It’s now been over a full day since the NBA brought a hammer down on the Clippers for cap circumvention, which meant Lucas Hann and I did an hour-long podcast giving our thoughts on all angles. Do we think the Clippers did it? What was the most interesting part of the report released by the NBA? Who should take most of the blame for the circumvention? Where do the Clippers go from here? All these questions and more were discussed.

As always, you can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and any other major podcast distributor.

TLTJTP: Clippers Get Crushed by NBA for Cap Circumvention
Robert Flom

The NBA finally handed out their punishment to the Clippers for the Kawhi Leonard Aspiration saga, and it was a big one, with the Clippers getting something close to the maximum penalty. The Clippers are losing five first round draft picks (one each from 2029 to 2033), Steve Ballmer is getting fined $30M, and Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Gillian Zucker are all getting suspensions of various lengths.

The full summary report of the lawfirm’s investigation can be read here, and it is quite, quite damning if accurate (there’s no reason it wouldn’t be). The Clippers not only introduced Kawhi Leonard to sponsors illegally, but even negotiated the contracts that Kawhi was set to receive from said sponsors in return for future business. There’s a whole lot in there, and the evidence seems quite ironclad.

The Clippers have responded with a statement that they will fight the penalties, and I’m sure they will do so, but based on the report things look quite grim for them. For now, we should assume this penalty is what will actually take place, plus or minus some stuff around the margins.

The first round picks punishment is what fans will care about, and I won’t lie, this punishment is close to a death knell for the Clippers in the next few years barring some truly miraculous developments or brilliant team building. The Clippers will not have any firsts to trade for players, nor will they be able to draft youngsters to put around Keaton Wagler. They can, of course, trade the players currently on their roster for picks, and they will probably do so, since contention in the next couple of years seems very unlikely.

I don’t really have much to say about the whole situation, other than it’s really, really unfortunate for fans of the team. It seems fairly clear that the Clippers did what they were accused of, and did so for a team that made one Conference Finals a half-decade ago. Steve Ballmer and the executives are getting off relatively lightly on a personal perspective, as is Kawhi, but the franchise losing those picks will just make fans miserable for years to come. It seems unfair for fans, but cap circumvention is really bad, and punishments must be made.

I think it’s totally understandable for fans to jump ship over this. Not just because the team seems destined for a very difficult next 3-5 years, but because from ownership on down the organization seems to be rotten. Now, fans root for the players, and that’s always been the case, but this is a mighty tough pill to swallow.

Here at 213 Hoops, we will still be covering the Clippers as an on-court basketball team (for the time being, at least), so don’t expect any changes there. We will keep you all posted as the story develops further; Kawhi’s lack of punishment should mean that the trade will officially go through at some time, anyway. At least now we can all move on.

Clippers Hammered by NBA for Kawhi Leonard Cap Circumvention
Robert Flom

The Central Division is one of the most stacked in the NBA, featuring a 60-win team, a conference finalist, and an NBA Finals runner-up from 2025, all of whom are gearing up for contention in 2027.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Additions: Peyton Watson, Mario Hezonja, Cam Whitmore, Meleek Thomas (34^th pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Max Strus, Dean Wade, Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis, Larry Nance Jr.

Other: Re-signed James Harden, Extended Donovan Mitchell to a supermax, Re-signed Thomas Bryant

Outlook: The Cavaliers finally broke through to the Conference Finals last year only to get swept in unceremonious fashion by the eventual champion New York Knicks. Despite all the public attention being on the perceived flaws of the “Core Four” of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, the real issues with the Cavs in the playoffs was that nobody else on the roster looked remotely ready for the moment on an even semi-consistent basis. Those guys all have real flaws and limitations, but the lack of a fifth option that could be relied upon for big minutes was the biggest downside to the team. As a response, the Cavs went out and acquired Peyton Watson (just last week) from the Nuggets on a big deal to fill that last starting spot. They also turned over much of their bench, looking for internal development from guys like Jaylon Tyson, Craig Porter Jr., Tyrese Proctor, and second-round rookie Meleek Thomas to replace the departures in the rotation. The depth could be an issue, but the top 5 should be good enough to carry the Cavs to yet another 50+ win season.

