Our exit interview series for the 2025 Clippers continues with long-time bench guard Amir Coffey.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Age: 27 (28 next month)

Years in NBA: 6

Key Regular Season Stats: 9.7 points, 1.1 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 0.6 turnovers in 24.3 minutes per game across 72 games played (13 starts) on 47.1/40.9/89.1 (3.4 3PA and 1.8 FTA) shooting splits (61.4 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: Did not appear in the playoffs

Expectations

After a year of serving primarily as a utility bench piece for the Clippers, the expectation for Amir Coffey entering 2025 was that he would function in a largely similar role off the bench. There was at least a chance that Amir could win a starting guard/wing job with Paul George gone, but he was always a long shot in those conversations. Instead, fans expected that he would once again come off the bench, play somewhere in the 16-24 minute per game range on average, and contribute solid if unspectacular play for a deep but unspectacular team.

Reality

Maybe more than any other Clipper, Amir squarely met expectations. He was in the Clippers’ rotation for the vast majority of the season as anywhere from the 6^th to 10^th man depending on time and availability, provided solid scoring and shooting off the bench with mostly competent defense, and didn’t do a ton else on the court. In fact, Amir’s numbers were almost entirely in line with 2024’s, with the only real change being more shot attempts and thus more scoring with slightly better percentages from three and the free throw line. Amir’s shooting was valued highly by Ty Lue, who even closed with Amir on a number of occasions instead of bigger name teammates.

However, the arrival of Bogdan Bogdanovic at the deadline spelled the end of Amir’s time as a key rotation player on a health Clippers squad. He still played most of the rest of the season, but his minutes began to trickle down, and eventually Lue went away from him entirely. A late season injury did not help, but it was apparent that Amir was the 10^th man on the post-deadline Clippers, and Ty only wanted to play at most 9 when games really mattered. Thus, in the playoffs, Amir was shifted out entirely, and did not appear for one moment in the postseason, even in garbage time. It was a quiet end to what had been a nice season for the veteran swingman.

Future with Clippers

After six years of providing frankly incredible value to the Clippers on first two-way and then cheap regular contracts, Amir Coffey will finally enter unrestricted free agency. While there certainly does not seem like there’s any bad blood between Amir and the Clippers, the fact that Amir was deliberately held out of all postseason games would indicate the sides are preparing to part ways. The Clippers are probably looking to get younger, and while Amir, at 28, would actually be among the younger members of the rotation, that fact is what the Clippers will be trying to fix.

All that said, I don’t think it’s impossible that Amir is back on the Clippers next year, even if it’s unlikely. If there isn’t a market for Amir elsewhere, a one-year deal to get him back onto the open market in the summer of 2027, when there should be more money available, could do him a solid. That plan also works for the Clippers, who don’t want to take on long-term money, but have no real choice but to run things back next year while they clear their books for the summers of 2026 and 2027.

In the end though, I think a team will offer Amir a multi-year deal of some kind that the Clippers can’t or won’t want to match – if Amir even has any interest in returning to the Clips. Amir has long been more of a fringe piece for the Clippers, and hopefully he gets a shot from a team to be a firmer part of their rotation. If this was it for Amir on the Clippers, he will still end his Clippers tenure as the best undrafted signing in franchise history and someone that will have a lot of fans in the city of angels.

2025 Clippers Exit Interviews: Amir Coffey
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the 2025 Clippers continues with Amir Coffey, their long-time reserve wing.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: Small forward/Shooting guard

Age: 27

Years in NBA: 5

Regular Season Stats: 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 turnovers in 20.9 minutes per game across 70 games played (13 starts) on 47.2/38.0/85.9 shooting splits with 60.4% TS

Playoff Stats: 2.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 turnovers in 18.7 minutes per game across 6 games played (3 starts) on 31.8/27.3/0 shooting splits with 38.6% TS

Contract Status: In the last year of a 3 year, $11M deal, making $3.9M this year

Expectations

Expectations for Amir Coffey are very reasonable at this stage of his career. He will come off the bench as the 8^th to 10^th man in the rotation, play 18-22 minutes per game, and overall be a reliable contributor. Amir will rarely have awesome games, but he also almost never actively harms the Clippers, which means he’s overall well-liked by the fanbase. Despite the starting lineup being somewhat up in the air, Amir is not being considered as a potential starter, meaning expectations are not too high. We all know what to expect from Amir, which is a good thing.

