Clippers Rumors

Nets Finalizing Buyout With Ben Simmons

February 7th, 2025 at 9:20am CST by Tristan Tucker

February 7: After being listed as away from the team as he progressed toward a buyout (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post), Charania and Windhorst report (via Twitter) that Simmons is finalizing a buyout with the Nets. He will meet with the Cavaliers and Clippers on Friday, per ESPN’s duo.

Sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes that Simmons will also meet with the Rockets (Twitter link). According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), Simmons will finalize his buyout once he has a new team lined up.

February 6: The Nets are working on a buyout agreement with forward/guard Ben Simmons, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Cavaliers and the Clippers are among the teams to watch for the former All-Star, Charania reports. The Athletic’s Law Murray confirmed the Clippers’ interest on Thursday (Twitter link).

On Thursday’s trade deadline NBA Today show (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst of ESPN named the Rockets as a potential suitor as well.

Simmons is in the final year of a five-year maximum-salary contract he signed with Philadelphia that began in 2020. He’s owed $40.34MM this year, but it’s unclear at this juncture how much of that he’ll give up in his buyout with the team.

He was originally traded to the Nets at the 2022 deadline in the deal that landed James Harden with Philadelphia. However, after holding out for part of the season and dealing with a back injury, Simmons ultimately didn’t suit up for the Nets until the 2022/23 season.

He didn’t end up playing much for Brooklyn over the following three seasons, appearing in a total of 90 games (69 starts) and averaging 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists while only attempting 5.3 shots per game.

While Simmons isn’t the same level of defender as he was when he finished no lower than fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in consecutive seasons from 2019-21, he still provides some intrigue on that end. Both the Cavaliers and Clippers have at least one open roster spot, so they wouldn’t need to clear the way to sign him. The Rockets don’t have a roster spot open but could waive Cody Zeller once their series of trade deadline moves is completed.

Due to apron rules, the Celtics, Nuggets, Lakers, Bucks, Timberwolves, Knicks and Suns are the teams ineligible to sign Simmons once he hits free agency, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link). Those seven teams are either in the first or second apron and are thus not allowed to sign players who make more than the mid-level exception, which is $12.8MM.

As for the Nets, parting ways with Simmons allows the team to open a roster spot. They could see if any interesting young players worth taking fliers on hit waivers or they could opt to convert one of their two-way players to a standard deal if they so chose. Two-way players Tosan Evbuomwan and Tyrese Martin have both been contributors in Brooklyn.

Hawks Trade Bogdanovic, Second-Rounders To Clippers For Mann, Hyland

February 7th, 2025 at 5:55am CST by Tristan Tucker

FEBRUARY 7: The trade is official, according to press releases from both teams. In order to make room on their roster to complete the deal, the Hawks have waived forward David Roddy.

Within the Clippers’ announcement of the trade, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank spoke glowingly about Mann, lauding him for “what’s he’s meant to our organization” and the “imprint” he left on the team. Frank also said the club is grateful to Hyland and hopes he gets the opportunity to play more regularly as a result of the deal.

General manager Landry Fields said in the Hawks’ statement that the club is grateful for the “passion and heart” Bogdanovic played with, adding that Mann is “someone we’ve liked as a player and person for a long time.”

FEBRUARY 6: The Hawks are trading Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Clippers for Terance Mann and Bones Hyland, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

In addition to receiving Bogdanovic, the Clippers will obtain three second-round picks. According to The Athletic’s Law Murray (Twitter link), those second-round picks are Minnesota’s in 2025, the Clippers own in 2027 and a protected 2026 Grizzlies selection.

The Grizzlies’ 2026 second-round pick will be sent to the Clippers if it lands between 31-42, according to Murray (Twitter link). The 2027 pick sent back to the Clippers is their own that was originally moved in the 2023 five-team trade that ultimately saw Dillon Brooks land with the Rockets.

The trade of Bogdanovic was anticipated by several reporters in the weeks leading up to the deadline. In recent days, his name was brought up in rumors involving Brandon Ingram before the latter was sent to Toronto.

A career 38.0% three-point shooter, Bogdanovic is having a bit of a down year for the Hawks, shooting just 30.1% from deep and averaging 10.0 points per game after recording 16.9 PPG last year. The Clippers are hoping he’ll round into form for a team with playoff aspirations.

In addition to rolling the dice on Bogdanovic, the Clippers wil open up a roster spot by moving two players out in exchange for one. That will help make the team a player in the buyout market while being $2.4MM below the tax.