Prediction: 51-31 (Last year predicted 58-24, actually 52-30)

Detroit Pistons

Additions: John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, Gary Harris, Ebuka Okorie (18^th pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, Caris Levert, Marcus Sasser, Bobi Klintman

Other: Jalen Duren remains a restricted free agent, Re-signed Javonte Green, Re-signed Kevin Huerter

Outlook: The Pistons were one of the best stories of the 2026 season, securing the 1 spot in the Eastern Conference with room to spare. The Pistons won a playoff series for the first time since the 2000s, and saw star guard Cade Cunningham get down-ballot MVP buzz. It was objectively a huge success for the franchise, even with a disappointing second-round loss to the Cavaliers. However, the offseason has been a bit shakier, with two pillars of the revamped Pistons culture (Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart) departing, and breakout big man Jalen Duren still in a standoff with the Pistons in restricted free agency over his next contract. This outlook could change completely if Duren is not on the team next year, or is sign and traded for someone else, but all signs are that he will be back on the team in some capacity. Even with somewhat lesser depth, the combination of Cade, Duren, and Ausar Thompson will likely anchor an excellent defense and decent offense. The question is whether their offense is enough to make a deep playoff run, and the answer right now seems like no. Still, I’d expect the Pistons to once again be quite good in the regular season.

Prediction: 50-32 (Last year predicted 49-33, actually 60-22)

Indiana Pacers

Additions: Kelly Oubre, Larry Nance Jr.

Subtractions: Micah Potter, Taelon Peter

Other:

Outlook: I’m not sure any team in the NBA made fewer offseason moves than the Pacers, who only really added one player (Oubre) in free agency and did not make a first-round draft pick selection. The reason they did not have a first round pick was, of course, because of the Ivica Zubac trade; the Pacers’ offseason move was really made at the trade deadline. It’s hard to know where to place the Pacers. As good as Zu is, he’s a very different player and fit than the Pacers’ previous starting center (Myles Turner), and it might take the Pacers a while to adjust their playstyle to adjust for a non-shooting big. Combine that with Tyrese Haliburton coming off a lost year due to Achilles injury and you have a team that might need some time to gel, despite much of the roster being the same as their 2025 Finals squad. It’s hard not to imagine their offense being very good, the questions will come on defense – Pascal Siakam is two years older than the 2025 version, and he was really their lynchpin on defense. I think the Pacers will be pretty good in the regular season, and could be very scary once again in the postseason if Haliburton has fully rounded into shape by then.

Prediction: 46-36 (Last year predicted 40-42, actually 19-63)

Chicago Bulls

Additions: Caleb Wilson (4^th pick in 2026 Draft), Norm Powell, Nic Claxton, Dailyn Swain (15^th pick in 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Collin Sexton, Anfernee Simons, Guerschon Yabusele, Nick Richards

Other: Hired Bryson Graham as lead front office executive, Hired Tiago Splitter as head coach, Re-signed Zach Collins

Outlook: The Bulls finally, finally were bad enough last season to get a good draft pick (they still had to jump up in the lottery to do so) and got rewarded with Caleb Wilson at pick four. I don’t know if Wilson will be helpful to winning right away (most rookies aren’t) but he should be exciting and produce highlights in a way that the Bulls have not had in a long, long time. I also liked the Swain pick at 15, even though he was awful in Summer League. Bulls fans weren’t super happy with the Norm Powell signing or Nic Claxton trade, but I think both guys will help stabilize the starting lineup and make life easier for their youngsters. The Bulls probably won’t be very good this season (especially on defense), yet this is the best I’ve felt about the direction of their franchise since the early Derrick Rose days well over a decade ago. Wilson, Swain, Matas Buzelis, and Noa Essengue is a legitimately interesting young core. Now they just need to develop and continue providing hope of one day being the core to an actually good team.

