While we all wait around for Paul George decision today on his player option, another piece of Clippers news came out. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Clippers will not tend a qualifying offer to Brandon Boston Jr., making him an unrestricted free agent.

This does not have to mean that Boston is gone. He and the Clippers could always work out a deal later in free agency once the shape of the roster becomes more clear. However, if the Clippers actively wanted to bring Boston back, they would have given him the qualifying offer so he’d be a restricted free agent, enabling them to match his offers.

The writing on the wall for Brandon came during the draft two days ago, when the Clippers selected Cam Christie with the 46th pick (and have at least an Exhibit 10 if not a two-way deal with Trentyn Flowers). Christie and Flowers are both young guard/wing types who are long-term prospects, exactly the role on the roster Boston filled when he was drafted with the 51st pick in the 2021 Draft.

Boston averaged 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game across 105 games played with the Clippers, most of which were garbage time appearances. Despite having an NBA-size frame and a real ability to “get buckets”, Boston’s role player skills – defense, rebounding, playmaking, catch-and shoot three-point shooting – never developed. Still just 22 years old, Boston has a chance to make something happen, but some team would need to give him a chance at rotation minutes, and I’m not sure who that team would be. Unfortunately, his main skill is scoring, and he’s not close to good enough at that to have that kind of a role in the NBA right now.

Best of luck to Brandon, who seemed like a fun personality, a good teammate, and a hard worker.

Clippers Don’t Tend Qualifying Offer to Brandon Boston Jr.
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2024 Clippers shifts focus to the Clippers’ youngsters, starting off with third-year pro Brandon Boston Jr.

Basic Information

Height: 6’6

Weight: 188 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 22

Years in NBA: 3

Key Regular Season Stats: 5.2 points, 0.4 assists, 1.6 rebounds, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 turnovers in 10.8 minutes per game across 32 games played (0 starts) on 40.4/26.9/69.7 (1.6 3PA, 1.0 FTA attempts) shooting splits (47.6% True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 1.7 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 3.3 minutes per game (3 games played) on 50% shooting from field and line (2/4 and 1/2)

Expectations

Despite going into his third season, Boston’s position as a benchwarmer on a veteran, contending team was more or less set in stone. The only way it seemed a spot in the rotation would open up for him was through injury or trade, and with the Clippers’ main trade target being a guard in James Harden, well, there went that chance. The expectations for Boston, therefore were extremely minimal – be a positive locker room and bench presence/vibes guy, make some plays in garbage time, and hopefully hold down the fort if ever called upon due to injury issues.

Reality

Unfortunately, expectations more or less matched reality. Boston got injured just 30 seconds into his first preseason game, ultimately missing multiple months with a quad issue. His first NBA action didn’t come until December 16, when he appeared in garbage time over the Knicks. The next few months continued in the same vein, with Boston getting appearances every couple of games, but only ever in garbage time. Even worse, Boston was mostly bad when he did play, with the Clippers’ third unit frequently appearing as though they’d never played basketball together before and Boston having a role in that with poor decision-making and sloppiness.

Late in the season, things shifted a bit. With Russell Westbrook out due to injury and Bones Hyland losing his spot in the rotation due to iffy play, Boston played rotation minutes three consecutive games from March 20 to 24, and played…ok. Then, late in the season, with the Clippers’ spot in the standings wrapped up, Boston played heavy minutes in the final three games, though none of the appearances were particularly impressive outside of rebounding. In fact, Boston was highly inefficient in all three games and had major turnover issues – not a great showing before free agency. And, in the playoffs, Boston was of course relegated to the sidelines, even with the Clippers’ issues on offense.

In essence, it was another wasted year for Boston, who got to practice with the team and play in a handful of “real” games but mostly rode the pine and played in fairly meaningless garbage time minutes. Somehow, Boston’s minutes per game average has gone down every season with the Clippers, and he seems no closer to entering Ty Lue’s rotation than he was at the start of his rookie season three years ago.

Future with Clippers

Brandon Boston is a restricted free agent this summer, and I’m fascinated as to what happens with him. On one hand, Boston is still fairly young (won’t turn 23 until next season starts) and clearly talented. He was also a top-ranked high school recruit, and that cache has some staying power. On the other hand, he has barely played in the NBA, and when he has played he’s mostly been quite bad.