The Clippers are also able to shed some future salary by moving off Mann’s contract, which is guaranteed through 2027/28. Bogdanovic’s contract is guaranteed for $16.02MM next year, but he has a team option for the same amount in 2026/27.

As noted by ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Clippers increase their available second-round picks from one to four in this move as well.

While Bogdanovic and Hyland both came up in external trade rumors this season, there wasn’t much reported activity regarding Mann heading into the deadline. However, as NBA insider Jake Fischer reports (Twitter link), the Nuggets were another team that had serious interest in acquiring Mann.

The six-year NBA vet spent his entire career with the Clippers to this point after he was the 48th overall pick in the 2019 draft. His minutes have declined this season and he’s averaging just 6.0 PPG in his reduced role.

Hyland, the 26th overall pick in the 2021 draft, was traded to the Clippers originally at the 2023 deadline. However, he didn’t break into the rotation and is out after about two seasons. Still just 24, Hyland is a strong three-point shooter (36.4% career average) and scorer (9.7 points per game), giving the Hawks an upside swing if he sticks around.

As a result of their three reported deals today, which send out De’Andre Hunter, Bogdanovic and Cody Zeller, the Hawks will remain out of luxury tax territory.

Pacific Notes: LaVine, Monk, Booker, Mills, Eubanks, Lue

February 6th, 2025 at 9:18am CST by Dana Gauruder

Zach LaVine expressed excitement about playing in Sacramento after the Bulls dealt him to the Kings, Antonio Ray Harvey of The Associated Press writes. LaVine nearly played in Sacramento earlier in his career — he signed a four-year, $78MM offer sheet with the Kings in 2018, but Chicago matched it.

“I’ve been a fan of (the Kings) for a long time,” LaVine said. “I thought I was going to sign here six years ago. I’ve had a good relationship with a lot of guys who played here and I understand the culture here from me being from the West Coast.”

LaVine was held to 13 points in 31 minutes during a loss to Orlando in his Sacramento debut on Wednesday.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Former sixth man Malik Monk has moved into the role of starting point guard for the Kings in the aftermath of the De’Aaron Fox trade. Monk has struggled in his first two starts with almost as many turnovers (seven) as assists (eight). “Oh, yeah, it’s definitely a new opportunity and stage,” Monk told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “Starting at point guard is a big opportunity, and it’s a big thing to feel in this league for sure, especially what Fox did for the organization, for the city of Sac, so I’m just trying to pick up where he left off.”
Devin Booker was humbled when he became the Suns’ all-time leading scorer. He surpassed Walter Davis on Monday. “It means everything,” Booker told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “Just being drafted to a franchise that believed in me, taking a chance on me as an 18-year-old kid and going through a rebuild phase and just sticking with it. Keeping my head down. The love and support has always been there. I don’t take it from granted. I take it seriously putting Phoenix across my chest.”
New Clippers Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks, acquired in a weekend trade with Utah, are looking forward to contributing to their playoff push, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes. Eubanks, in particular, could play a key role as the backup center. “There’s a lot of familiar faces around this team and locker room and staff that I think will give me the confidence to be the veteran leader that I am and be vocal in that standpoint as well,” Mills said. “But as I said, once I get a feel for how things work and how I can make an impact, that will be it.”
The Lakers blew out the Clippers by 25 points on Tuesday, infuriating head coach Tyronn Lue, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The Clippers lost to Toronto and narrowly earned a win against the woeful Hornets in their previous two contests. “We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror and think about do we want to win or not,” Lue said. “That’s got to be our mentality. And so three games in a row we come out with not a great defensive performance and it’s just not putting enough into the game. Even on the offensive end, not putting a lot into the game. And so when that happens you get blown out like we did.”

Knicks Expected To Trade Jericho Sims

February 5th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are expected to trade Jericho Sims at some point before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

A landing spot for Sims is not yet known, according to Bontemps, who says that several teams have expressed interest in the big man. A Tuesday report indicated the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks are among Sims’ potential suitors, while a separate report stated that the Nuggets are also in the market for a backup center.

Bontemps’ report is in line with what local reporters have been saying leading up to the February 6 deadline. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic wrote last week that Sims was the best best among Knicks players to be moved in an in-season deal, while Ian Begley of SNY.tv said today that he views a Sims deal as “likely” (Twitter video link).

A report in January suggested that the Knicks were seeking a second-round pick in return for Sims.