Strengths

Amir Coffey can do a bit of everything. He’s a career 37.3% three-point shooter (albeit on low 2.2 attempts per game volume), can handle the ball a bit, is capable of making plays for others (1.8 assists in 2022 season), is a competent defender across multiple positions, and is an excellent finisher near the rim. He’s not bulky for a guy of his size, but his height and athleticism means he can fill in at multiple positions and thus unlocks some different lineups. That type of versatility has real value.

Amir is also an overall steady player. He’s not always the most heads-up passer on the break, but will usually make the right pass and decision and does not turn the ball over. He’s also been largely healthy in his NBA career, with his lower games totals being more of a result of coaches going away from him rather than injury. On the Clippers, just being available a lot of the time is valuable, and that has been the case with Amir, especially in the injury-plagued 2022 season.

Weaknesses

The problem with being a jack of all trades is you’re usually a master of none. So it is with Amir Coffey, who is decent in many areas, but who you can’t comfortably say is a “good” defender, scorer, playmaker, or shooter at the NBA level. That is part of the reason why he has never had the firm confidence of the coaching staff – when the Clippers have been lacking in those areas, the coaches have usually turned to someone who is more of a proven specialist in those facets. The Clippers will need scoring and playmaking this year, and while Amir might add more of those qualities than say Nic Batum or Mo Bamba, he’s also not someone who the Clips can really turn to.

If you had to point to one thing that Amir struggles at, it’s rebounding. For a guy with pretty good size and solid athleticism, Amir just is not a good rebounder. He’s never cracked 3 rebounds per game on average and is usually the worst rebounder on the Clippers by percentage-based stats. Due to the Clippers’ roster construction issues over the past few years, Amir has frequently logged minutes in size-deprived second-units, and his challenges with rebounding have contributed to the Clippers’ struggles there. It’s not a deal breaker for a reserve, but the lack of rebounding from guards has been frustrating.

Summary

Amir Coffey is the fourth-longest tenured player on the Clippers behind Zu, Mann, and Kawhi, and remains somewhere in the rotation going into this season. However, his deal being on its last year and the Clippers being in a transitionary phase means that Amir might well be on the move this season. If the Clippers are disappointing, they could certainly flip Amir for a second round pick or two, or a younger prospect with some more upside. It is of course quite possible that the Clippers extend Amir (though this has not been rumored at all) or re-sign him next summer, and Amir continues being a well-liked role player, but chances have never been higher that he will be on another team in a year’s time.

Clippers 2024-2025 Player Preview: Amir Coffey
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2024 Clippers continues with reserve wing Amir Coffey.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Age: 26 (27 in two weeks)

Years in NBA: 5

Key Regular Season Stats: 6.6 points, 1.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 turnovers in 20.9 minutes per game across 70 games played (13 starts) on 47.2/38/85.9 (2.6 3PA and 1.0 FTA) shooting splits (60.4 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 2.8 points, 0.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.8 turnovers in 18.7 minutes per game across 6 games played (3 starts) on 31.8/27.3 (1.8 3PA and 0 FTA attempts) shooting splits (38.6 True Shooting)

Expectations

At the start of the season, Amir Coffey was not in the Clippers’ top 10, which was projected as Russ-PG-Kawhi-RoCo-Zu, and then Bones-Norm-Terance-Nico-Plumlee. As he had in prior seasons, Amir was expected to serve as the utility, fill-in, 11^th man who would step into the rotation whenever any perimeter player was to miss time. Amir’s steadiness and competence at most basic NBA perimeter skills – shooting, handling, man defense, and moving the ball – made him a natural for that role to fill any gap.

Reality

The James Harden trade changed everything. With all of the Clippers’ veteran forwards outside of Kawhi Leonard gone, spots opened up in the rotation. Early, those reserve forward minutes went to PJ Tucker. He was unplayable, so then they went to Kobe Brown. While Brown was improving, he was still an unsteady rookie, and Ty Lue turned to Amir. While taking Russ out of the starting unit and getting Harden acclimated were the biggest reasons the Clippers surged in mid-December, Amir’s contributions were part of that as well.

