Jordan Miller

Scotto’s Latest: Clippers, Boucher, Brown, Nurkic

The Clippers are currently operating about $2.5MM above the luxury tax threshold and would like to duck below that line at the trade deadline, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

That’s not surprising, given that the Clippers were a taxpayer in each of the previous four seasons and are now subject to repeater taxpayer penalties. Getting out of tax territory wouldn’t just save them from paying repeater rates in 2024/25 — it would also be the first step toward resetting the repeater clock for future seasons.

Clippers forward P.J. Tucker and guard Bones Hyland are the team’s two most obvious trade chips in any cost-cutting deal. Both players are on expiring contracts, with Tucker – who has been away from the team – earning $11.5MM, while Hyland – who has had a very limited role – making $4.2MM. Scotto classifies both players as “available,” which feels like an understatement. i don’t expect either player could be moved without a sweetener.

According to Scotto, a best-case scenario for the Clippers would be to duck the tax while also adding a backup big man to fortify their depth chart. If they’re able to create an open spot on their 15-man roster and have enough room below the tax, second-year forward Jordan Miller remains a candidate to be promoted from his two-way deal, as Scotto previously reported.

Scotto adds that the Clippers are looking to avoid taking on any contracts that run beyond 2025/26, since they’re prioritizing cap flexibility for the summer of ’26.

Here’s more from Scotto:

  • The Nuggets, Clippers, and Knicks are among the teams to register some level of interest in Raptors big man Chris Boucher, Scotto reports. Boucher is on an expiring $10.8MM contract.
  • Scotto confirms that Raptors wing Bruce Brown, who has a $23MM expiring contract, is a candidate to be included in a multi-team Jimmy Butler trade, as has been previously reported. There are a number of playoff-caliber teams hoping that Brown ends up being bought out after the deadline instead, Scotto adds.
  • The Suns are exploring the possibility of attaching one of their newly acquired first-round picks to center Jusuf Nurkic in order to land a quality rotation player via trade, sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto says Phoenix doesn’t view Nurkic as a salary dump and believes he’ll have more value on the trade market in the summer as he enters the final year of his contract. While I agree he may be easier to move in the summer, it’s hard to imagine Nurkic having positive or even neutral trade value at that point due to his $19.4MM cap hit for 2025/26.

Pacific Rumors: Finney-Smith, Lakers, Kings, Fox, Clippers

After acquiring him from Brooklyn, the Lakers would like to hang onto three-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith long-term, says Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. However, Scotto hears that the early expectation is that Finney-Smith will decline his $15.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season in order to test free agency.

While it’s unclear if Finney-Smith could exceed that $15.4MM figure in terms of average annual salary on a new contract, he could certainly secure a larger overall guarantee with a new multiyear deal.

According to Scotto, besides the Lakers, other teams that had interest in Finney-Smith before the Nets traded him to Los Angeles included the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Nuggets, Warriors, Kings, and Pacers. That doesn’t necessarily mean all of those clubs will be in the mix if and when Finney-Smith reaches free agency, but they could be some of the potential suitors to watch.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Pacific:

  • The next item on the Lakers‘ wish list is a backup center, according to Scotto, who says Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas is still very much a potential target for Los Angeles. As they peruse the market for a big man, the Lakers are expected to dangle Gabe Vincent and their remaining second-round draft capital, sources tell Scotto. The team still controls its own 2025 second-round pick, as well as the Clippers’ 2025 second-rounder.
  • Teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on the Kings to see if they’ll end up making a panic trade in the hopes of turning their season around, Scotto writes, reporting that Nets forward Cameron Johnson has been a consistent target for Sacramento. The biggest question among rival executives, Scotto says, is whether the Kings would entertain the idea of a De’Aaron Fox trade. There’s a sense from some around the league that Fox would have to request a trade for Sacramento to seriously consider moving him, Scotto adds.
  • League sources tell HoopsHype that Clippers two-way player Jordan Miller is a strong candidate for a promotion to the 15-man roster if the team can open up a spot for him. In that scenario, San Diego Clippers standouts Tosan Evbuomwan or RayJ Dennis would be among the contenders for the newly opened two-way slot, Scotto writes.

Five Players On Two-Way Deals Who Could Be Promoted

As Luke Adams explains in our glossary entry, the two-way contract was introduced in the NBA’s 2017 collective bargaining agreement, with additional changes ratified in the 2023 CBA. Players who signed two-way deals before the season began will earn $578,577 in 2024/25, half of the rookie minimum.