I don’t know how much the Clippers value Boston. He hasn’t been able to crack their rotation since early in his rookie season outside of a couple brief stints during periods of heavy injuries. At the same time, the Clippers have held onto him and kept him around as an end-of-roster guy despite needing more depth this past season. Do they see him as a true long-term piece who is now fully ready to be worked into the rotation? Or were they keeping him around mostly for positive vibes and because he didn’t have much trade value anyway.

On that note, I also have no clue how the rest of the league might value Boston. As mentioned above, he’s someone who has real pedigree and has some things working for him, but is also through three seasons in the NBA without showing positive impact at that level. Worse, he’s barely even played in the G-League: somehow, across three seasons, he’s logged a mere 32 G-League games despite not playing in the NBA much in that time either. Therefore, professional tape of Boston is fairly limited. I could see a young, rebuilding team like Washington throwing a 3 year, $15M deal at Boston as a gamble on a talented youngster. I could also see no team offering Boston a deal and him having to look overseas.

So, will Boston be back on the Clippers next year? It really depends what direction they go and how their major pieces shake out. The Clippers seem to like BBJ, but if they are running it back/hoping to contend, I just don’t know if they have room for him. If one or both of PG and Harden are gone, a ton of guard minutes will open up and the Clippers bringing back a young-ish guy they like makes more sense. I’ll lean towards Boston going elsewhere this summer, but it would not surprise me at all to see him back next year. If Boston does leave, my not knowing whether or not he’s an NBA-caliber player after three years on the Clippers says a lot (negatively) about the Clippers’ development strategy and roster construction in that time.

2024 Clippers Exit Interview: Brandon Boston Jr.
Robert Flom

Our player preview series for the 2024 Clippers continues with Brandon Boston Jr., one of the team’s youngest players.

BASIC INFORMATION

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 188

Position: Guard

Age: 21

Years in NBA: 2

Key Stats: 6.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists per game on 41.8/41.4/76.3 shooting splits across 22 games as a second-year player.

Contract Status: In the final year of a three-year / 4.3m deal this summer

EXPECTATIONS

Anyone left on Boston Island? For those who are no longer, your departure is justified — not much is happening over there these days, and the forecast isn’t exactly calling for brighter days ahead this upcoming season. The roster remains mostly the same from a season ago, which likely means BBJ will spend much of his third NBA season similarly to his first and second — on the bench or in the G League putting up stats with the Ontario Clippers. That’s my take on the situation, at least. Like Kobe Brown, who I previewed last week, there just isn’t a path to playing time for Brandon, barring injuries or a consolidation trade opening up doors — the latter being obviously preferred.

STRENGTHS

Respectfully, it’s hard to pinpoint a specific strength in Boston’s game at the NBA. Like, which one aspect of his game can I point to and think, “Yeah, that’s his thing.” I’m honestly not sure, and that’s more of a result of Brandon not having had many opportunities to showcase his talent than him not possessing it. But something that won’t change that you can consider a strength, regardless of reps (or lack thereof), is his youthful contributions to the team, which I’d love to see more of.

Me highlighting Boston’s fresh legs, athleticism and willingness to give 100 percent effort each night aren’t cop-outs. No, they’re legitimate values he offers to the team that most players ahead of him in the rotation fail to showcase consistently. While the ceiling we all thought he could hit early on his rookie season may indeed be lowering, there is room on this team for him to come in and do the dirty work while letting the rest fall into place as it comes. 

WEAKNESSES

One of the challenging things about not receiving consistent playing time is the lack of both mental and physical development that comes with it. You play a few minutes here and there, catch DNP-CDs, then go down to the G League and play a completely different role before coming back up, and a few months into the season you still haven’t formed an identity. 

That’s basically where Brandon Boston Jr. is, but years into his career and not months. As far as his game goes, it’s difficult projecting where he belongs on the floor — he’d be a bigger guard at his height but isn’t necessarily a ball-handler or play-making type, and as a wing, he’s not close to being impactful without the ball in his hand as a floor-spacer. But again, I can’t really blame him all that much for his shortcomings — being drafted to a contender where minutes are hard to come by isn’t exactly ideal for growth. Once he carves out a role, I’d bet on his talent being able to turn into impact and perhaps his confidence producing an identifiable skill — like shooting. But until he earns those opportunities, we won’t ever know.

