in 2020 due to the perception that he was overpaid on his previous contract, a five-year, $120MM deal with Charlotte. Batum has rebuilt his value in recent years, primarily due to his strong play with the Clippers, and there’s optimism that Simmons can do the same.

“He did everything we asked him to do: Rebound, defend, push the ball in transition, create for others, attack the rim,” center Ivica Zubac said after Thursday’s win over Utah. “When they doubled James (Harden), he was really good flashing in the middle and play-making from there. It was great, man. It was all that we expected and more. I think he played great, and I think he’s going to be huge for us.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • If Alex Len had gone through with his initial plan to join the Pacers rather than pivoting to the Lakers, free agent big man Mohamed Bamba likely would’ve been a top target for Los Angeles, Jake Fischer said on a Bleacher Report live stream on Thursday (YouTube link). “I heard this from multiple sources,” Fischer said. “That if Alex Len did go forward and sign with the Pacers, Mo Bamba would have been very prominently considered by the Lakers to fill a spot in that depleted center rotation.” Bamba remains available in free agency for now.
  • During that same Bleacher Report live stream, Fischer suggested that the Suns are one team to watch for P.J. Tucker if the veteran forward is bought out by the Raptors, which is expected to happen. Tucker has played in Phoenix before, was coached by Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee, and is a Texas alum like Suns star Kevin Durant. Still, Fischer is skeptical that the 39-year-old Tucker will draw significant interest on the buyout market or play a major role for a playoff team this spring.
  • Injuries have limited Markelle Fultz‘s availability and slowed his development since he entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in 2017, but the Kingsnewest addition said this week that his health isn’t a concern right now, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “This is the best I’ve ever felt since being in the league,” Fultz told Anderson. “I never had the opportunity to take my time and get healthy, so being able to do that last summer has been great for me. I’m super excited for this opportunity and I’m thankful for it.”

Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2024/25

Ten NBA teams are still operating in luxury tax territory in the wake of last Thursday’s trade deadline, but this season’s total projected luxury tax payments – and the clubs projected to be taxpayers – have declined significantly in recent weeks.

As of January 23, a total of 14 teams projected to be taxpayers, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) observes, with the 16 non-taxpayers on track to receive about $17.8MM apiece, which would have been the largest payout in NBA history.

But the Cavaliers, Pelicans, Clippers, and Sixers all ducked the tax line with their pre-deadline moves, while a few other teams remained in the tax but took steps to significantly reduce their end-of-season bills. Milwaukee, for instance, had been projected to pay about $74.8MM in tax penalties, but has since reduced that figure by more than half, according to Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom.

Here are the current projected tax penalties, per Pincus’ data:

  1. Phoenix Suns: $152.26MM
  2. Minnesota Timberwolves: $84.85MM
  3. Boston Celtics: $53.45MM
  4. Los Angeles Lakers: $52.53MM
  5. New York Knicks: $36.45MM
  6. Milwaukee Bucks: $32.66MM
  7. Denver Nuggets: $20.36MM
  8. Golden State Warriors: $12.36MM
  9. Dallas Mavericks: $6.39MM
  10. Miami Heat: $4.18MM
    Total: $455.49MM

These numbers will fluctuate a little before the end of the season. For instance, the Lakers recently increased their projected bill when they signed Alex Len to a rest-of-season contract, and the Warriors will need to make multiple roster additions in the near future, which will cause their bill to rise. Various contract incentives that go earned or unearned could also impact the end-of-season tax figures.

Based on the current figures from Pincus, each non-taxpayer is projected to receive a payout of about $11.4MM. That figure is determined by cutting the total league-wide tax penalties in half, then dividing them evenly among the non-taxpaying teams (in this case, 20 clubs).

As significant as the Suns’ tax penalty projects to be, especially for a team currently flirting with .500, it won’t be a single-season record — Golden State has actually exceeded $152.26MM in tax payments in each of the past three years (2022-24).

Assuming these are the 10 teams that finish the season in tax territory, the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, and Suns would all be subject to repeater penalties in 2025/26 if they’re taxpayers again next season.