The 26-year-old has been with the Knicks for the past four seasons but has been used sparingly by head coach Tom Thibodeau, even with Precious Achiuwa missing time this past fall and Mitchell Robinson having yet to make his season debut. Across 39 outings (five starts) this season, Sims is averaging 1.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game.

Sending out Sims’ $2.09MM expiring contract would allow the Knicks to take back another minimum-salary player, though it’s possible the team will just look to trade the big man without taking back anyone in return. In that scenario, New York – which has been unable to sign a 15th man all season due to its proximity to a second-apron hard cap – would have two open roster spots and would be able to fill them immediately with rest-of-season free agent signings.

Trading Sims without taking a player back would also create slightly more financial flexibility in the event of a second trade, though Begley (Twitter video link) said today that there don’t seem to be any active talks involving Robinson, who has been considered one of the Knicks’ top trade candidates.

Scotto’s Latest: Bucks, Vucevic, Ball, Martin, Sims, Hunter

February 4th, 2025 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks‘ conversations on the trade market leading up to the February 6 deadline have centered around Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and MarJon Beauchamp, along with their 2031 first-round pick, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Middleton, Portis, and Connaughton hold player options for the 2025/26 season worth $34MM, $13.4MM, and $9.4MM, respectively. The expectation, Scotto writes, is that Middleton and Connaughton will pick up their options, locking in those cap hits for next season. Portis’ intentions aren’t known, per Scotto, but if he opts out, he’d presumably do so in search of a raise.

With Middleton having battled injuries, Portis potentially a free agent this summer, Connaughton having a down year, and Beauchamp not in the rotation, the value of the Bucks’ top trade candidates is limited, but that 2031 first-rounder would certainly be coveted on the trade market.

According to Scotto, in the two weeks since the Suns traded their 2031 first-round pick for three less valuable first-rounders, a handful of NBA executives have expressed interest in trying to work out a similar deal with the Bucks.

Here are a few more rumors of interest from Scotto:

Scotto checks in on Bulls trade candidates Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, writing that there’s a “growing sense” that Vucevic could be on the move this week, with the Warriors and Lakers among his rumored suitors.
As for Ball, the Grizzlies, Pistons, and Timberwolves are among the teams with interest, Scotto writes. Minnesota, a second-apron team, likely doesn’t have a realistic path to acquiring Ball in a trade, and Scotto does note that some clubs are monitoring the situation to see whether the Bulls guard could end up on the buyout market. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported earlier today that Chicago is resistant to the idea of buying out Ball.
In general, Scotto says, the Bulls want to avoid taking on long-term salary in trades as they look to create more cap flexibility in the coming years.
Besides Milwaukee, whose interest was reported earlier today, the Lakers and the Nuggets are among the teams with some trade interest in Hornets wing Cody Martin, league sources tell Scotto.
Meanwhile, the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks are among the teams to register some level of interest in Knicks center Jericho Sims, while Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter has drawn interest from the Cavaliers, Scotto reports.

Begley’s Latest: Knicks, Theis, Sims, Nets, Brogdon, Cavs, Raptors

February 4th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming that the Knicks have inquired on Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele, Ian Begley of SNY.tv adds Pelicans veteran Daniel Theis to the list of bigs New York has checked in on.

As Begley writes, the Knicks may turn out not to need another center if Mitchell Robinson is able to return in February and stays healthy. But Robinson was only just cleared for contact and will need some time to get into game shape, so the team won’t know by Thursday’s trade deadline what it can realistically expect from him for the rest of the season.

With that in mind, the Knicks will continue to browse the market for possible frontcourt reinforcements, though they’ll face competition, according to Begley, who notes that the Lakers are also seeking a center and the Nuggets are on the lookout for a backup big man of their own.

Begley believes that Knicks center Jericho Sims will end up being traded by the deadline. Sims is on an expiring contract and hasn’t established himself as a reliable rotation option for head coach Tom Thibodeau, so it’s possible he could be sent out in a deal for a more trustworthy veteran. He could legally be traded straight up for Yabusele, Begley notes, though the Sixers would certainly want more than just Sims in return for the Frenchman.