There’s not really a whole lot to say about Amir’s regular season after that. He came off the bench as the nominal forward, getting occasional starts when one of the Clippers’ perimeter starters were out. He played solid defense, made his open threes, attacked in transition, and otherwise did not contribute much. And, for an 8^th man, that was totally fine.

The playoffs, unfortunately, did not go so great. Amir was given the job of guarding Kyrie Irving, an extremely difficult challenge. He actually did a pretty good job the first few games, but his defense wore down over the course of the series, and he was fairly ineffectual by the end. The other end, however, is where Amir looked overmatched as a starter. The Mavs were not particularly concerned about Amir shooting, and were able to stop him from getting to the rim on drives. Amir just could not get going, and his efficiency numbers might honestly be more positive than his actual contributions on offense. It was a sign that Amir, as nice a player as he is, is much more of a fine reserve than a guy who should be asked to start in the postseason.

Future with Clippers

Amir is entering the final year of his steal of a 3 year, $11M deal. He is one of the few Clippers with positive trade value on his contract, but his deal is so small it can’t really be the main contract going out in a trade – he’d have to be a sweetener of some kind. I could see Amir being moved as part of a PJ Tucker or Norm deal, but he has more value to the Clippers than most other teams. He’s not an important enough player to be a “must keep”, but he’s a solid player who fits in well on this roster and the Clippers have invested a lot of time in Amir. My guess is he’s on the team at least one more season.

2024 Clippers Exit Interview: Amir Coffey
Robert Flom

We are at the part of the NBA calendar where news is extremely sparse and mostly related to coaching changes and the odd two-way deal. Unfortunately, the Clippers had a bit of news come up yesterday that was much less welcome – Amir Coffey getting arrested for a firearms misdemeanor in Hollywood.

The Clippers have said that they are aware of the situation and are looking into it. It’s quite possible nothing happens on their end, or that they fine him or give him some kind of internal penalty like a suspension.

It’s also possible that the NBA itself sanctions Coffey, as they take all firearms related offenses seriously, especially after the Ja Morant situation.

I wouldn’t expect anything major to come of Amir Coffey being arrested for this issue, but it is a disappointing piece of news for a player who has quite a few fans in Los Angeles. Hopefully nothing else along thee lines happens this summer.

Amir Coffey Arrested for Concealed Firearm
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2023 Clippers continues with deep reserve Amir Coffey.

Basic Information
Height: 6’7

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Age: 25

Years in NBA: 4

Key Regular Season Stats: 3.4 points, 1.1 assists, 1.1 rebounds, 0.1 steals, 0.1 blocks and 0.4 turnovers in 12.5 minutes per game across 50 games played (nine starts) on 38.6/27.5/77.8 (0.8 3PA and 1.3 FTA attempts) shooting splits.

Postseason Stats: One minute played in one game and zero stats.

Expectations

Following an impressive 2021-22 season in which Amir Coffey emerged as an integral piece of the team, it wasn’t too farfetched to imagine him having an expanded role this year.

The Clippers were hit hard by injuries last season and Coffey stepped up when his name was called and helped keep the Clippers competitive all season long. Part of what made him so valuable was his versatility. When he first joined the Clippers he was used primarily as a small-ball power forward but he has since found comfort as a ball-handler and playmaker for the second unit as well as a potential scoring option with his downhill ability. Not to mention his solid defensive play.

Coffey had his best season as an NBA player in 2012-22 and fans were hoping he was going to be able to build on that.

Reality

Unfortunately for Coffey, new acquisitions such as John Wall as well as players already on the roster pushed him back on the depth chart once again. Coffey was pretty much an afterthought for the Clippers after securing his first major NBA contract. Coffey’s minutes dropped and he only saw action in 50 games. Unlike his first couple of years in the NBA, he was no longer on a two way contract, so he did not have the opportunity to get reps in the G League. It was pretty much picking bench splinters for Coffey.

It was a bit unfortunate as Coffey does possess a skill-set that could help the Clippers. He had really worked on his three-point shot to become a legit catch and shoot option.

