With Summer League over, the dog days of the NBA calendar are here, with nothing really on the calendar for months and the only big item left unchecked being LeBron James’ free agency, which will not impact the Clippers. Therefore, I was mildly surprised when some Clippers news came out of the blue today with the report that they have signed Jamarion Sharp to a two-way deal.

You will be forgiven for not knowing who Sharp is even if you’re a massive NBA fan. Sharp went undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2024, and has spent most of the last two years in the G-League with a brief stint in Puerto Rico. Speaking of massive, Sharp is huge even by NBA standards, standing at 7’5 and weighing 240 pounds. He will be the second tallest player in the NBA behind only Victor Wembanyama, a truly impressive physical specimen.

But what does Sharp bring as a basketball player? Well, because of his size, he’s a dominant rim protector. He won the G-League Defensive Player of the Year in 2026 for the Texas Legends, and averaged a truly insane 3.8 blocks in just 24.9 minutes per game. Even without terrific instincts or athleticism, the sheer size and wingspan make Sharp a real deterrent around the rim.

Unfortunately, that’s more or less all Sharp offers. He has not been a great rebounder in college or the G-League, never averaging more than 7.7 boards per game (last season at Western Kentucky in 2023). Sharp is also not a scorer, averaging just 7 points per game in the G-League and topping at 8.2 in college. Scoring that little despite his immense presence shows how little offensive acumen Sharp has.

Put simply, this is no more than an emergency depth big that the Clippers feel like they can throw out for a handful of minutes if Brook Lopez or Isaiah Jackson gets hurt or is struggling. With Yanic Konan Niederhauser injured, and John Collins, Kawhi Leonard, and Nic Batum gone, the Clippers are thin at center and have no feasible small-ball big men. Therefore, adding a big man on a two-way deal makes sense, even if Sharp (already 25) offers little upside or real playability due to his limitations.

The Clippers’ roster is now quite close to full (pending the Kawhi Leonard trade) as they have 14 full roster spots and all three two-way spots filled. There is plenty of wiggle room, as two-way spots can be vacated with no cap hits, and Cam Christie’s full deal is also non-guaranteed until the end of training camp in October. Still, unless the Kawhi trade is pushed through soon (seems unlikely) or a Peyton Watson sign-and-trade happens (also unlikely), it feels like the Clippers will probably not be acquiring any new players anytime soon. However, Bennedict Mathurin is still an outstanding piece of business, and I’m guessing at some point or other movement happens there.

For now, you all can probably tune out of the NBA for a bit and turn your attention to something else! We will still be podding on TLTJTJ, and I’ll be putting up articles on here weekly on random topics, but the offseason is now here in earnest.

Clippers Sign Jamarion Sharp to Two-Way Deal
Robert Flom

The Clippers covered up their gaping hole at power forward today, with Shams Charania of ESPN reporting that they will sign Rui Hachimura to a two-way deal worth $28M. Law Murray of the Athletic followed up with a note that the second year of the contract is a team option, not a fully guaranteed contract.

Hachimura is a 6’8, 240 pound forward who just completed his 7^th season in the NBA. Rui, who is 28 years old, has split his NBA career to this point between the Wizards and Lakers, largely as a starter (264 of 405 games). Last season for the Lakers, Rui averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 28.3 minutes while shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.3% from three (3.9 attempts). Rui has also been a strong playoff performer, with career averages of 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 31.2 minutes across 41 playoff games on 53.7/51.6 (!!) shooting splits (3.8 threes attempted per game). In short, Rui is a playoff-proven veteran with a track record of providing real minutes to good teams.

All that being said, I’ve never been much of a Rui fan (as a player), even before he became a Laker. Maybe it’s because Rui reminds me a lot of Marcus Morris, a player I notably hated watching for the Clippers. Rui is a very good three-point shooter, but he takes them at low volume, which means he’s much less of a weapon from deep than he should be. Despite being very large and strong even by NBA player standards, Rui loves to take midrange jumpers, and will settle for those rather than bullying his way to the rim. Those things, just like with Marcus, have their place – being able to get up relatively efficient midrangers is a useful skill, especially for bolstering bench units. However, Rui’s lack of creation or playmaking means he’s firmly a role playing scorer on offense, even if he’s a good one.

However, the real questions that Rui raises on this team are on the other end of the floor. Despite his size and strength, Rui has never rated as a good defender; he’s fine enough in one-on-one settings, but struggles in making rotations and does not offer any support as a backline defender. Additionally, Rui’s rebounding, never a particular strength, decreased significantly during his time on the Lakers, moving from a below-average skill to a true weakness. The three starters that are locked in on the Clippers, Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram, and Brook Lopez, are all bad to very bad rebounders and limited or poor defenders. Rui is a great fit with those guys on offense as a floor spacer and release valve, but a unit with all four of them is probably going to be quite bad on defense and the glass even with a plus defender in the last spot.