Ben Simmons, Bogdan Bogdanovic Impressive In Clippers Debuts

  • Ben Simmons had an impressive debut with the Clippers in Thursday’s win at Utah, delivering 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in 27 minutes off the bench. Coach Tyronn Lue praised the former All-Star for fitting in quickly in his first game with his new team, relays Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “I thought he did a great job, just reading the game, his IQ, making the right play, aggressive to the basket,” Lue said.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was acquired in a trade with Atlanta, made his Clippers debut on Wednesday, per Anthony DeLeon of The Orange County Register. The veteran shooter described the experience as “a new journey” and said he’s excited to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Lakers, Clippers, Harden, Simmons

Facing Memphis on Tuesday, Suns forward Kevin Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to surpass the 30,000-point threshold over the course of his career. He entered the game with 26 points to go and accomplished the feat late in the third quarter, finishing the night with 34 points.

Durant joined LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Wilt Chamberlain in the exclusive 30,000-point club.

“A true honor to be in the same category as those players who helped shaped the game and push the game forward,” he said after the game, a loss that dropped the Suns below .500 (link via ESPN.com). “That’s always been my goal, to get the most out of myself every day and the most out of my career.”

Nowitzki, who ranks sixth on the league’s all-time scoring list with 31,560 points, told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic that he’s fully expecting Durant to bump him down to seventh sooner or later.

“He’s 36 now…and he’s got, what, 1,500 more (points) to go,” Nowitzki said. “That’s obviously a season for him and he looks great, he moves great. I still see him on the perimeter crossing guys over, he’s got that slow cross, going to the basket. He doesn’t seem like he’s lost a step. I think he’s going to play at least a couple more years. I do think he’s going to catch me, but well deserved. Like I said, to me, he’s one of the purest scorers of all time.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Ranking all 30 NBA teams based on their moves at the trade deadline, John Hollinger of The Athletic places the Lakers atop his list due to their acquisition of Luka Doncic. After trading for Doncic, there was “literally no other move” the Lakers could have made on Thursday that would have moved them out of the top spot, Hollinger writes. That includes their decision to rescind a deal for Mark Williams, which Hollinger actually views as a “dodged bullet,” since he thinks there could be more appealing targets on the trade market for L.A. this summer.
  • Hollinger also places the Clippers at No. 3 on his trade deadline rankings and lauds them for their work last week, which included moving off bad contracts, getting out of the luxury tax, and coming out ahead in terms of draft picks.
  • James Harden‘s numbers in 2024/25, including 21.3 points per game on 39.5% shooting, are the worst of any of his All-Star seasons, but the impact his leadership has had on the Clippers has made it a special season for the former MVP, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. “The way he’s leading us this year, on and off the court, the way he’s setting everyone up, it’s incredible,” center Ivica Zubac said. “One of the best teammates ever. I think every player in the league would love to play with him.”
  • Ben Simmons, signed by the Clippers off the buyout market, is looking forward to a fresh start, telling reporters on Tuesday that he feels “wanted” in Los Angeles, according to Anthony De Leon of The L.A. Times. “I just want to compete, regardless of all the bulls–t said online,” Simmons said, noting that the Clippers view him as a point guard, which is his preferred position. “I’m here to do that, and playing alongside some of these great players … Everyone’s just going to push each other to be better and expect greatness.”

Clippers Sign Ben Simmons

FEBRUARY 10: The Clippers have officially signed Simmons, according to a team press release.


FEBRUARY 8: After agreeing to a buyout with the Nets, Ben Simmons has reached a deal to sign with the Clippers, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Los Angeles was one of three teams rumored to be in the mix for Simmons, who will become an unrestricted free agent on Monday after being officially waived by Brooklyn on Saturday. Cleveland and Houston were among the other clubs said to have interest in the former No. 1 overall pick.

Simmons’ career got off to an impressive start in Philadelphia, where he earned 2018 Rookie of the Year honors, made three All-Star teams, and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2021. However, he had a falling out with the team that resulted in a lengthy holdout and a trade to Brooklyn.