Prediction: 26-56 (Last year predicted 30-52, actually 31-51)

Milwaukee Bucks

Additions: Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez, Kasparas Jakucionis, Brayden Burries (10^th pick in 2026 Draft), Nate Ament (13^th pick in 2026 Draft), Caris Levert, Bogoljub Markovic

Subtractions: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr., Cole Anthony, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince, Cam Thomas

Other: Hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach, Re-signed Gary Trent Jr., Re-signed Ousmane Dieng, Re-signed Jericho Sims

Outlook: The Bucks finally ended the Giannis era this offseason, moving him for a massive haul of players and picks from the Miami Heat. Honestly, I thought their return was solid considering Giannis’ age, injury history, and clear desire to be traded, but the Bucks’ roster is now a complete mishmash of Giannis-era holdovers, the newly acquired players, and freshly drafted youngsters. The best player on the roster is probably Tyler Herro, followed by Ryan Rollins, and that makes for a bad, bad team in the rejuvenated Eastern Conference. Rookie guard Brayden Burries looked terrific in Summer League, but he is behind those two veterans for now, and I was not a fan of the Nate Ament pick at all. If the Bucks’ young guys look good, that will be a far bigger success for the franchise than the team being competent in the regular season. I’d expect the Bucks to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, one of the few true “easy wins” in an NBA that has made tanking less profitable.

Prediction: 22-60 (Last year predicted 43-39, actually 32-50)

2027 NBA Preview: Central Division
Robert Flom

Shap, Lucas, and I recorded a new episode of The Lob The Jam The Podcast yesterday, with the main discussion points being the Max Strus trade, Bradley Beal signing, and Kawhi Leonard situation update. We also talked about potential starting lineups for the Clippers, their related roster crunch, the importance of Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and the Clippers’ place in the projected Western Conference standings.

You can find the podcast on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and any other major platform you can get podcasts. Give a listen and leave a 5-star review if you’d like!

TLTJTP: Strus Trade, Beal Signing, and Kawhi Update
Robert Flom

The Clippers just can’t stop making moves, with news breaking just now that they are acquiring guard/forward Max Strus from the Cavs as part of a multi-team deal that is also sending Peyton Watson to the Cavs. The Clippers are rerouting the second round pick they got in the Johni Broome trade to the Cavs, as well as sending over the rights to Ismael Kamagate. The Clippers do not need to send out any salary in this deal, as Strus’ 16.6M salary fits right into the John Collins TPE.

This is a nifty trade by the Clippers, who are giving up little of substance in a fringe stash prospect (I liked Kamagate in the draft, but he’s now 25 and still in Europe) and a middling 2nd round pick for a 30-year old veteran who has been a key player on good playoff teams most of his career. Strus has been in the NBA for seven seasons, spending most of that time on the Heat and then the Cavs. For his career, he’s averaged 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 37% from three on 6.3 attempts per game. While a bit undersized as a small forward, Strus has mostly been a fine defender (he slipped a bit last year) that is very useful on the offensive end due to his excellent three-point shooting. Strus is on an expiring deal, so the Clippers can flip him again at the deadline if he’s having a good season. The biggest issue with Strus is his injury history (he played 12 games last year and has played over 70 just once), but that matters less on a one-year deal.

In a vacuum, therefore, this is a real plus-value trade for the Clippers, who will almost assuredly be able to get more for Strus at the deadline then they just gave up for him, and also get however many games of him that they want to help shore up their wing rotation. I’ve always liked Strus – he competes, plays with a lot of energy, and seems like a great locker room guy. There’s also the possibility the Clippers really like having him, and bring him back next summer rather than flip him.

The Clippers’ roster, however, is currently a mess, with 16 players under contract for next season without counting the Kawhi for BI and Gradey Dick swap (17) or Bennedict Mathurin, and a ton of those players operating as 2s or 3s. Again, just like with Beal, the Strus signing would further cement Cam Christie as being waived and Mathurin as likely not re-signed, but even with those moves, they’d have to clear a roster spot if the Kawhi trade happens. Thus, another move of some kind is coming, even if it’s just eventually rerouting Dick elsewhere or dumping Isaiah Jackson.

The Clippers’ roster just improved in actual talent today, but the imbalance is an issue, and I’d expect another move to happen in the coming weeks before training camp. For now, welcome to the Clippers, Max Strus.

The Clippers Are Trading for Max Strus
Robert Flom

Today, rather out of nowhere, ESPN published a lengthy article giving a detailed update on the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers for the Kawhi-Aspiration saga. The article was credited to Shams Charania (ESPN’s leading NBA newsbreaker), Ramona Shelbourne (their leading LA reporter), Baxter Holmes (lead NBA investigative journalist), and Don Van Natta Jr. (another investigative journalist).