Qualms with Rui aside, this is a pretty good deal for a guy with Rui’s track record who is in the prime of his career. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Rui will be able to give the Clippers a good dose of competent minutes at the power forward position, a spot that was previously barren on the roster. He has his issues, but the shooting and scoring will help a Clippers’ roster that was in need of both. Rui’s contract is easily movable in trades, and it would not shock me if they traded him at the deadline for assets depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out. If Rui has a good season and is a solid fit, the Clippers can pick up his team option and keep him around for another year at affordable value. It’s a good deal and fit even if I’m not the biggest fan of the player.

Speaking of fit, it feels unlikely that the Clippers are done. They have 13 rostered players, and that’s not counting Baba Miller, who will likely be signed to a full deal. Nick Martinelli was confirmed as a two-way contract, joining Sean Pedulla as two-way guys. That leaves the Clippers with one full roster spot and one two-way, though Pedulla and Cam Christie (non-guaranteed deal) could be cut easily if needed. However, none of that is including Bennedict Mathurin (restricted free agent) or Nic Batum (beloved veteran). Right now, here’s the Clippers updated depth chart:

PG: Darius Garland – Keaton Wagler – Sean Pedulla (two-way)

SG: Kris Dunn – Jordan Miller – Gradey Dick – Cam Christie

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

PF: Rui Hachimura – Kobe Sanders – Baba Miller

C: Brook Lopez – Yanic Konan Niederhauser – Isaiah Jackson

Even with the Rui addition, the PF spot is not in a great space, as Kobe Sanders is undersized there and Baba Miller will probably not be ready for minutes. The same goes for the center rotation, which features a starter in Brook Lopez who is at best an 18-minute per game competent reserve. A trade of same kind to balance the roster makes sense, with the most bandied name right now being the Nuggets’ Peyton Watson in a sign and trade. How that would work and who the Clippers would send out in the deal remain to be seen, but I have my eyes on Derrick Jones Jr., who is a good player in his prime but someone that contenders will probably value more than the rebuilding Clippers.

At this point, I also think Bennedict Mathurin doesn’t make a ton of sense on this roster unless at least one if not two of the guards/wings are moved. The depth chart is by far at it’s most crowded at the SG/SF positions (that’s really where Sanders should be), and while Mathurin is more talented than most of those names, he’s also more inconsistent. Maybe the Clippers move him in a sign and trade elsewhere, or maybe they just let him walk, but his fit on this roster is certainly more in question than it was at the end of the regular season.

For now, Rui Hachimura is a Clipper. I think it’s a good contract and that he’s a fine player who fills a big hole on the roster even if does not fix some of the team’s most glaring weaknesses.

Clippers Sign Rui Hachimura to Two-Year Deal
Robert Flom

Two minutes after I wrote an article going over the Clippers’ offseason thus far and discussing potential future moves, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Clippers have come to terms with wing Jordan Miller on a new 3 year, $15.3M contract. Law Murray of the Athletic chimed in a bit later to note that only the first year of the deal will be guaranteed.

Just like the Kobe Sanders deal, I don’t have much to say about this one. Jordan Miller was excellent for the Clippers last year in a reserve role, scoring 10 points per game with 3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in just 22.1 minutes while scoring with exceptional efficiency (62.8 True Shooting) and being solid defensively. He’s objectively worth more than the deal the Clippers are paying him, even without the last two seasons being non-guaranteed. If Jordan continues to play at the level he did last year, the Clippers keeping him for the last two years (or moving him for plus value) seems assured. Jordan is also 26 years old, meaning this contract is covering his prime years in the NBA. It feels like a major underpay.

However, similarly to Kobe, I understand this deal from Jordan’s perspective. He is a restricted free agent who was a late second round pick and only has one season of true rotation level play. While I think he’s a very solid role player, the NBA might not be quite as convinced, especially since he was a five-year college player without as much early career hype. There might not have been much out there for Jordan more than this.

In addition, just like Kobe, Miller has been on two-way contracts or league minimums in his first three season. This contract is thus a massive salary raise for him, and a much-earned reward for how hard he’s worked to develop his game over his three years in the NBA.

With the Miller signing, the Clippers now have 12 full roster contracts, with Baba Miller likely filling a 13th, though he could be signed to a two-way if needed. Nick Martinelli, the Clippers’ other second-round pick, will almost certainly be on a two-way. It should be noted that Cam Christie’s deal is non-guaranteed with a guarantee date of after Summer League, so he could be cut if needed. I do think cutting him and bringing him back on a two-way is a better use of resources.