Simmons, who has also dealt with a series of back issues that required multiple surgeries in recent years, has been limited to just 90 total games since being dealt to the Nets at the 2022 deadline. He averaged 6.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.2 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per contest across those 90 appearances.

While Simmons’ extremely limited shooting ability make him a tricky piece to incorporate alongside other non-shooters, he’s still a talented play-maker, defender, and rebounder who should have more significantly value as a low-cost addition on the buyout market than he did on his previous maximum-salary contract.

After making a series of moves ahead of the trade deadline, L.A. entered the day with an open roster spot and $1.9MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

The Clippers still have a portion of their mid-level exception available and could use it to pay Simmons more than the prorated veteran’s minimum, but it’s unclear whether they’ll do so. Either way, it seems safe to assume they won’t cross the tax line as a result of signing Simmons.

As a result of their trade deadline machinations, the Clippers sent out guards Terance Mann, Kevin Porter, and Bones Hyland, so Simmons and fellow newcomer Bogdan Bogdanovic should have an opportunity to earn regular minutes in the backcourt. Given his unique skill set, Simmons could also serve as a de facto big man in certain lineups.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.

For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.

With the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Monday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)


Teams with multiple open roster spots

  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Philadelphia 76ers *
  • Sacramento Kings *

The Cavaliers dipped to 13 players on standard contracts as a result of Thursday’s De’Andre Hunter trade, so their situation is fairly straightforward — they’ll have to re-add a 14th man by February 20.

The Warriors‘ four-for-one Jimmy Butler trade dropped them to just 11 players. They quickly got back to 12 by promoting Quinten Post from his two-way contract to a standard roster spot and now have three openings on their standard roster, along with one open two-way slot.

Golden State doesn’t have to fill all those openings, but the team does have to get back to at least 14 players on standard contracts by Feb. 20. Assuming Post got a prorated rookie minimum salary on his new deal, the Warriors – by my count – have $1,372,306 in breathing room below their first-apron hard cap.

If the Warriors were to sign a pair of veterans to rest-of-season minimum deals on Feb. 20, they would each count for $635,853 against the cap, leaving the team with $100,600 in breathing room below the hard cap. It’s possible Golden State will go that route. It’s also possible the club will sign a couple players to 10-day contracts, then go another 14 days in March with just 12 players under contract in order to create a bit of extra wiggle room below that hard cap. That would allow the Warriors to sign a 15th man a little earlier in the second half.

The Sixers briefly dropped to 12 players on standard contracts at the trade deadline, but they’re back to 14 now, having promoted Justin Edwards to a standard contract and given Chuma Okeke a 10-day deal. They’re expected to sign David Roddy to a 10-day contract too, which will give them a full standard roster.

For now then, no roster moves are necessary in Philadelphia, but the team does have a two-way slot open and could drop back to 13 players on standard deals after Okeke’s and Roddy’s 10-day contracts expire, which would necessitate a least one addition within 14 days.

The Kings are currently carrying 12 players on full-season standard contracts, with Daishen Nix on a 10-day deal. They’ll have to get back to 14 players by Feb. 20.

Teams with one open roster spot

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets *
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz

The Hawks, Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Bucks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Knicks, Raptors, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.

Two teams that can’t fill their openings sooner rather than later are Dallas and New York. The Knicks are just $540,126 below their second-apron hard cap, while the Mavericks have a mere $171,120 to operate below their first-apron hard cap. Based on my math, New York would be able to sign a veteran free agent as a 15th man as of February 28 (that date moved up a day as a result of the Knicks trimming $4,825 from their cap in the Delon Wright/Jericho Sims swap), while Dallas will have to wait until March 31.

The Hornets are in this group because they have a two-way slot open, but their standard roster is full for now. In fact, it’s more than full — as a result of having been granted a hardship exception, they’re temporarily carrying 16 players instead of the usual maximum of 15. Elfrid Payton, on a 10-day deal, is the 16th man.