There are certain stipulations for players on two-way contracts. They are not eligible for the postseason, and if a team has a full 15-man standard roster, they can only be active for up to 50 games. In cases where a team has fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, two-way players are even more restricted in how many games they’re permitted to be active.

Three players on two-way contracts have already been converted to standard deals in ’24/25 — Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jay Huff each received four-year deals from the Grizzlies, who used part of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to complete the transactions. The Knicks also promoted rookie big man Ariel Hukporti a two-year standard contract using the minimum-salary exception.

Here are five more players on two-way deals who are candidates to be promoted to standard contracts.


Ajay Mitchell, G, Thunder

Mitchell is arguably the strongest candidate to be converted to a standard deal. There’s also a straightforward pathway for Oklahoma City to complete the transaction — the team would only need to waive rookie big man Branden Carlson, who is on a non-guaranteed standard contract.

A 6’5″ guard from Belgium, Mitchell was the No. 38 overall pick of June’s draft after starring in college at UC Santa Barbara. Not only has the 22-year-old been active for every game thus far for the Thunder, who lead the Western Conference with a 19-5 record, he has also appeared in all 24 contests as a rotation regular, averaging 5.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.7 APG and 0.9 SPG, with a shooting line of .478/.418/.800 in 16.0 MPG.


Brandon Boston, G/F, Pelicans

The No. 51 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Boston spent his first three seasons on a standard deal with the Clippers, who let him walk in free agency over the offseason. He wound up signing an Exhibit 10 deal with San Antonio for training camp, was released before the season started, and was claimed off waivers by New Orleans and converted to a two-way deal.

It turned out to be a shrewd decision, as the 23-year-old has played a significant role for the injury-ravaged Pelicans, averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.5 SPG in 23 games, including 10 starts (27.5 MPG). While Boston hasn’t been the most efficient scorer — his shooting slash line is .436/.323/.851, with a 53.8% true shooting percentage — he’s one of the few (active) players on the roster who can create offense for himself and others.

New Orleans only has 14 players on standard contracts right now and has shown a reluctance to carry a 15th man due to luxury tax concerns, so the Pelicans are unlikely to consider a promotion for Boston until he has reached his game limit or the team has ducked below the tax line with a trade.


Jamison Battle, F, Raptors

An undrafted rookie out of Ohio State, Battle has been active for 25 of Toronto’s 26 games, averaging 5.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG while shooting 44.0% from long distance in 24 appearances (13.6 MPG).

Although there’s a pathway to convert the 24-year-old sharpshooter, it would require the Raptors to cut a veteran — perhaps big man Bruno Fernando, who is on a non-guaranteed contract. There’s no rush for Toronto to make a decision on Fernando until the Jan. 7 deadline though, so if Battle does get promoted, I’d expect it to occur later in the season.


Dru Smith, G, Heat

At first glance, Smith doesn’t seem like the most obvious candidate to have his two-way contract converted. The 26-year-old missed most of last season with a torn ACL, and has only appeared in 10 games thus far in ’24/25.

However, he has played a major role off the bench lately. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Smith logged a career-high 34 minutes in Thursday’s victory over Toronto, including the entire fourth quarter for the third straight game, earning praise from team captain Bam Adebayo.

He’s just making the right plays every time down the court,” Adebayo said of Smith’s impact.

The tricky part about converting Smith is the Heat have a high payroll, which is why they’re only carrying 14 players on standard contracts. They’ll likely wait until after the trade deadline so that they don’t surpass the second tax apron and limit their trade options, but if Smith keeps playing like he has been lately, it seems like a matter of when, not if, he gets promoted.

[UPDATE: The Heat’s impending trade of Thomas Bryant could open the door for Smith to be promoted sooner rather than later.


Jordan Miller, F, Clippers

Second-year forward Miller rounds out our five-player list. In 14 appearances in ’24/25, the 2023 second-round pick has averaged 7.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.3 APG in 16.3 MPG, with a shooting line of .467/.304/.773. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but Miller is a solid, versatile defender who can drive, draw fouls, and create for himself and others.

With Derrick Jones (hamstring strain) out for at least a couple weeks and Kawhi Leonard (knee) still ramping up to make his season debut, Miller has a major opportunity to make himself an indispensable part of head coach Tyronn Lue‘s rotation.

In order for Miller to be promoted, the Clips would need to either waive someone from their standard 15-man roster or make a trade. P.J. Tucker is the team’s most obvious candidate to be traded or released.


Some other two-way players to keep an eye on:

Pacific Notes: Monk, DeRozan, Curry, Harden, Miller

Kings guard Malik Monk said the team would hold a meeting before Wednesday’s game in Minnesota. Sacramento enters the contest saddled with a four-game losing streak.