Regardless, the Clippers only have two full roster spots left as of right now, with a massive hole on their roster at power forward. I think those two spots will be filled by a starter acquired by free agent or trade and by Nic Batum, though if the power forward is acquired via trade, it would presumably open up another roster spot vacated by whoever is sent out. The Clippers definitely still have moves to make.

Congratulations to Jordan on the deal. Jordan is, somehow, the longest-tenured player on the team, and will continue to be so moving forward.

Clippers Re-Sign Jordan Miller To Three Year Deal
Robert Flom

Buried in the Kawhi Leonard trade news yesterday came the much less shocking news that the Clippers had signed Kobe Sanders to a 4-year, $11.2M deal, with the first two seasons guaranteed and the last two non-guaranteed. For those who can do some quick math, that’s an average of less than $3M per season, or under a veteran’s minimum for players that have been in the NBA a good amount of time.

There’s honestly not a ton to say about this deal – it’s a really good piece of business by the Clippers. Sanders came out of nowhere as the 50th pick in the draft last year to play a real role on the 2026 Clippers, playing in 68 games and starting 16 while averaging 7.3 points per game on good efficiency and playing competent defense. Sanders’ age (24 years old) and lack of athleticism mean there’s probably not a huge deal of upside there, but even if he only gets a little bit better, this is very good value for a guy who’s a proven rotation player on a decent team. If he’s able to make real strides as a shooter or playmaker, this could be an immense steal.

That’s not to say that this doesn’t make sense for Sanders either. He was signed on a two-way last year before getting converted to a full-time deal on the league minimum in early February. That means he made a lot of money by normal people standards, but very little by NBA standards. This is still on the low end in the NBA, but is a massive salary raise for him and provides him with some job security past this season. Maybe Sanders could have gotten more on the open market, but he knows the Clippers, the Clippers know him, and this is a good fit for both sides.

Sanders is currently penciled in as the backup SG/SF on the roster, though if the Clippers don’t bring back Bennedict Mathurin there’s at least a chance he could start to bring him shooting next to Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram. He seems locked into being a rotation player for the 2027 Clippers, and I think that’s a good thing.

Congratulations to Kobe Sanders on the full NBA deal, and I’m excited to see how he develops in the coming years.

Clippers Re-Sign Kobe Sanders to Four Year Deal
Robert Flom

The Kawhi Leonard era is over in Los Angeles after seven years, with the Clippers trading Kawhi to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first round picks in 2031 and 2033, a first round pick swap this year, and second round picks in 2030 and 2033. That is honestly quite a haul for Kawhi, who has one year left on his deal, is 35 years old, and has an infamous injury history.

Let’s talk about the players coming the Clippers’ way. Brandon Ingram is 28 years old (29 in September), and has played in the NBA for 10 seasons, making two All Star teams (including last year). He’s averaged over 20 points per game each of the past seven seasons, and has done so on reasonably good efficiency. Ingram’s rebounding and assist numbers are also solid – he’s someone that will definitely produce raw stats. Advanced statistics have always been less favorable to Ingram; something about his game just does not translate to impacting actually winning games as much as it should. Still, he’s a good player signed for an expensive but not awful deal ($40M this year, $41.3M player option next year) that can help keep the Clippers competent.

Gradey Dick was the 13^th pick in the 2023 Draft, and has spent the first three seasons of his career on the Raptors. Billed as a shooter with potential upside for off-the-dribble scoring, Dick shot decently his first two seasons before his shot deserted him this past year. He has good size for the kind of player archetype he is, coming in at 6’7 and over 200 pounds, and thus can guard wings acceptably enough despite being a bad overall defender. Dick has one year left on his rookie-scale contract, which would make him a restricted free agent next summer if the Clippers tend him a qualifying offer. He’s not a nothing part of this deal, but he was definitely mostly in it just for salary – I find it unlikely much comes of him.

The picks are where this trade really shines. The Clippers were able to negotiate the Raptors up from just one first round picks to two first rounders in addition to the swap and the two second round picks. They also got the Raptors to send two far-out picks in the 2030s. This can be a double-edged sword, as the entire league, CBA, and draft could be different by then, but generally getting further out picks is a good thing because there’s less certainty. The swap next year is also interesting, as it means the Clippers will get the second-best of their own, Raptors, and Thunder’s picks. The Raptors and Thunder will very likely be better than the Clippers, but the Thunder’s pick will probably be 28-30, and the Raptors pick will probably be a bit lower than that, so the Clippers will get a somewhat better pick next year as well.