The Pacers and Clippers, meanwhile, each technically have an open roster spot for now, but they reportedly have deals in place with prospective 15th men. Indiana will sign center Alex Len once he clears waivers, while L.A. will add three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. Both players are on track to clear waivers on Monday.

Teams with no open roster spots

  • Chicago Bulls
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs *
  • Washington Wizards *

The Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Thunder, Magic, Suns, and Trail Blazers are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.

That won’t necessarily be the case for the Spurs and Wizards though. Both clubs have just 14 players on full-season standard contracts, with one on a 10-day deal — Bismack Biyombo for San Antonio and Jaylen Nowell for Washington. Once those contracts expire, the Spurs and Wizards could open up a roster spot if they opt not to retain Biyombo and Nowell, respectively.

Pacific Notes: Doncic, James, Knecht, Kings, Valanciunas, Bogdanovic

Luka Doncic could make his Lakers debut on Monday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. He’s listed as questionable due to the left calf strain that has sidelined him since Christmas Day. LeBron James (left ankle soreness) is also listed as questionable.

The same tag was given to Dalton Knecht (personal), who returned to the Lakers after their trade with Charlotte was rescinded. Cam Reddish, who was also in the voided trade, is listed as out.

In anticipation that Doncic will play, ESPN will broadcast the game against the Jazz, according to ESPN PR (Twitter link).

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Kings added high-scoring wing Zach LaVine, center Jonas Valanciunas and young forward Jake LaRavia prior to the trade deadline. Interim coach Doug Christie is looking forward to figuring out his new rotation, he told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “It’s a good problem to have,” Christie said. “I’m not complaining at all. Is it difficult? Yeah, a little bit because you’re trying to learn on the fly and that can be tough with guys trying to rind their rhythm — when do I go, plays, defense, coverages, all that stuff — but we’re not going to make excuses. The organization has done a hell of a job of getting us talent, and now it’s my job to figure out how to make it work and get us wins.”
  • Valanciunas, who is in the first year of a three-year, $30.3MM contract, is glad to join a playoff race with the Kings after spending the first half of the season with the Wizards. “It feels good,” Valanciunas told Anderson. “It feels like I belong here. I’m excited to be here, excited to jump on the court in a winning situation and do some damage.”
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic, acquired by the Clippers from Atlanta, is expected to make his Los Angeles debut on Wednesday, Joe Reedy of The Associated Press reports. He gives the Clippers another offensive option. “I’m good. I know probably a lot of you have been seeing a lot of stuff earlier before I got traded, some personal reasons out, but that’s part of the trade deadline,” Bogdanovic said. ”I’m ready. I’m in good shape and I’ll be ready for the next game.” The Clippers traded Terance Mann and Bones Hyland for Bogdanovic and three second-round draft picks. Bogdanovic’s contract includes a $16MM guaranteed salary for next season, followed by a 2026/27 club option.

Nets Buy Out Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons has reached an agreement on a contract buyout with the Nets, paving the way for him to become an unrestricted free agent, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Nets have confirmed in a press release that they’ve officially requested waivers on Simmons. That means he’ll clear waivers and be free to sign with any NBA team as of Monday at 4:00 pm CT.

Charania first reported shortly after the trade deadline passed on Thursday that the Nets and Simmons were working toward a buyout, then co-reported on Friday along with ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst that the two sides were finalizing the terms of the agreement.

Various reports indicated that Simmons’ camp planned to meet with the Cavaliers, Clippers, and Rockets and that he wouldn’t complete a buyout with Brooklyn until he had his next destination lined up. However, agent Bernie Lee pushed back on that reporting on Friday in a statement to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

“I just saw some of the other reporting,” Lee said. “(I) want to be really clear Ben hasn’t met with anyone nor is he. We are having conversations with the Nets and when there is something to be said we will let everyone know.”

The fact that Simmons has now been officially waived by the Nets and word still hasn’t leaked about a contract agreement with a new team backs up Lee’s comments. However, I suspect the former No. 1 overall pick wouldn’t have given up any portion of his salary to get out of his contract with Brooklyn unless he was confident about making back that money with another team, so it shouldn’t be long before we get another update.