Here’s more from Begley:

While the Nets‘ biggest trade chip is Cameron Johnson, teams monitoring the situation are skeptical that any suitor will make a strong enough offer this week to pry him out of Brooklyn, Begley writes. Elsewhere on the Nets’ front, center Day’Ron Sharpe is generating some interest, Begley adds, with the Clippers among the teams who have done background work on Sharpe.
Begley reports that the Lakers and Clippers are among the teams that had Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon on their radar earlier this season. However, after their recent deals, neither Los Angeles team is particularly well positioned to match Brogdon’s $22.5MM cap hit, so it’s unclear whether that interest persists. The Clippers, operating below the tax aprons, would be eligible to sign Brogdon in the event he reaches the buyout market. but the Lakers wouldn’t be since they’re over the first apron.
There has been some speculation that the Cavaliers may make a trade to get out of luxury tax territory, but they’ve signaled to teams that they’re not looking to move forward Georges Niang in a salary dump, says Begley.
According to Begley, the Raptors have a deal lined up to trade one of their players into cap space “if the need arises.” It’s impossible to know exactly what that sort of move would look like without more details, but I’d speculate it would only be necessary if Toronto gets involved in a bigger multi-team deal and needs to send out salary for matching purposes that none of their other trade partners wants to take on. Although Begley’s reference to “cap space” suggests Detroit – the only team with actual cap space – may be involved, there are a number of teams with exceptions available to take on smaller contracts, like Utah did with Jalen Hood-Schifino in the Luka Doncic mega-deal.

Scotto’s Latest: DFS, Grimes, Kleber, Toppin, Jazz

February 2nd, 2025 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers‘ acquisition of Luka Doncic in the three-team blockbuster with the Mavericks and Jazz could improve their odds of retaining veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto previously reported that Finney-Smith was expected to decline his $15.4MM option for next season in order to enter unrestricted free agency. Doncic and Finney-Smith, who was acquired from the Nets this season, are close friends. Doncic will undoubtedly lobby the Lakers’ front office to retain Finney-Smith, Scotto notes.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Mavericks‘ acquisition of young guard Max Christie along with Anthony Davis in the trade could impact Quentin Grimes‘ status with the organization. Grimes, who reportedly declined a three-year rookie scale extension offer prior to the October deadline, has become a key contributor, averaging 10.2 points per game while shooting 46.7% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc. He’ll become eligible for restricted free agency this summer, while Christie is signed through 2027/28, including a player option.
Prior to adding current injured Maxi Kleber to the Doncic deal, the Mavericks held exploratory talks involving Kleber with the Pacers. Dallas had its eyes on power forward Obi Toppin. Kleber is signed through the 2025/26 season and if he’s not dealt again prior to Thursday’s deadline, he’ll become a more valuable trade asset for the Lakers in the offseason when he’ll have an expiring $11MM contract.
The Jazz, who facilitated the Doncic/Davis trade, are expected to remain active ahead of the trade deadline. Utah is looking to flip veteran forward P.J. Tucker, who was acquired from the Clippers on Saturday, for another team’s salary dump to land more future draft assets. Tucker will be bought out of his $11.54MM contract if he’s not traded. John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton have all come up in trade discussions. Walker Kessler has also drawn interest but the Jazz’s high price tag makes it unlikely he’ll be dealt this week.

Jazz Waive Mo Bamba

February 2nd, 2025 at 10:08am CST by Rory Maher

To complete the three-team blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks, the Jazz have officially waived center Mohamed Bamba, who was acquired on Saturday in a separate deal with the Clippers.

Utah announced the move in a press release.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), the Jazz needed to create an opening on their standard roster to acquire Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers. Bamba was the odd man out.

A former lottery pick, Bamba was unable to carve out a consistent role in his four-plus seasons with Orlando, the team that selected him sixth overall back in 2018. The 26-year-old was traded to the Lakers in February 2023, but only played nine games for the club due to injury.

Bamba signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Philadelphia in the summer of 2023. Last offseason, he inked the same type of deal with the Clippers.

In 28 games with the Clips in 2024/25, Bamba averaged 4.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 block in 12.6 minutes per contest. He posted a shooting slash line of .466/.300/.680 while serving as a backup to Ivica Zubac.

Bamba was the most straightforward candidate to be cut by the Jazz due to the size of his contract. The other player Utah acquired from the Clippers was P.J. Tucker, who has yet to play this season but makes $11.54MM.

Tucker is a strong buyout candidate, but that could require him to give back a prorated portion of his salary — it also presumes the 39-year-old will have another opportunity lined up. There’s no rush for either side to reach that decision until after the February 6 trade deadline, especially since Tucker’s expiring contract could still be useful in certain trade scenarios.

Assuming he clears waivers, Bamba will be an unrestricted free agent in a couple days. He’ll be ineligible to re-sign with the Clippers.