Future with Clippers

Coffey still has another two years left on his contract with the Clipper at a little under $4 million per. He can help this team but it’s not clear as to what his role is going to be next season. He’s proven he can play in this league and that he should be getting regular rotation minutes. It’s not too much of a stretch to picture other teams inquiring about his availability. If the right deal comes along and Coffey can be moved as part of a larger trade or even to clear up some roster space, the Clippers would probably do so.

2023 Clippers Exit Interview: Amir Coffey
David Yapkowitz

Next up in our roundtable review of the Clippers’ 2022 offseason is their signing of reserve wing Amir Coffey. Also of note – some new names in the roundtable!

Erik Olsgaard: A-
If you can’t tell, I’m really high on the Clippers’ off-season moves. Coffey had a breakout season that had me convinced he’d end up out of our price range. But the Clippers were able to retain Amir for a very reasonable $11M/3yrs, and without a doubt I feel he is the most talented 12th man in the NBA (it sounds weird, but this roster is crazy). Of course, the Clippers don’t relegate him to the end of the bench. Our Brewmaster is a large, athletic guard with ball-handling skills that makes good decisions and can defend multiple positions. He’s not a great (Editor’s Note: or even good) rebounder, but he’s unselfish and always seems ready to contribute. He’ll go from cleaning up garbage minutes to starting due to player absences, and he’ll consistently produce time and again. You can’t teach that. Players like Amir allow championship contenders to survive the long grind of the NBA season with enough left in the tank to make a real run. So in my mind, that makes him far more valuable than his current contract. That, and his 45-38-86 shooting splits. Great, great signing for Amir Coffey.

Adam Auslund: A+ Gourmet
Amir Coffey this past season was “some serious gourmet s**t” as Jules Winnfield proclaimed after that sip of Jimmie’s non-freeze dried coffee in Pulp Fiction. He was at worst the Clippers’ most consistent player in January, and likely their most critical contributor while averaging 14/4/3 on splits of 50/42/90 over the Clippers 17 games to start the new year, including 29 in their historic 35 point comeback in DC. Overall, it was his most impactful season as a Clipper. When we discuss who’s the odd man out in rotations this year for a potential healthy group, we often bring up Luke Kennard, but Amir and his new well earned and team friendly contract will also have to wait his turn. However, when coach Lue does look his way he’s proven to be a valuable member of the “stay ready Clippers”.

Chuck Mockler: A+
Did anyone else double-check the final contract numbers for the Amir Coffey signing when they were released, or was it just me? 3/$11M is an incredible value for a player that fits the exact image of what the Clippers have been building over the last few years (guys who are able to defend multiple positions, have length for their position, and shoot well from outside) and who brings help in needed areas like transition scoring. I’m not sure there are any faults with this contract, it was another elite “margin move” by this Clippers front office. May the coffee puns never stop.

Shapan Debnath: A
I don’t usually give As on here, but this is just flat out an A. There was mild concern Amir might get a 10 million dollar offer for one year, and we got him on a 3 year, 11 million dollar deal? Absolutely incredible, and the biggest bargain of all the Clippers’ deals, for a guy who is maybe the biggest example of having too much guys. Amir was the best Clipper for stretches last season, a surefire regular season rotation guy at minimum, who’s currently squeezed out of a healthy rotation on this team. From his underrated ability to touch the paint and make the smart play, his willingness to take on a challenging defensive assignment, and his much needed pace on a team mostly devoid of it, this is a guy I really hope the team finds minutes for, because he’s worth every penny of his deal.

Robert Flom: A+
This might be the best value signing of the entire summer, not just for the Clippers, but in the entire NBA. Amir Coffey is a 6’7 guard/wing who played competently (at least) on both ends of the court last year, is a 38% shooter from deep (albeit on a still small-ish sample size), plays hard, and hasn’t had any serious injuries. Add in the fact that he’s just 25 years old – and having played limited minutes in his first two seasons, could still well be developing – as a cherry on top. I thought Amir was worth at least $8M for what he provided last year, and considering age and position, I wouldn’t have considered 3/30 an overpay. Getting him at 3/11 is a massive coup, and also a testament to Steve Ballmer’s willingness to spend (two people plugged in with different teams said the teams were unwilling to offer Coffey much in restricted free agency since they figured Ballmer would match regardless). What a deal, even for a guy who will be the 12th man.