SUMMARY

As much as I’d like Brandon Boston to get actual minutes for the Clippers in the 2024 season, that would require him to take minutes from players who are better than him. Perhaps that aforementioned potential consolidation trade could clear the way for him to see the floor consistently enough to flash the excitement he brought as a rookie while sustaining the better efficiency he displayed as a sophomore. Boston’s still just 21 years of age with potential left to un-tap. For that, I remain (cautiously) optimistic that this island will flourish again.

Clippers 2023-2024 Season Preview: Brandon Boston
Cole Huff

Our exit interview series on the 2023 Clippers rolls on with a look at little-played youngster Brandon Boston Jr.

Basic Information

Height: 6’6

Weight: 188 pounds

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 21

Years in NBA: 2

Key Regular Season Stats: 6.5 points, 0.9 assists, 1.4 rebounds, 0.4 steals, and 0.5 turnovers in 11.3 minutes per game across 22 games played (1 start) on 41.8/41.4/76.3 (1.3 3PA, 1.7 FTA attempts) shooting splits (51.5 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: Played one minute of garbage time in one game, with only stat being a turnover

Expectations

After exceeding limited expectation in his rookie season, the expectations for Brandon Boston on a stacked 2023 Clippers roster was very low. Mostly, everyone predicted he’d spend most of the season in the G-League, get a couple cracks at rotation minutes when the Clippers were injured or doing load management, and otherwise ride the pine. In the G-League, it was hoped that Brandon would take steps forward as a playmaker and efficiency scoring the ball. For any NBA minutes, the expectation was a little less erratic play and more steadiness on both sides of the ball.

Reality

The expectations more or less held true for Brandon Boston, who only played 248 minutes for the 2023 Clippers across 22 games. Moreover, 60 of those (or around 25%), came in two blowout losses in late January and mid February. When he did play in the NBA, Boston scored at greater efficiency, but he actually took more shots per 100 possessions than his rookie season, turned the ball over more, and saw a slip in defense. But still, considering he only was in the rotation in games where the Clippers were resting a bunch of players and in a very brief stretch in late November to mid December, it’s hard to take much away from his minutes in the NBA.

In the G-League, Boston played in 17 games across the regular season and showcase cup compared to 9 G-League games in his rookie season. It’s still a small sample size, but Boston didn’t show a ton of improvement statistically – his efficiency went up slightly due to better three-point and free throw shooting, and he scored and rebounded more, but his assists fell and his turnovers went up.

In short, unfortunately, I can’t say I know much more about Brandon Boston in June 2023 than I did in June 2022. The Clippers probably do, having observed him in scrimmages, practices, team settings, etc. and monitored his skill growth, but it was somewhat of a lost year in terms of on-court appearances.

Future with Clippers

Brandon Boston Jr. has one year left on his initial rookie deal, an unguaranteed $1.84M for the 2023-2024 season. Even though he’s barely played in the NBA, he’s young enough and has shown enough promise that he’s a positive value asset on that contract. Would a team value him as highly as a first round pick? No. But he could very well be sweetener in a larger deal alongside picks to nab a star.

However, of the younger Clippers’ draftees, Boston is the most likely to be on the Clips next year. The Clippers love him, and have invested a lot of time and coaching into him. There is the sunk cost fallacy, of course, but the Clippers seem to really believe in Brandon. Do they believe in him enough to clear a rotation spot for him next year? It seems unlikely, but if a consolidation trade or two is made, maybe Boston will get his chance. If not, he will likely be in a similar spot to this season, though hopefully at least somewhat higher up the depth chart.

2023 Clippers Exit Interview: Brandon Boston Jr.
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series at 213 Hoops continues with a look at the 2022 season of promising young rookie Brandon Boston Jr.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 185lb

Position: Forward

Age: 20

Years in the NBA: 1

Key Stats: 6.7 points per game, 2.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.9 minutes per game with shooting splits of 38.5/30.6/81.9

Expectations

After a disappointing year at Kentucky, Brandon Boston Jr. ended up slipping to the very end of the second round of the 2021 draft after being projected as a lottery pick out of high school. He was originally drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and was one of the players the Clippers traded for after initially not having any draft picks.

There weren’t many expectations for Boston heading into the 2021-22 season. Most fans were curious as to how he would translate to the NBA after a bit of rough time in college. He got off to a good start in summer league and showed off both a nice catch and shoot ability as well as solid ball-handling; both traits that could certainly translate to the NBA.