Several Two-Way Players Nearing NBA Game Limit

February 1st, 2025 at 5:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

NBA players on two-way contracts operate under different regulations than the rest of the league. One of the most important differences is they are limited in the number of games that they’re permitted to be on the active roster.

For two-way players who’ve been with their current teams since the start of the season, that number is 50. Each time they’re listed as active counts toward that total, whether they play or not. Players who sign two-way deals during the season have their limit of games pro-rated.

Those numbers are becoming important since we’ve passed the halfway point of the season, and Keith Smith of Spotrac sent out a tweet earlier today identifying a few players who are getting close to reaching their limits.

Once a player hits his allotted number of games, he’s not eligible to appear in the NBA as a two-way player for the rest of the season. He can remain on the team and play in the G League, but he must be signed to a standard contract to see any more NBA action.

Here are the names Smith noted and the number of games they have remaining:

Jacob Toppin, Knicks (2) – New York has used up nearly all of Toppin’s active time, even though he has only gotten into 15 games and averages 3.1 minutes per night. The small forward seems likely to finish the season in the G League.
Tyrese Martin, Nets (5) – Martin has become part of the rotation in Brooklyn, averaging 21.3 minutes in the 31 games that he played. The shooting guard is a little old for a prospect at 25, but he seems like a strong candidate to land a regular roster spot so the Nets can evaluate him for the rest of the season.
Jordan Miller, Clippers (5) – The small forward isn’t part of the rotation in L.A. and may not be in the team’s playoff plans. He has logged just one minute in three of his last four appearances, and the Clippers don’t appear concerned about preserving the number of games he has remaining. He has been mentioned as a candidate for a promotion.
Jared Butler, Wizards (8) – Washington has nothing left to play for, so it makes sense to take a long look at the 24-year-old combo guard. This is Butler’s fourth NBA season and his second with the Wizards, so this is a good time to determine whether he’ll be part of their future.
Brandon Boston Jr., Pelicans (9) – Boston was among the two-way players most likely to earn a promotion even before the season-ending injury to Dejounte Murray. Boston has played in all 41 games in which he’s been listed as active, making 10 starts and averaging 10.7 PPG in 23.9 minutes per night.

Here are a few more players getting close to their game limits:

Kai Jones, Clippers (11) – Jones has made 27 appearances as a backup center, but he’s only averaging 2.2 points in 7.6 minutes per night. The addition of Drew Eubanks in today’s trade with Utah gives L.A. another veteran big man and lessens the need to promote Jones to the standard roster.
Moussa Diabate, Hornets (11) – Part of the reasoning for the Nick Richards trade was Diabate’s emergence as a dependable center off the bench. He’s been playing big minutes over the past week and seems like he’ll definitely be on a standard contract soon.
Ryan Rollins, Bucks (12) – Rollins is a marginal member of Milwaukee’s rotation, making five starts in his 30 appearances and playing 11.9 minutes per night. His fate could depend on what the Bucks are able to do before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Cap/Roster Check-Ins: Clippers/Jazz Trade, 10-Day Deals

February 1st, 2025 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s going to be a busy week at Hoops Rumors, with this year’s trade deadline just five days away. But while things are still relatively quiet, we want to take a closer look at how today’s trade between the Clippers and Jazz works from a cap perspective and where things stand with the few 10-day contracts that have been signed so far this season.

Let’s dive in…

The Clippers/Jazz trade

Utah’s cap flexibility:

The Clippers and Jazz have officially finalized a deal that sends P.J. Tucker, Mohamed Bamba, a 2030 second-round pick, and cash to Utah in exchange for Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills.

First and foremost, this is a reminder that for teams not encumbered by either tax apron, salary-matching rules in trades have never been more lenient. Bamba and Mills are on identical one-year contracts and each have a cap hit of $2,087,519 this season, but Tucker’s cap hit ($11,539,000) is more than double that of Eubanks ($5,000,000).

Teams operating below the first tax apron like Utah are permitted to take back up to 200% of their outgoing salary (plus an extra $250K) when they send out any amount up to $7.5MM. That means the Jazz are allowed to acquire up to $10,250,000 in incoming salary in exchange for Eubanks’ outgoing $5MM salary.

That’s not quite enough for Tucker, which is why Mills was added to the deal. With $7,087,519 in total outgoing salary, the Jazz’s maximum incoming amount increases to $14,425,038. That’s more than enough to accommodate both Tucker and Bamba, who are earning a combined $13,626,519, though Bamba’s minimum deal can be absorbed using the minimum salary exception, meaning salary-matching is only necessary to acquire Tucker.