Lucas Hann: A++++++++
How many plusses are we allowed?  Maybe, maybe, the Clippers deserve a little less credit for their genius here than the value on this contract indicates, since his restricted free agent status likely scared off other suitors and left them negotiating against nobody.  On the other hand, maybe this is the biggest actualization of Ballmer Bucks this off-season, if other teams would have offered the Clippers’ 12th man a contract and tested their luxury tax spending limits, but knew the Clippers would gladly write a bigger check to keep a talented 25-year-old around.  Either way, this contract is ridiculous.  Let’s just look at some comps on other deals given out this summer: Jae’sean Tate, who is actually older than Amir, got 3/22.1M.  Caleb Martin, also a year older, got 3/20.5M.  Danuel House, who is 29 and bounced around on 10-days last year, got 2/8.5.  We can quibble about where Amir belongs in that hierarchy–it’s probably fair to say that most teams would prefer Tate or Martin, though the production each offers is similar–but him getting a slightly lower AAV than House and half the money of the others is actually insane. 

I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around him going back to a DNP role after how good he was last season.  You know it’s a great deal for the front office when, as a fan, you actually feel a little uncomfortable with how ripped off a young guy is getting.  Obviously $11M is a lot of money, but damn, for a guy who hasn’t even spent a full season on an NBA salary yet (he was a two-way guy the last three years), every million counts in a way that might not be true for someone like Nic Batum–and based on the market, Amir came up about $10M short on this deal.  If other teams thought he wasn’t worth the money (and weren’t just scared off by Ballmer Bucks), they’re stupid and should watch more film.  For now, we can all be relieved that Amir is still a Clipper, even if it’s unclear what his role will be in a super stacked wing corps going forward.

Cole Huff: A
For Amir’s sake, this kind of sucks, to be honest. He had a tremendous NBA season (by his standards) and as a result, comes back for cheap to likely be an end-of-rotation guy on arguably the deepest team in the league. I thought that he could very easily make TPMLE money and even inch closer to the Non-Taxpayer amount. Anyways, the Amir Coffey signing is a homerun for the Clippers — they get a young(ish), proven, versatile piece back on an incredible deal.

213 Hoops 2022 Offseason Roundtable: Amir Coffey Signing
Robert Flom

Our staff roundtable grades continue with a look at Amir Coffey, a breakout third year player for the 2022 Clippers.

Ralston Dacanay: A

It’s pretty amazing how fast things can change in this league. I remember watching Amir Coffey in the Summer League looking completely out of sorts, unable to take care of the ball or knockdown wide-open threes, and somewhat raising some eyebrows about his two-way spot. Flash forward to today and man does it feel great reflecting on the year he just had. Coffey showed he truly deserves a spot in an NBA rotation, proving to be a guy with good size on the perimeter who can pass, shoot, dribble and defend at a serviceable level. I would really like to see the Clippers retain him and continue to give him more meaningful minutes next year.

Kenneth Armstrong: A+

Amir Coffey gets an A from me for the 2022 season because he significantly exceeded expectations. Going into this season, one of my hopes was that Amir Coffey would not end up being another incarnation of Reggie Bullock: a late-bloomer who would languish on the Clippers, only to develop into a contributor with another team. That did not happen. Instead, by circumstance and because he took advantage of the opportunity, Amir earned himself a full contract. That narrative arc is by itself worthy of an A; when you add in the fact that Amir legitimately won the Clippers several games, it becomes an A-plus. Congrats, Amir! 

Cole Huff: B+

Amir followed up a pretty good sophomore season with a great third year. From starting guard to backup forward, he was productive and consistent regardless of which unit or position he was plugged in at. Much of Amir’s success can be credited to his improved playmaking in the half court and his sustained 3-point stroke on greatly increased usage. Everything he brought to the table was positive, aside from rebounding, and it’s quite possible he continues to improve as he has each season. It would be luxury to have Amir back next year as a quality and reliable end-of-rotation player.