The article headline is that the NBA has found no evidence that the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer paid Kawhi Leonard illegally through Aspiration (or any other company, three others were investigated), and that the NBA has been in negotiation with the Clippers since late July on what their punishment will be, or whether there will be one.

There are a few things that are evident when reading between the lines. First, this story was (primarily) sourced from Clippers’ staff and the NBA Players Association (NBAPA) to put pressure on the league. League sources are mentioned, but the bulk of this is from the Clippers and player side. Second, the league is still pushing for a punishment of some kind, whether because they think the Clippers did it even without hard evidence, to cover their tracks, or to appease other stakeholders. This punishment would be delivered based on illicit introduction of sponsors or for some faulty supervision on the Clippers’ end, not cap circumvention. Third, the NBA is very scared to hand down a “real” punishment without hard evidence because Ballmer and the NBAPA can take them to arbitration and drag this out for years – which would be hideous for PR and league business.

Complicating matters further, the NBA put out a statement shortly after the article came out stating that there were inaccuracies in the reporting. ESPN then put out a counter statement that they stand behind their reporting.

What does this all actually mean? As we have talked about for months on the podcast, the most likely outcome was always going to be that the NBA/investigation never found hard evidence on the Clippers. The question is what would result after that – no punishment, light punishment, heavy punishment? A true strict penalty would seem impossible without a “smoking gun” due to the fear of Ballmer countering legally or other owners being wary of something happening to them just based on circumstantial evidence. Thus, it always seemed like a middle ground, where the Clippers and Ballmer got punished but not too badly, seemed reasonable. That appears to be where this is heading.

For now, there’s still nothing to do but wait. The reporting from ESPN shows that there are negotiations happening on what the Clippers’ punishment will be. The Clippers, of course, are pushing for no punishment, both because they don’t want any penalties and because it would mean their names would be officially cleared of wrongdoing. My guess would be that at some point they accept a punishment just to get the Kawhi trade cleared and so that everyone can move on. But we will just see.

There Was An Update on the Aspiration Story…. Kind Of
Robert Flom

The Southeast Division was once again middling last year, with four teams making the postseason, but none of them advancing beyond the first round or winning more than 45 regular season games. However, every team but the Magic overhauled their team either at the 2026 deadline (Wizards) or this past offseason (Heat, Hornets, Hawks), so there are some real expectations from top to bottom in the Southeast for the first time in a long time.

Orlando Magic

Additions: Nikola Vucevic, Izaiyah Nelson (51^st pick, 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Mo Wagner, Jett Howard

Other: Replaced Jamahl Mosely as head coach with Sean Sweeney, Re-signed Jevon Carter

Outlook: The Magic had an extremely quiet offseason in most respects, which is a bit odd considering they were largely disappointing last year. Everyone (including myself) though they’d make a leap after trading for Desmond Bane, and they did not, winning in the mid-40s and losing in the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Instead of overhauling their roster, the Magic instead replaced their coach, firing the defensive-focused Jamahl Mosely and bringing in Spurs’ lead assistant Sean Sweeney, and offense- and development-oriented guru. The Magic made some light roster tweaks around the margins, but this is more or less the same team as last year. I think Sweeney will make a difference, and I also think the Magic will have better health than a season ago, which is why I’m projecting a wins bump despite a better Eastern Conference. Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Wendell Carter Jr. is still a pretty good top six, so with decent injury luck I think the Magic will be pretty good.