[UPDATE: Clippers To Sign Ben Simmons]

Simmons, the 2018 Rookie of the Year, made three All-Star teams during his years in Philadelphia and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2021, but had a falling out with the team later that year. A lengthy holdout, a series of back issues, and a trade to the Nets changed the trajectory of his career — across the past three years in Brooklyn, he has appeared in just 90 total games, averaging 6.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.2 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per night.

While Simmons’ extremely limited shooting ability make him a tricky piece to incorporate into certain lineups, he’s still a talented play-maker, defender, and rebounder who should have more significantly value as a low-cost addition on the buyout market than he did on his previous maximum-salary contract.

Because he was earning far beyond the $12.8MM mid-level exception on his contract with the Nets, Simmons will be ineligible to sign with any teams operating over either tax apron once he clears waivers. That means the Suns, Timberwolves, Celtics, Knicks, Lakers, Bucks, and Nuggets won’t be options.

NBA Announces Three-Point Contest, Skills Challenge Participants

The NBA has officially announced the participants for the All-Star Saturday festivities in San Francisco on February 15, revealing today (via Twitter) which players will compete in the three-point contest and the skills challenge. Here are the details:

Three-Point Contest:

Among this year’s participants, Powell (43.1%), Garland (42.9%), and Johnson (41.7%) have been the most accurate three-point shooters so far this season, while Herro (39.3% on 9.7 attempts per game) has been the most prolific.

Lillard won the event in both 2023 and 2024 and will be looking to become the first player since Craig Hodges in 1992 to claim the three-point title for a third consecutive year. Larry Bird was also a three-time winner, having achieved the feat in the first three years the NBA held the event (1986-88).

Hield is the only other player in this year’s field to have won the contest before, having done so in 2020. The Warriors wing will be the home team’s representative next Saturday.

Skills Challenge:

It appears the NBA will be tweaking the format of the skills challenge again in 2025, with the event set to feature four teams of two players apiece instead of three players per team.

Mobley was part of the Cavs team that won the event in 2022, along with Jarrett Allen and Garland. He’ll be teaming up with Mitchell this time around.

The NBA also officially confirmed the participants of the dunk contest earlier this week (Twitter link). Those four players, who had been previously reported, are Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis, Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, Bucks guard Andre Jackson, and Magic two-way guard Mac McClung.

Like Lillard in the three-point contest, McClung will be looking to three-peat in his event next Saturday night.

Clippers Trade Kevin Porter Jr. To Bucks For MarJon Beauchamp

February 7: The swap is now official, according to press releases from the Clippers and Bucks. This was the last deadline-day trade to be processed, so all of this week’s deals have now been formally finalized.


February 6: The Clippers are trading guard Kevin Porter Jr. to the Bucks for forward MarJon Beauchamp, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Porter is a former first-round pick who played in Greece last season after multiple off-court incidents, including reaching a plea agreement for misdemeanor assault and harassment in January 2024 after allegedly attacking his girlfriend in September 2023. The Clippers gave him another NBA opportunity in July when they signed him to a two-year, minimum-salary contract. He holds a $2.55MM player option for 2025/26.

Porter is still under a league investigation for that September 2023 incident involving former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While the 24-year-old has been a rotation regular for Los Angeles, averaging 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal in 45 games (19.6 minutes), he has struggled with offensive efficiency (.423/.245/.645 shooting line) and turnovers (1.9 per game). The Clips have also been much better when he’s off the court (+5.4 points per 100 possessions) than when he’s on it (-1.4).

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Porter will earn a trade bonus of $129,245 as a result of the deal. 

Beauchamp is another former first-round pick who has seen his minutes steadily decline over the course of his three NBA seasons, making just 26 appearances in ’24/25 for an average of 4.7 minutes per contest. The Bucks declined their rookie scale team option on the 24-year-old wing last fall, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He’s making $2.7MM this season.