Erik Olsgaard: A

I was going to give an A-, but then I considered his contribution to Brian Sieman’s pun game and gave him an extra half-letter. Amir was nothing short of remarkable this year. In a season that asked more of him than any other, to leap into the rotation whenever Paul George was out (which was a lot), he completely turned a corner. He posted career highs in damn near every category while shooting almost 38% from deep on over 250 attempts. We saw his skill on offense as a pick-and-roll ball-handler/spot-up shooter, as well as his skill on defense as he was often assigned to defend some of the best guards in the league. It’s been clear for months now that Amir has ascended to a different level, and he’s quickly become (yet another) fan favorite. The Clippers were wise to convert his two-way contract into a standard deal, giving the club his full Bird Rights as he heads into this off-season as a restricted free agent. I know I’m not alone in hoping that the Brewmaster returns for the grind next season.

Shapan Debnath: A-

Coming into the 2022 season the question about Amir Coffey was: is he a regular season rotation player? The answer is a resounding yes, and he finally has the standard contract to prove it. Amir’s per 36s don’t jump off the page compared to previous seasons, but his effect with his huge increase in minutes go beyond just his numbers. On a team full of connectors, Amir has proven himself to be another one of those, with a surprising amount of skill with the ball in his hands, competent shooting, quality active defense, and downhill play whether it be off DHOs or great finishing at the rim in transition. Amir was the best Clipper during an impressive 4-4 road trip back on February, including 29 points in the Wizards comeback. While he might find himself outside of the rotation in the playoffs on a healthy Clippers team, his ability to play steady, competent minutes will continue to be a huge plus for this team next season. And his ability to step into a bigger role may help tip the scale when the team considers that ol’ consolidation trade.

Robert Flom: A

Amir Coffey went from fringe two-way player to reliable rotation player in his third season, blowing just about all expectations out of the water. He might not be in the healthy Clippers’ rotation next year, but he was in 2022, and his steadiness on both ends of the court were key to keeping the Clips afloat. Guards and wings that can play solid defense, hit threes, and handle a little are some of the most valuable players in the NBA, and while Amir is great at none of those things, he’s a plug and play option into any team in the league. I hope the Clippers can keep Amir, but I also want him to get as much money as he can after most of three seasons on a two-way deal. Go get that bag Amir, you’ve earned it.

213 Hoops 2022 Season Player Grade Roundtable: Amir Coffey
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series at 213 Hoops continues with a look at the 2022 season of the Brewmaster himself, third-year guard Amir Coffey.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 210lb

Position: Guard/Forward

Age: 24

Years in the NBA: 3

Key Stats: 9.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists in 22.7 minutes per game, with shooting splits of 45.3/37.8/86.3

Expectations

To be honest, expectations for Amir Coffey coming into the 2021-22 season were quite low. He hadn’t played much during his first two seasons with the Clippers and he had a pretty poor summer league showing. On a two-way contract, it was assumed that Coffey would spend much of this season in the G League and that this was almost like a make or break time for him in regards to his future with the team.

He did play well though in the 2021 G League bubble and he occasionally showed flashes of being the type of wing player the Clippers envisioned him as. But he never did much to assume that he would top out as anything other than a 3&D player.

Reality

Even when the injury/Covid bug hit the Clippers this season, it still wasn’t assumed that Coffey was going to end up playing a major role. But by the end of the season, Coffey not only became an invaluable part of the rotation, but played well enough to have his two-way contract converted to a standard one.

Once projected to be a 3&D player, Coffey kind of went back to his college days at Minnesota when he used to be a combo guard. The Clippers started the season playing Coffey as a small ball power forward, but by midseason he was taking over primary ball-handling and playmaking duties with the starting lineup with Paul George out and Reggie Jackson often ineffective. He became a much more consistent three-point shooter and he also became one of the better pick and roll guards on the team.

He nearly doubled his playing time from only 8.9 minutes per game over the course of his first two seasons to 22.7 this season. He also continued to split time early on between the Clippers and Agua Caliente in the G League. For a guy who looked barely like a fringe NBA player when the season began, it’s a testament to the work he put in this year.

Future With Clippers

There’s no question that Coffey has solidified his spot on the team. He is in line to be a restricted free agent this summer with a qualifying offer of $1,576,305. He played well enough to potentially draw interest from other teams and it comes down to him taking the qualifying offer or possibly signing an offer sheet and having the Clippers match it. The team appears to want him as part of their future and barring some insane offer from another team, it’s a good bet he’s back next season. 