Prediction: 47-35 (Last year predicted 51-31, actually 45-37)

Miami Heat

Additions: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ryan Conwell (37^th pick, 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: Tyler Herro, Norm Powell, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis

Other: Extended Andrew Wiggins for three years, $64M

Outlook: After yet another mediocre season last year, the Heat finally made their long-rumored superstar play by going out and getting Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks. The Heat moved out half of their rotation and their most promising young players in the process, and also had to let Norm Powell walk in free agency, which is why I think their actual regular season win total won’t go up much. However, perhaps more than any other team in the NBA, the Heat’s roster is incomplete, with several open spots for ring-chasing (or simply opportunity-seeking) veterans that could punch up their weaknesses. For now, the Heat’s roster seems very deficient in shooting, perimeter scoring, and guard depth. Giannis is a monster, but he’s an injury-prone one, and if he misses 20-25 games as he has the past few years, the Heat’s offense will be dead on arrival. Now, Giannis’ presence does make the Heat an infinitely more dangerous playoff opponent, especially if they are able to round out their roster a bit. Still, when comparing their team to the Knicks and Sixers, or even the Raptors (post-Kawhi trade), Pacers, and Cavs, the Heat definitely seem ill-balanced and thin. Erik Spoelstra will magic a couple of role players into existence, but right now the Heat seem like a middling playoff team rather than a true contender.

Prediction: 46-36 (Last year predicted 40-42, actually 43-39)

Atlanta Hawks

Additions: Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kingston Flemings (8^th Pick, 2026 Draft), Zuby Eijofor (23^rd pick, 2026 Draft), Devin Carter, Henry Veesaar (52^nd Pick, 2026 Draft), Ryan Nembhard

Subtractions: Zaccharie Risacher, Jonathan Kuminga (still free agent), Keaton Wallace, Gabe Vincent, Caleb Houstan, Christian Koloko

Other: Re-signed CJ McCollum, Re-signed Jock Landale

Outlook: The Hawks had one of the most up-and-down seasons of any team in the NBA last season – they came in with high expectations, disappointed, traded former franchise star Trae Young for peanuts, and then went on a run after the trade deadline to make the playoffs. Despite the Hawk’s general youth and a pretty strong offseason, I’m a bit skeptical they will take a step forward from last year. Their run to end the season might not have been fool’s gold, but projecting that level of success to a new season is always tricky. In particular, I wonder if Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be able to repeat his fantastic 2026, and if Jalen Johnson will continue to thrive as team’s become familiar with gameplans against him as the number one option. The Hawks should be good – they have a ton of NBA rotation players and a solid coach in Quin Snyder – but they are a team that NBA media overrates almost every year, and I think it’s happening again this offseason. A high-tier play-in team or low-end playoff team sounds right to me.

Prediction: 43-39 (Last year predicted 46-36, actually 46-36)

Charlotte Hornets

Additions: Naz Reid, Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, Hannes Steinbach (14^th pick, 2026 Draft), Christian Anderson (18^th pick, 2026 Draft)

Subtractions: LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Josh Green, Tre Mann, Xavier Tillman

Other: Re-signed Coby White

Outlook: The Hornets were one of the biggest surprises around the NBA last year, coming out of nowhere in the second half of the season to earn a play-in spot through a high-powered, free-flowing offense built around the shooting of Kon Kneuppel and playmaking of LaMelo Ball. Charlotte, however, clearly did not believe in the sustainability of what they had, as they traded Ball with his boosted trade value for a haul of draft picks as well as Naz Reid. The Hornets do still have a lot of competent NBA players on the roster, but they are relying on Coby White (brought back on a massive deal) as their lead playmaker, and I’ve never really been a White fan as more than a score-first sixth man. Kneuppel is awesome, but I think he’s a year or two away from being the best player on a true postseason team. Thus, even though I actually think the Hornets made smart long-term decisions by selling high on Ball (and Miles Bridges), I believe they will take a step back in the standings this season.

Prediction: 32-50 (Last year predicted 27-55, actually 44-38)

Washington Wizards

Additions: AJ Dybantsa (1^st pick in 2026 Draft), Khris Middleton, Deandre Ayton

Subtractions: Marvin Bagley, Jaden Hardy, Anthony Gill, Sharife Cooper

Other:

Outlook: The Wizards are one of the hardest teams in the entire NBA to place, in my opinion. They have been one of the worst teams in the NBA for three years, as they tried time and again to tank their way to a superstar prospect. They may have struck gold this past summer, selecting AJ Dybantsa at number one overall. I would not have taken AJ first, but he’s a tremendous prospect, and adding him to an interesting-enough collection of lesser prospects (Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson are all fairly promising) would make the Wizards more fun and competitive. The real confusing part, however, is that the Wizards traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis last season, and kept both players this summer. We barely saw either guy last year (AD not at all for the Wizards), and don’t know how they’ll look on this young, rebuilding Wizards squad. If Trae and AD are healthy and bought in, they should be able to boost the Wizards significantly on offense and defense respectively. The question is whether either of those things are true, as well as whether any of the Wizards’ youngsters are ready to actually win this season. My prediction is no, but the Wizards making it all the way to the upper 30s in wins and the back half of the play-in would not surprise me.