“We’re gonna say something,” Monk told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “I feel like we always say something after every loss, so (Tuesday) we’ll probably say something when we get to Minnesota.”

Monk’s comments came after the Kings gave up 130 points to Oklahoma City on Monday.

Monk said the team’s veterans need to speak up, specifically mentioning De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis.

“I feel like we’ve got a veteran team now with a few young guys, so we know how to turn it around,” Monk said. “Domas is going to say a few things, I’m going to say a few things, Fox will say a few things and DeMar will say a few things. We’ve got to turn it around quick, though.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Speaking of DeRozan, he won’t suit up on Wednesday. He experienced lower back muscle inflammation following Sunday’s game, Anderson tweets. DeRozan, noted for his durability, will be missing his fourth game this season.
  • Warriors star Stephen Curry is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against OKC due to bilateral patellofemoral pain — patella soreness in both knees, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater tweets. Jonathan Kuminga, who participated in Tuesday’s practice, is also listed as questionable due to illness.
  • The Clippers had a five-game winning streak snapped by Boston on Monday but they’re still three games above .500. James Harden said good chemistry has led to their success, despite the absence of Kawhi Leonard. “We’re coming around, and we’re understanding who we are,” Harden told Law Murray of The Athletic. “Understanding that in order for us to have a chance at anything, we know we have to do it every single night. And that’s the most exciting part. And then, one thing about this team, we’re all happy for each other. Literally, it can be anybody’s night, on any given night. Nobody’s going to be upset; everybody’s going to be happy for each other. And things aren’t always going to be perfect to win games. But even when we lose, we’re still happy for each other. Good things will happen most of the time.”
  • Jordan Miller, a 2023 second-round pick, has received steady playing time over the last six Clippers games due to injuries. The two-way player has averaged 8.2 points per game during that stretch. “I’m trying to leave a good impression because I don’t know what it’s going to look like when (Norman Powell) gets back,” Miller told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “But they can see that I’m a solid player, and if anything ever goes wrong (injuries) or if we need a spark, Coach will be more confident in me moving forward versus me not playing.”

L.A. Notes: Bamba, Clippers, Knecht, Vanderbilt

Clippers reserve center Mohamed Bamba is excited about his first two healthy bouts of the 2024/25 season, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Those games were also his first two with L.A. after the former lottery pick inked a one-year minimum deal this summer.

Bamba’s first outing for the Clippers on Sunday was fairly strong. In a win against Utah, Bamba played for 15 minutes, scoring nine points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor and one made free throw, while also chipping in eight boards.

“It was really good,” Bamba said regarding the game. “I told myself out there today it wasn’t going to be a matter of making shots or scoring. It was going to be just trying to get extra possessions and things of that nature.”

Bamba scored three points in his encore performance on Monday. The big man missed the first month of the season with a chronic knee injury. He played through the ailment during his 2023/24 run with the Sixers, but the Clippers opted instead to sideline him for a month.

“It was annoying but it’s not one specific injury,” Bamba said. “I kept getting this pocket of fluid in my knee and it was frustrating because we couldn’t figure out why it was happening. Now, though, we have a plan to manage it moving forward.”

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

  • In a crowded West, the Clippers are seeking to thread the needle of competing while also developing their young players, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. L.A. is currently 8-7 on the year, and in the midst of a game on Wednesday. With All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard hurt indefinitely, Murray notes that fans are wondering why the Clippers are still leaning so heavily on veteran guards James Harden and Norman Powell, both on the wrong side of 30, and not giving opportunities to intriguing youngsters Jordan Miller, Kobe Brown, and Bones Hyland.
  • Lakers head coach JJ Redick has indicated that rookie wing Dalton Knecht has earned legitimate rotation minutes going forward – as well as the trust of coaches and teammates – thanks to his recent scoring output, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter link). Through his first 14 games, the Tennessee alum is averaging 11.3 points per contest on .523/.464/.923 shooting splits. With forward Rui Hachimura hurt, Knecht has started Los Angeles’ last three games. Across those starts, he averaged 26.0 PPG on .636/.615/.857 shooting.
  • Lakers reserve forward Jarred Vanderbilt‘s recovery from surgery on both feet in May has been slower than Los Angeles had anticipated it would be, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The 6’8″ vet is expected to keep rehabilitating for at least two more weeks, at which time his progress will be reassessed. Price notes that Vanderbilt hasn’t played for L.A. since incurring a right mid-foot injury in February. The 25-year-old is in just the first season of a four-year, $48MM extension deal he inked during the 2023 offseason.