Clippers 2022 Season Exit Interview: Amir Coffey
David Yapkowitz

On Saturday, the Clippers finally completed a trio of transactions we had been anticipating since the trade deadline. Or really, since they traded Serge Ibaka for Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye. The Clippers waived Semi, creating a roster spot to convert Amir Coffey to a regular NBA contract. With that open two-way deal, they then signed a backup point guard, Xavier Moon.

Why this set of moves wasn’t done a month ago remains puzzling, as Ojeleye hasn’t contributed much of anything to the Clippers and they could have used a relief option at point guard for Reggie Jackson. The explanations that the Clippers wanted Terance Mann and Coffey to handle the ball and take up more playmaking duties makes sense, but they could have used that depth option at point guard anyway, especially for blowouts.

The most important element of all this is the Amir Coffey promotion, a testament to what he’s given the Clippers this season and how much he’s grown in the past three years. Coffey ranks fifth on the team in minutes played, and is averaging a solid 8.9 points per game on terrific 58.3% True Shooting while playing sturdy defense at multiple positions. The Clippers would not be where they are this year without Coffey, and it’s past time he was elevated to the “full” roster spot.

Ojeleye played just 98 minutes for the Clips across 10 games (honestly, it’s surprising he played even that much) and was a garbage time guy only. The Clippers valued his professionalism and work ethic, but on the court he won’t be missed or even noticed.

As for Moon, he played in six games this year when the Clippers were swamped with injuries and COVID, and to these eyes was largely unimpressive on the court, though he is at the least a competent ballhandler. Still, he clearly made an impression on the Clippers, and seems like a great vibes guy. Something to note is that Moon is already 27. While he can still develop and grow in the NBA, he’s much more likely close to a finished product than not. Maybe the Clippers keep him beyond this year, maybe he’s just a depth and vibes boost this season.

Congratulations to Amir, a hearty welcome back Xavier, and good luck Semi!

Clippers Waive Semi, Promote Coffey, Sign Moon
Robert Flom

This has not been a very pleasant season for the Clippers, or the NBA at large. Between large outbreaks of COVID, injuries to superstars, and the overall roster churn and discontinuity those factors have prompted, quality of play has been low. The Clippers have not only missed Kawhi Leonard for the entire season, but they have dealt with injuries or COVID to all of their major players but Eric Bledsoe and Terance Mann. However, amidst the darkness, there’s been a bright spot – the play of third-year wing Amir Coffey.

Coffey, incredibly, is the third most tenured player on the Clippers after Ivica Zubac and Mann, as he was picked up by the Clippers on a training camp/Summer League deal the night of the 2019 NBA Draft as an undrafted free agent. A couple short weeks later, after a strong performance in Summer League, the Clippers inked Coffey to a two-way deal, which was then re-upped this past offseason. Coffey didn’t play much in his rookie season, and mostly in garbage time, but he did contribute nearly 400 minutes last year, including some actual rotation time. However, in 2022, he’s already surpassed his minutes played from last year, and has became a legitimate piece to the Clipper’s puzzle. Here are a few ways that Amir Coffey has taken his game to the next level in his breakout 2021-2022 campaign, with a quick note that all stats were compiled prior to Thursday night’s game against the Suns.

Rebounding

One of Amir’s great strengths as an NBA player is his size. A quick and athletic 6’7 guard, Amir can defend across multiple positions due to his height and length. However, considering those dimensions, he was an extremely poor rebounder his first two NBA seasons, pulling in just 4.8 per 100 possessions his rookie season, and 5.5 last year. This season, thus far, he’s upped that all the way up to 7.6. Now, that number still isn’t amazing, but it’s still a massive improvement. The Clippers have played small a lot, and every rebound counts. Coffey, to my eye, appears a bit bigger and stronger this season, and that additional mass could be why he’s been better able to battle on the boards. Regardless, his improved rebounding means Amir Coffey is now playable as a small-ball four instead of just as a guard.