While it would have been nice if the Clippers could have gotten more picks, or gotten a more interesting young guy than Dick (Ja’Kobe Walter or Jamal Shead), this is ultimately a pretty good package for Kawhi considering all of the factors mentioned above. At no point since he tore his ACL in 2021 could a Kawhi package have looked this good – he was out all of 2022, injured and not himself in 2023, ended 2024 injured, and was out a lot of the 2025 regular season. Thus, the Clippers sold high on Kawhi in the end, even though you could argue for them keeping him to remain competitive until they get their own picks back in 2030.

The Clippers now have a decent number of picks in the door between this deal, the Zu trade, and the Harden trade, in addition to their 2026 draft class. While it might not be a full rebuild, the trade of Kawhi officially marks a new phase of the Clippers’ franchise, a hopefully relatively quick reset that can have them back in contention in the late 2020s. For now, this team will likely not be very good, but it should be competitive, at least, and has some real upside with all of the youngsters.

A more lengthy look at Kawhi’s tenure on the team and the overall Kawhi era will come later in the summer, but for now, sayonara to Kawhi, and hello to Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick. With the Kawhi move over, attention will now turn towards Bennedict Mathurin and John Collins’ free agency.

Clippers Trade Kawhi Leonard to Raptors for Brandon Ingram and Picks
Robert Flom

The Clippers made a series of moves today, with the most important being that they picked up Brook Lopez’s team option for $9.187M, declined Bogdan Bogdanovic’s team option for $16.02M, and declined Nic Batum’s team option of $5.881M. They also declined Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders’ team options, but extended them qualifying offers to make them restricted free agents, and extended a qualifying offer to Bennedict Mathurin as well.

This is not quite Kawhi Leonard trade shakeups, but these are important moves. Brook Lopez is back, and while I’m not excited to watch him again next year, the center free agent class this summer was awful and he’s a known positive in the locker room. It’s fine that he stays, even if it’s just to keep the seat warm for Yanic Konan Niederhauser as Yanic recovers from his Lisfranc surgery. Ultimately, this is fine, even if he will be overtaxed again as a starter if the Clippers don’t get someone above him on the depth chart in free agency.

Bogdanovic was always going to be gone this summer, the question was via trade or free agency. The Clippers clearly could not find a team for Bogi, so free agency it is. It’s an unceremonious end to Bogi’s Clippers tenure, which is sad considering the initial promise he showed upon his acquisition in 2025, and how fun he can be when he’s rolling. I’ll be wishing him the best of luck moving forward, with the Nuggets being an early favorite for his services to pair him with fellow countryman Nikola Jokic.

Nico is the most interesting of the three. It’s been assumed and more or less reported that Nico does not want to play anywhere else in the NBA but for the Clippers. Thus, declining his deal, to me, does not mean Nico won’t return, it’s just that he will probably come back on a veteran’s minimum as an end-of-bench locker room leader. It is possible he retires (it’s been rumored before) or goes to another team, but as of now I’d still expect him to be back.

For Miller and Sanders, all of the reporting is that the Clippers want to sign them to multi-year deals. Since they are both restricted free agents, I’d imagine both are back on the team next year on reasonable deals, though I have no idea what the market for either is.

The last piece of news that came out today was Bradley Beal declining his $5.6M player option. This came as a bit of a surprise, as Beal missed almost the entire season, is on the wrong side of 30, and was bad in the few games he did play last season. Still, he must have gotten wind that the Clippers were going younger, and he must also know that there’s a spot on a contender for him, even if it’s on a vet minimum. If I had to guess, I’d say the Heat, Warriors, or Celtics will be his home next year. Multiple Clippers reporters have said the Clippers will look at bringing Beal back, but I have no idea why they’d do that.

That’s about it for today! The Kawhi rumors are still lingering, but a lot of business got done. Now, we wait for free agency tomorrow, where two Clippers (John Collins and Bennedict Mathurin) are some of the biggest names out there. We should have info on what’s going on with them in the coming days.

Clippers Pick Up Brook Lopez’s Option, Decline Bogi & Batum
Robert Flom

The Clippers traded back from 52 to 57 for cash, and used the 57th pick to select Narcisse N’Goy, a center from France.

I will be honest, I’d never heard of N’Goy before today. He’s a 22 year old, 7’0 tall big man that played for Poitiers Basket 86 in the French LNB Pro B league, and had committed to play for Auburn in the 2026-2027 NCAA season (obviously will not happen now). He averaged 9.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, albeit against low-level professional competition.