The Jazz entered the day with a team salary of $143,653,620. This trade increased that figure to $150,192,620, which is still more than $20MM below the luxury tax line ($170,814,000). In other words, Utah has more than enough breathing room below the tax line to make this sort of deal two or three more times over before the deadline.

Of course, the Jazz don’t have enough expendable players to make exactly this sort of trade two or three more times. But the team could, for instance, take back extra salary when moving players like John Collins, Collin Sexton, or Jordan Clarkson, and also still has its $8MM room exception available to absorb a contract or two outright. That flexibility should serve Utah well and make the Jazz a team to watch for the rest of the week.

The Clippers’ tax-ducking:

Meanwhile, the Clippers were one of five NBA teams that entered the day on Saturday operating over the tax by less than $6MM — Los Angeles had been about $2.47MM above the tax line and has now moved to approximately $4.07MM below that threshold.

Steve Ballmer is the richest team owner in the NBA, so he probably barely would’ve noticed if he’d to pay L.A.’s relatively small projected tax bill of $6.2MM. But the Clippers will now be in position to receive a share of the tax distribution for non-taxpayers too. The exact amount of that per-team distribution remains up in the air depending on what other moves are made this week, but it could be in excess of $15MM. That’s not nothing.

Perhaps more importantly, after being a taxpayer for each of the previous four seasons, the Clippers move a step closer toward resetting their “repeater” clock. If they can avoid the tax at least once more in a coming season, the Clips will shed their repeater status and will only face standard tax penalties when they become a taxpayer again down the road, rather than the far more punitive repeater penalties.

The difference between standard and repeater penalties is substantial, especially with repeater rates set to rise in 2025/26, so resetting that clock is a big deal — it puts the Clippers in position to spend big on their roster a few years from now without still being on the hook for extra tax payments as a result of their high payrolls in the Paul George era.

The Pelicans, Cavaliers, Mavericks, and Warriors are the other four teams who are over the tax line by less than $6MM. I don’t expect all of them to try to get out of tax territory before Thursday’s deadline, but New Orleans, at least, is a virtual lock to do so and it’s possible one or two others will consider it.

Ten-day contracts

Branden Carlson and the Thunder:

Carlson’s second 10-day contract with Oklahoma City expired overnight on Friday, making him a free agent and reopening the 15th spot on the Thunder‘s roster. Because a player can’t sign three 10-day contracts with the same team in a season, the Thunder would have to offer Carlson a rest-of-season deal if they want to bring him back.

I don’t see that happening before Thursday’s trade deadline — my guess is that the Thunder will leave that 15th spot open for now in case they need to use it in a trade this week. If the spot remains free after that, they might consider their options on the buyout market over the next few weeks before making any final decisions on their 15th man.

Carlson is a candidate to fill that opening eventually. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Thunder decide to promote Ajay Mitchell from his two-way contract to the standard roster and look to bring Carlson back on a two-way deal before the March 4 deadline for two-way signings.

However, Mitchell’s toe surgery, which may sideline him for the rest of the season, is a factor working in Carlson’s favor for that 15th spot — if Mitchell isn’t able to contribute in the playoffs, there will be no urgency for the Thunder to get him locked up before the summer.

For what it’s worth, Carlson was playing regular minutes off the bench with Isaiah Hartenstein sidelined and had made at least one three-pointer in eight straight games, but he was a DNP-CD in each of the two games after Hartenstein returned from his calf strain.

Orlando Robinson and the Raptors:

Now that Carlson’s 10-day deal has expired, Robinson’s second 10-day contract with Toronto is the only one in the league still active.

It has been a very quiet winter so far for 10-day signings, as our tracker shows — I expect things will pick up after the trade deadline when more teams open up roster spots, but as of now, the Raptors and Thunder are the only two teams that have signed any players to 10-day contracts this season.

Robinson’s contract is set to expire at the end of Thursday, hours after the trade deadline passes. Don’t be surprised if the Raptors end up terminating that deal one day early. They don’t have a game on Thursday, so Robinson would be the easy choice to be cut if they need to open up a spot to accommodate an extra incoming player in a trade.

Robinson has averaged 16.8 minutes per game in Toronto’s last four contests and looks like a candidate to earn either a standard or two-way rest-of-season contract if the Raptors can accommodate it after the trade deadline.

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