Prediction: 31-51 (Last year predicted 19-63, actually 17-65)

2027 NBA Preview: The Southeast Division
Robert Flom

In somewhat shocking mid-August news, Shams Charania of ESPN has reported that the Clippers are bringing back veteran guard Bradley Beal on a two-year, $13.2M deal, with the second year being a player option. Law Murray of the Athletic confirmed the story, with the add-on that the player option only has $3M guaranteed.

This is shocking on multiple levels. First off, the Beal signing last offseason was a disaster, one of the moves that sunk the Clippers in the first two months of last season. Beal, of course, only played six games last year before being ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured hip. He was miserably bad in those six games (albeit a tiny sample size), ranking as one of the worst players in the NBA. I was more or less a fan of the Beal signing last summer, figuring it was a decently high-upside swing at low cost, but that turned out not to be the case. Beal just turned 33, so it’s not impossible he can return to being a positive rotation player, but getting a raise and a player option after the season he just had seems like poor value.

Beal was a free agent because he opted out of the player option on the two-year, $11M deal he signed last summer (the Biannual Exception or BAE). It seems quite clear that he opted out with an understanding for the Clippers that they would re-sign him if he couldn’t find a better deal in free agency. Whether that also rules as tampering (it could be argued he signed for a “discount” last offseason because this deal was in place) is questionable, but it definitely looks very, very silly in hindsight. Again, it’s not impossible that Beal is a fine player even on this deal, but on the open market he was going to be a veteran’s minimum player. He is now making nearly double that, plus getting the second-year player option as a security blanket. I wrote in his exit interview that I thought that Beal would be back, but it’s because I thought he would pick up his player option. In the end, I guess he did.

The second reason this is surprising is because Beal, of course, is a guard – and the Clippers already have too many guards. Beal is filling the 15th spot on the roster, and that’s not counting Bennedict Mathurin (still sitting in restricted free agency) or the two-for-one trade of Kawhi for Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick (even more guards!). This means that if the Kawhi trade goes through, the Clippers will need to cut at least one player.

I will just get out ahead of things and say I don’t think this means anything in regards to the Kawhi trade. Yes, Beal’s signing would make a ton more sense on a roster that had Kawhi and not BI or Dick, but there has been no reporting or even rumors that the Kawhi trade is being called off.

If the trade does go through, the Clippers’ roster before cuts would look like this:

PG: Darius Garland – Keaton Wagler – Jalen Pickett (two-way)

SG: Kris Dunn – Bradley Beal – Gradey Dick – Cam Christie

SF: Brandon Ingram – Derrick Jones Jr. – Jordan Miller – Nick Martinelli (two-way)

PF: Rui Hachimura – Kobe Sanders – Johni Broome – Baba Miller

C: Brook Lopez – Isaiah Jackson – Yanic Konan Niederhauser – Jamarion Sharp (two-way)

This is not counting Bennedict Mathurin, and the Beal signing sure seems to indicate Benn won’t be back. As discussed previously, considering Kobe Sanders, Jordan Miller, and DJJ are all more 2/3s than 3/4s, and the Clippers presumably want Keaton Wagler to play with Darius Garland, they are insanely overloaded at the guard positions even without Mathurin. Even cutting the non-guaranteed contract of Christie (seems inevitable) leaves 7 players in the 1-3 positions on the court that should be in the rotation, and that’s fudging Sanders over to the 4 while leaving Gradey Dick (a totally viable reclamation project!) out of the rotation entirely.

Thus, even though the Clippers are not trying to contend this year, their roster is obviously out of balance in a way that could make the locker room difficult and building cohesive lineups very challenging. I therefore think that a trade of some kind is coming to clear some room. The most obvious names are Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr., though almost nobody would surprise me. The question, of course, would be who gets traded – and for whom.