It’s a little unclear what will happen with N’Goy. Law Murray said N’Goy would be a draft and stash, so maybe he stays overseas – but having committed to Auburn, it’s possible he wants to come to the states. I think it’s at least possible he signs on a two-way, but we will just have to see.

Edit: Apparently in today’s crazy world of 2026, you can draft and stash guys in college, so N’Goy will seemingly play at Auburn but still be a Clippers’ pick! Weird!

Welcome to the Clippers, Narcisse!

Clippers Select Narcisse N’goy With the 57th Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
Robert Flom

The Clippers originally had the 52nd pick in the draft, traded back to 57 for cash, then traded back up to 55 using some of that cash, all to select Nick Martinelli, a forward from Northwestern.

Martinelli is a 6’6, 200 pound senior that averaged 23 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game in his last year at Northwestern. Despite his strong scoring numbers, Martinelli was not a dynamic three-point shooter (good percentage, low volume), instead living in the midrange and at the free throw line. He’s a smart, high-feel player that doesn’t have great athleticism, and will definitely need to adjust to NBA size and athleticism.

Honestly, I like the Martinelli pick a lot. Like Miller, he’s on the older side (already 22), but he is a good basketball player who has real utility as a bench scorer. The big swing skill for him will be the three-point shot. If he can push his dynamite midrange game behind the arc, there’s probably a real NBA career for him. If the three-point shot does not develop, he’s likely not going to stick in the NBA.

I’d guess Nick is going to be on a two-way deal, but we will see!

The Clippers Select Nick Martinelli with 55nd Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
Robert Flom

With the 36th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Clippers selected Baba Miller, a 6’11, 204 pound Power Forward from the University of Cincinnati.

Miller is a 22-year-old senior who played for three different schools in college: Florida State, Florida Atlantic, and finally Cincinnati. In his senior season, Miller averaged 13 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 52.9% from the field, 19.2% from three (1.7 attempts), and 65.8% from the free throw line (4.8 attempts).

Simply put, Baba is an upside swing. For his size, he’s extremely athletic and moves quite well. He’s a good rebounder and can make plays purely based off his athletic tools and size. However, he’s very raw at playing basketball, without much shooting ability and questionable instincts on defense.

I think there’s a pretty good chance Baba is not an NBA player – he might just not have the skills to stick in the league longterm. But for a Clippers roster that was small, unathletic, and upside-lacking for such a long time, I like the swing. If Miller is able to get his shot worked out, or is able to translate his tools into actual defensive impact, he could be a steal at the range he was selected.

Welcome to the Clippers, Baba! The Clippers still have pick 52, and we will see if they make that selection or not.

Clippers Select Baba Miller with the 36th Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
Robert Flom

With the 5th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Clippers selected Keaton Wagler, a Point Guard from The University of Illinois.

Wagler averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.8 turnovers in 33.9 minutes per game while shooting 44.5/39.7/79.6 shooting splits.

Once the Clippers got the 5th pick on Draft Lottery night, Wagler was the mostly consensus pick for the team, and that never really wavered. The Clippers’ selection of Wagler makes sense – of any of the top-ranked point guards, he’s the tallest at 6’5, and the fact that he was able to add 20 pounds to his frame in the past year bodes well for him being able to fill out and guard non point guards in future years.

Wagler’s pluses are simple – he’s a very good shooter, ballhandler, and passer, and led the Illini to a Final Four finish in the NCAA Tournament and the best offense in the entirety of college basketball as a freshman. He can create shots for himself and others, and is a smart processor who doesn’t make many mistakes.

The downsides to Wagler are equally simple. He’s not very fast or explosive for an NBA player, much less a lead guard. He notoriously had zero dunks the entirety of his college season – not a red flag, per se, but certainly a curiosity. There are thus questions about his ability to break down NBA defenses off the dribble and create his own shots consistently against top-ranked perimeter defenders.

The good news for Wagler is that because of his shooting, he should be able to play off Darius Garland on offense, and can be brought into heavier ballhandling duties slowly. It might have been a really tough adjustment for Wagler if he was thrown into the deep end right away – instead, he will probably come off the bench and get reps at a more steady level.

Ultimately, I was fine with the Clippers selecting either Wagler or Mikel Brown Jr. (who went 6th to the Nets). There are other prospects who I like just as much as them, but factoring in the Garland fit, those were the two that stood out as logical choices, and I think both have the potential for stardom.

We will have more about Wagler in a few days once the dust settles (and the Clippers also have two more picks to make tomorrow in the second round!), but for right now, give him a warm welcome to the Clippers!

Clippers Select Keaton Wagler With the 5th Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
Robert Flom