Checking In On Early 2024/25 Roster Battles

Each year, a handful of teams prefer to bring in players to battle it out for the last remaining spots on a given roster. Let’s take a look at a few training camp battles that are already brewing ahead of October.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have been busy in recent weeks, filling out their training camp roster with proven talent. The Bulls have 15 players on standard contracts, but Onuralp Bitim‘s deal is non-guaranteed. In addition, Chicago has two open two-way slots. The Bulls have four players — Talen Horton-Tucker, Kenneth Lofton Jr., E.J. Liddell and Marcus Domask — signed to training camp deals.

Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted to two-way contracts at any time. Horton-Tucker is the only player of that batch who is ineligible for a two-way contract, since he is at five years of NBA service. That gives the Bulls a handful of options for their opening night roster.

In essence, Bitim and Horton-Tucker seem to be battling it out for the Bulls’ 15th roster spot, while Lofton, Liddell and Domask all appear to be candidates for the team’s open two-way slots. Of course, if the Bulls opt to move on from Bitim on a standard deal, they could attempt to re-sign him to a two-way deal. They could also just carry 14 players on the standard roster to begin the year.

New York Knicks

As we detailed Saturday morning, Landry Shamet and Chuma Okeke appear to be battling for the Knicks’ 15th roster spot. Of course, there’s no guarantee that either player will make the roster, but each has a decent case to make the team.

Shamet is a proven three-point shooter while Okeke is a versatile forward who is a previous 16th overall pick. The Knicks will likely assess in training camp what their biggest need is and keep the player who best fits that niche heading into the year.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have a handful of players on non-guaranteed or partially contracts heading into the season. However, previous reporting seems to indicate that the team’s final roster spot will come down to either Kendall Brown or Cole Swider.

Brown is an athletic forward who was the 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He has spent the last two seasons with the Pacers but has also appeared in just 21 total games. Meanwhile, the Pacers signed Swider to a training camp contract this offseason that doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language. Swider is a known three-point shooter who spent last season with the Heat and helped Miami to a summer league championship this offseason.

James Wiseman and James Johnson each have partially guaranteed salaries with the Pacers.

The others

Other teams across the league are poised to either carry just 14 players on standard deals to begin the year or already have their 15-man rosters determined. However, some of those teams have unsettled two-way roster slots.

The Heat have their standard roster filled out, but summer standout Isaiah Stevens is on an Exhibit 10 deal. It seems like Stevens will battle Dru Smith — who currently holds a two-way deal — outright for that spot.

The Hornets have Moussa Diabate and KJ Simpson on two-way deals but have another spot open. Keyontae Johnson could be an option for that spot. Charlotte also has a potential opening on the 15-man roster, with four players signed to Exhibit 10 deals and another agreed to.

The Wizards also have an open two-way slot. Washington signed Leaky Black, Kira Lewis and Jaylen Nowell to Exhibit 10 contracts, but only Black is eligible for a two-way deal. The Wizards also have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, with Jared Butler and his non-guaranteed deal possibly on the outside looking in unless they make a trade.

The Clippers have RayJ Dennis, Kai Jones and Elijah Harkless signed to Exhibit 10 deals. The team also has an agreement with Kevon Harris for another such spot. With only Jordan Miller and Trentyn Flowers on two-way contracts, all of Dennis, Jones, Harkless and Harris are eligible for the team’s third.

Nets’ Jalen Wilson Named Summer League MVP

Nets forward Jalen Wilson has been named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League, the league’s communications department tweets.

Wilson averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from 3-point range in five games in Vegas.

His performances should solidify his spot on the team’s roster this upcoming season. The 23-year-old has a $1.89MM minimum-salary contract for 2024/25 that is currently just partially guaranteed for $75K. It increases to a partial guarantee of $325K if he makes the opening night roster.

Oddly, Wilson was only named to the All-Summer League Second Team. The First Team included the GrizzliesGG Jackson II and Scotty Pippen Jr,, the ClippersJordan Miller, the RocketsReed Sheppard and the Heat‘s Kel’el Ware.

The Grizzlies and Heat reached the Summer League championship game. Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in last month’s draft, averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals in four Las Vegas outings.

Along with Wilson, the Second Team included the WizardsCarlton Carrington, the Trail Blazers Donovan Clingan, the Heat‘s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and the PacersJarace Walker (Twitter links).

Pacific Notes: Leonard, Clippers, DeRozan, Roddy

Law Murray of The Athletic explores some offseason questions related to the Clippers, starting with the health of Kawhi Leonard.