At the end of the day, it would be hard for Beal’s second year with the Clippers to go worse than his first. Hopefully he bounces back and has a decent season, and can maybe even rehab his value enough to be tradable at the deadline. For now, his signing complicates the Clippers’ roster, and indicates further moves. If the Clippers do not make any other moves besides letting Mathurin walk and cutting Christie, I would be dismayed. At this point, we just have to wait and see.

Clippers Re-Sign Bradley Beal to Two-Year Deal
Robert Flom

You know it’s the offseason when the “Where Are You Now” series restarts on 213 Hoops. I annually review the careers of a few former Clippers since they left the team, focusing on players that have not stuck around the NBA that Clippers fans will know less about. First up in this offseason is Mfiondu Kabengele.

Clippers Tenure

Fi was taken by the Nets with the 27^th pick in the 2019 Draft, but the Clippers traded for his rights on draft night, sending away a future pick. Drafted as a project, Fi had the outlines of a modern NBA big man with the potential ability to be a three-point shooter and rim protector, an extremely valuable combination. However, despite being almost 22 on draft day, Fi’s lack of feel was noticeable, and there were no expectations he would play much his rookie season. That was, also of course, the summer the Clippers acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, so the team was going for a championship right away. It was a difficult spot to put a rookie.

Thus, Fi saw very little playing time his rookie season, logging just 12 games played, all in garbage time. That wasn’t unexpected. Unfortunately, what the Clippers saw behind the scenes troubled them so much that they declined Fi’s third-year team option as part of his first-round rookie contract, something that is very, very rarely ever done. As soon as they did that, Fi’s days as a Clipper were numbered. He played in 23 games in 2021, all in garbage time, before being traded to the Kings in a salary dump. In 35 games as a Clipper, Fi played more than 10 minutes just twice, an incredible sign of how little the coaching staff believed in him.

2021 Season

The Kings promptly waived Fi, who never played in game for them. The Cleveland Cavaliers swooped in and signed Fi to a 10-day deal, then another 10-day, and then finally to a rest-of-season deal. This tenure with the Cavs was by far the most he played in the NBA, appearing in 23 games and averaging 11.6 minutes per game. Sadly, despite the playing time, Fi’s stats did not tick up much, as the Cavaliers were tanking and not trying to win. During his time on the Cavs, Fi averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 42.1% from the field and 28.1% from three.

2022 Season

Fi was signed to a training camp deal by the Rockets, but was nearly immediately waived, and signed with their G-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Vipers. He played the entire season for Rio Grande, appearing in 33 regular season games (starting 30) and 4 playoff games (starting all four), with pretty strong numbers. Importantly, Fi actually shot well from three, hitting 43.4% of his shots from deep on 3 attempts per game in the regular season while averaging 17.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. His three-point shooting dipped in the playoffs, but his raw production went up to 21.8 points and 12.3 rebounds. It was a nice season for Fi.

2023 Season

On the back of that G-League season and a strong Summer League, Fi earned a two-way deal with the Boston Celtics in the Summer of 2023. Despite that two-way deal, Fi spent nearly the entire season with the Maine Red Claws, logging a mere four games with the Celtics, all in garbage time. However, Fi thrived in Maine, 20 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks while shooting a staggering 60.4% from the field, 34.2% from three (2.9 attempts), and 79.1% from the line (3.4 attempts). Put simply, Fi was one of the best players in the G that year, and he received much deserved nods on the All G-League Second Team and All-Defensive Team.

2024 Season

After several years mostly playing in the G-League, Fi headed overseas in the summer of 2023, signing with AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League. However, Fi played in just 10 games for Athens before his contract was terminated (reason unclear, his stats look pretty good). He fairly quickly turned around and signed with an Italian team, Reyer Venezia of the LBA and EuroCup. Fi finished 18 regular season games with averages of 9.2 points and 6.6 rebounds on 55% shooting from the field, though he scored more in the EuroCup and Italian Cup games. Fi had a downswing in production compared to his G-League years, but that was probably a sign of the raised competition overseas compared to the G-League. One interesting thing happened, which is that Fi stopped taking so many threes – a reverse pivot from other players who have focused more on their shots over the years.