Development as a Connector

Coffey’s ideal role has seemingly evolved from a pure energy guy to a more nuanced “connector” type that does a lot of little things and ties units together on both ends, much like fellow Clippers Nic Batum and Terance Mann. While Coffey is not nearly as good a passer or playmaker as those guys, he has been able to serve in a similar function on offense by making quick reads. Coffey doesn’t hold onto the ball too long or do things outside his skillset – he shoots, drives, or passes. Notably, his assist rate is up from last year (7.4% to 8.5%), but his turnover percentage has dropped from 11.1% to 6.0%. Lastly, his usage rate, or the possessions he uses on the court, has dropped each season in the NBA – he is no longer pressing or trying to make things happen when they aren’t there. This mistake-free and low-usage style of basketball is critical for the connector role.

Defense

Defense is much harder to quantify, but it’s notable that advanced all-in-one metrics (more on those below) uniformly rate him as a positive on that end. Again, I think the added strength is notable – Coffey is much harder to shove off spots this year, making him a tougher defender in the post and on the perimeter. At the same time, he hasn’t sacrificed any lateral quickness, enabling him to check smaller guards on the perimeter. This versatility has been incredibly important during the Clippers injury-ridden stretch, as it’s allowed Coffey to defend across four positions and for the Clippers’ staff to deploy him in a variety of lineups. Coffey might not ever be a true stopper, but multi-positionally competent defenders are always going to have value in the NBA.

Three-Point Shooting Frequency

For his career, Coffey is a 37.3% three-point shooter, which is above league average. The issue is that he just doesn’t take enough of them. Considering Coffey’s limitations as a ball-handler and shot creator, the vast majority of his shots should be catch and shoot threes or shots around the rim in transition or attacking closeouts. Fortunately, Coffey is moving the right direction, as he’s increased the percentage of his shots taken that are threes from 35.2% to 54.4% to 64.8%, which is a good number for a player like Coffey. It’s better to be a solid three-point shooter on medium volume than a high-percentage shooter on low volume, and while Coffey is still below that bar, he’s on his way. If he becomes a bit more comfortable letting fly, it will help the spacing for the lineups he’s a part of.

Outside of the more basic stats, advanced metrics bear out Coffey’s improvement. All-in-one advanced stats are not perfect, but when they all signal the same thing, that means something. Per WS/48, Coffey has gone from a 0.041 in 2020 to 0.85 in 2021 to 0.13 this season. BPM has Coffey leaping from a -4.1 to a -2.0 to a 0.1. Fivethirtyeight’s RAPTOR stat places Coffey at a -0.1 (0.5 Wins Above Replacement) this year after being a -2.9 last season and a -3.1 his rookie season. Finally, EPM has Coffey at a -0.6 this season following, which translates to 0.5 expected wins added. Essentially, the stats all agree that Coffey has improved significantly each season, and that this year he’s been a slightly to somewhat above replacement level player. Considering he’s just 24 and in his third season, and on a two-way deal, that’s excellent production and a good sign for his future development.

If the Clippers are fully healthy this year, with Kawhi Leonard active, Amir Coffey will probably not be in the rotation, with projected units of Reggie-PG-Kawhi-Morris-Zu and Bledsoe-Luke-Mann-Batum-Hartenstein ahead of him. However, Coffey’s size and versatility means that he can step in at any position 2-4, and has earned the right to be the Clippers’ 11^th man. He probably won’t get much more than situational usage in the playoffs if the Clippers are healthy, but with this season, it seems almost impossible to believe any team will be totally healthy. And if not, Coffey will be right there to provide low-error, competent minutes across several positions.

After his third season on a two-way deal, Amir Coffey will be ineligible for another year on a two-way, and will be an unrestricted free agent. Considering his play this year, it seems likely that at least one NBA team will sign Coffey to a regular NBA contract. Whether that team (or one of those teams) is the Clippers remains to be seen, but considering that Coffey is a good fit, a known positive locker room presence and chemistry guy, is still young, and will probably be fairly affordable, it makes all the sense in the world for the Clippers to re-sign him. Of course, if Amir can get a larger deal from a team, he should probably take it – he’s probably not the kind of player who will ever secure a truly major contract, so anything above the minimum is a win. Hopefully, however, he’s back in a Clippers uniform next season and for years to come.

Amir Coffey is Having a Breakout 2022 Season
Robert Flom