The six-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP was removed from Team USA ahead of the Paris Olympics, leading to speculation about the status of his right knee, which has caused him issues over the years, including battling inflammation in the playoffs. According to Murray, both Leonard and the Clips seem confident in the 33-year-old’s health, even if some reports suggested otherwise.

President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said he and the Clippers were “very disappointed” in USA Basketball’s decision to replace Leonard.

He wouldn’t be out there and we wouldn’t put him out there if we weren’t confident that he’d be able to go through the entire Olympic experience,” Frank said. “I get it from USAB’s perspective; no one has a crystal ball. … Ultimately, they decided after the third practice that they didn’t feel as confident as we felt. That’s their right. It’s their team.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

  • The Clippers are now 4-0 at the Las Vegas Summer League after dispatching the Jazz on Thursday, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Second-year players Kobe Brown (20 points, three rebounds, six assists) and Jordan Miller (19 points, five rebounds, four assists) were the top individual performers for the Clips, who have to wait until Friday’s games conclude to determine whether or not they’ll advance to the semifinals, Carr notes.
  • DeMar DeRozan has been a veteran leader for the Bulls the past three seasons and he plans to continue that with the Kings, he told Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “I take pride in that,” DeRozan said. “Just giving whatever experience in life that I’ve been through, sharing that and giving any type of gems that I can give to help avoid any type of pitfall that someone else could go through if they haven’t been through something. I’ve been through a lot on and off the court that I feel like I can share. Any experience that I can give, I’ll try to give it all because I want the best for anybody I work with or play with and I want them to thrive the best way they can.”
  • Suns forward David Roddy has been hoisting up three-pointers during Summer League action, and he’ll likely need to show he can convert them at a high level if he wants to earn minutes under new head coach Mike Budenholzer, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. As Rankin notes, Budenholzer’s teams ranked between second and eighth in the NBA in three-point attempts from 2018-23, while former first-rounder Roddy has converted just 30.1% of his outside looks over his first two NBA seasons.

L.A. Notes: Bronny, Redick, Miller, A. Johnson

After a rough start to his NBA career in Summer League play, Lakers guard Bronny James may begin the upcoming season in the G League, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James was in the spotlight on Friday during his first game in Las Vegas, where a partisan Lakers crowd cheered every positive thing he did. However, the shooting woes he experienced during the California Classic continued, as he was held to eight points while going 3-of-14 from the field and missing all eight of his three-point attempts.

“I’m just looking forward to any basketball I play, no matter what level I’m playing at,” James responded when asked about the possibility of playing in the G League.

McMenamin notes that James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, seemed opposed to a G League assignment when he warned teams not to draft his client if they planned to offer a two-way contract. James received a standard four-year deal from L.A., but he may need time to develop his game before being ready for the NBA.

Summer League coach Dane Johnson, who also guides the South Bay Lakers, indicated that no discussions have taken place about where James will start the season.

“I don’t know about that yet, so I can’t really comment on that,” Johnson told reporters. “But I think all these guys are going to be in the G League at some point — the draftees.”

There’s more on the two L.A. teams:

  • J.J. Redick joined his former ESPN broadcast partners during Friday’s game to explain why he decided to become the Lakers‘ head coach, relays Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll. Redick said he felt a “calling to coach” and he wanted to test himself in a “high stakes, high pressure” environment. “The other part of it is,” Redick added, “in my retirement, I realized what gives me fulfillment and what gives me drive and motivation and that’s competition, that’s performance, that’s collaboration, being part of a team … the other parts of that are leadership and service. I said this in my press conference, like a big driving factor in this for me is I just want to help people. I want to help players. I want to help coaches. I want to empower people. I, obviously, want to help this Lakers organization get back to the top.”
  • After scoring 36 points Friday night, Jordan Miller said his goal is to earn a standard contract with the Clippers, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 24-year-old wing played on a two-way deal last season and earned All-Rookie honors in the G League.
  • Long-time NBA player Amir Johnson is working with the Clippers this summer to help develop the team’s prospects, Murray tweets.

NBAGL All-League, Defensive, Rookie Teams Announced

The NBA announced all of the major All-NBA G League teams on Thursday (All Twitter links found here), including the First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Rookie team.

Several current and former NBA players are among the honorees. Here is the full list of winners for the 2023/24 season.

All-NBA G League First Team:

All-NBA G League Second Team:

All-NBA G League Third Team:

G League All-Defensive Team:

G League All-Rookie Team:

* Denotes two-way contract

^ Denotes standard contract