2025 Season

Venezia liked what they saw from Fi, as they signed him to a new deal for the 2025 season. Fi spent the whole season as a starter, appearing in 35 regular season games and 18 EuroCup games. His averages across both leagues were quite similar, with a combination of 15.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.8 blocks on excellent scoring efficiency (he shot much better in EuroCup than domestic play). Venezia was around .500, and Fi led the team in scoring and rebounding by significant margins, even with former NBA players like Rodney McGruder (another former Clipper) and Tyler Ennis on the roster. It was a return to form for Fi, with the final cherry on top being an All First-Team EuroCup spot.

2026 Season

Fi’s 2025 success brought immediate dividends, as he signed in May 2025 with Dubai, which plays in the EuroLeague (the best league in the world outside of the US) and Adriatic Basketball League (ABA, another top 10 league). Across a very, very long top-level international season, Fi played in 68 games, and started 61. Dubai actually won the ABA League championship, with Fi voted as the Finals MVP and placing on the All ABA First Team. Dubai was only middling in EuroLeague, but still, Fi’s numbers of 14.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks while shooting 56.3% from the field were quite good. Fi was third on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounding and blocks while playing with a host of former NBA players like McKinley Wright, Dwayne Bacon, Filip Petrusev, Justin Anderson, Davis Bertans, and Bruno Caboclo. Squarely in his prime at 28 years old, Fi had firmly placed himself as a top-flight starter at the very highest levels of basketball outside of the United States.

Future

Just last month Dubai announced that they had extended Fi’s contract through 2028, meaning he will be on the team another two seasons. International contracts are usually much more team-friendly than those in the NBA, so I don’t think it’s guaranteed Fi will stick around that long, but it’s a strong sign of commitment regardless. Fi may have found his long-term home for the rest of his basketball prime, and honestly, solidifying himself as a true Euroleague-level starter is about as good as your career can be outside the NBA. Somewhat shockingly, Fi has turned into probably the best player of any “Where Are They Now” guy I’ve done in quite a while. Good for Fi!

Where Are They Now: Mfiondu Kabengele
Robert Flom

The Clippers keep coming up with moves even as the NBA calendar has shifted firmly into its dead zone, with Mike Scotto of Hoops Hype breaking the news today that the Clippers will sign point guard Jalen Pickett to a two-way deal. Nobody else has confirmed the signing, to my knowledge, but nobody has denied it either, and Scotto has been reliable enough that I’m assuming he is correct on this one.

Pickett was the 32nd pick in the 2023 Draft and has played the last three seasons on the Nuggets as a reserve. A 6’2, 202 pound guard, Pickett appeared in 126 games for the Nuggets across those three seasons, starting 22 (18 of those came last year). Last season saw Pickett set career highs across the board, averaging 5.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 16.1 minutes per game across 50 games played.

Pickett’s two biggest strengths so far in his somewhat limited NBA minutes have been his three-point shooting and his ability to limit turnovers. He’s shot 38.7% from three in his NBA career, albeit on only 253 attempts. Still, he’s been a good shooter and that seems like a real enough skill. Pickett has averaged 1.9 assists to just 0.5 turnovers, an assist to turnover ratio of almost 4:1. Again, small sample size, but notable.

Pickett is not young. A long-time college player, he turns 27 in October, putting him squarely in his prime. Thus, rather than an upside play, this is clearly a signing to add depth to the point guard position. Pickett can clearly play at least a bit at the NBA level, and the Clippers do not have a third-string point guard behind Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler. Thus, Pickett is insurance.

Scotto has not said which of the Clippers’ previous two-way players would be waived to clear room for Pickett, but my guess would be Sean Pedulla, as he projected to fill that third-string point guard slot. Pedulla is almost three years younger than Pickett, so he has more theoretical upside, but Pickett offers a much higher floor as an NBA player if called upon. Pedulla can play, but he seemed too small to really have much of an NBA career any way, so getting Pickett in that spot is a clear upgrade for me.

I don’t have much else to say about this one, but getting a guy who has played real NBA minutes for a good team and is right in his prime on a two-way deal is a nice piece of business for the Clippers.

Clippers to Sign Jalen Pickett to Two-Way Deal
Robert Flom