Reality

The Boston hype really started to take flight during preseason. He looked comfortable creating his own shot and being able to shoot consistently from the three-point line. His minutes fluctuated but he did get a big opportunity when the Clippers began to get hit with both injuries and COVID-19 related absences. He had several high-scoring games throughout the season and his best performance came against the Boston Celtics in a win in early December when he had 27 points in about 25 minutes of play.

He spent a lot of time with the Agua Caliente Clippers as well and he dominated the G League. He had a 46 point game and gained the opportunity to work on live game reps when there weren’t minutes available with the Clippers.

Future with Clippers

Boston signed a three-year deal with the Clippers last season, so barring any moves, he will be back with the team for 2023. He left no doubt about how his game would translate to the NBA. He was always one of those players who seemed like he would be a better pro than a college player. His strengths of three-point shooting, ball-handling, and shot creation were able to earn him immediate playing time.

Bulking up a bit would help Boston, as would improving his playmaking to where he’s able to recognize when to pass up a shot for a better pass. But the Clipper certainly got a second-round steal and a player that can be in their rotation for years to come.

Clippers 2022 Season Exit Interview: Brandon Boston Jr.
David Yapkowitz

Our 2022 Clippers’ player season preview series continues with second-round rookie Brandon Boston Jr, who was selected with the 51^st pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Basic Information

Height: 6’7

Weight: 188 pounds

Position: Shooting guard/Small forward

Age: 19

Years in NBA: Rookie

Key College Stats: 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 30.4 minutes per game across 25 games played (24 started) on 35.5/30/78.5 shooting splits.

Contract Status: The first year of a 3 year, $4.3M deal with the third season non-guaranteed, making $925K this season.

Expectations

As a rookie 51^st pick in the draft on a team with playoff (though seemingly not championship) aspirations this season on a roster with a ton of depth, Boston’s expectations this year are nearly non-existent. The weakest area on the roster is at small forward, where after Paul George (and maybe Terance Mann), the depth chart quickly drops off to Justise Winslow and Amir Coffey. If one of those guys gets injured, Boston could be in line for an increased role – but even then, he will have to compete with fellow rookie Keon Johnson and small-ball lineup for rotation minutes. All in all, it’s most likely that Boston plays in garbage time only this year, at least in LA, and maybe spends some time in Agua Caliente. Anything more than that is gravy.

Strengths

Boston has an advanced offensive repertoire considering his age. His handles, in particular, are quite strong for a player with his size, and he can leverage those ball-handling abilities to create open looks for himself off the dribble, especially in the midrange. He also has the footwork and fluidity to perform a variety of moves (stepbacks, hesitations, turnarounds, etc.) in relatively smooth fashion.

Boston also just has excellent size and length for a modern NBA perimeter player. He has the height to get his shot off against nearly all defenders, and is long enough to theoretically guard multiple positions at the NBA level. As he fills out and gets stronger, he might be a true 1-4 type defensive player, though right now he’s probably not quick enough or strong enough to guard all but guards at the NBA level. Big, long wings that can create their own offense are one of the most valuable archetypes there are in the NBA (one can argue the most valuable), and Boston’s upside could see him becoming one of those players.

Weaknesses

Boston was awful in his lone season at Kentucky, especially offensively. He shot under 40% from the field (just 38.4% on two pointers) and 30% from three, which renders much of his offensive skillset moot. All the flashy moves and dribbles don’t matter if the shots don’t go in. Boston was inefficient from everywhere on the court – at the rim, short range, midrange, threes – and the NBA is obviously much, much more challenging defensively than the NCAA. Boston seems to have some touch, and there’s nothing obviously wrong with his shot, so it’s possible his off year was due to a difficult season marred with COVID-19 related-issues as well as personal trauma.

In terms of other weaknesses, as mentioned above, Boston has strength issues, which hamper him on both ends of the court. On offense, it prevents him from getting all the way to the rim, as well as finishing when he does get there. On defense, it means he gets pushed around by bigger and stronger players, offering little resistance on the perimeter or around the basket. Most players get stronger in the NBA due to improved dieting, strength and conditioning, and simple aging, but Boston will really need to take a massive step forward in that realm to reach his full potential, and that might take multiple years.

In Summer League, Boston also showcased a tendency to chuck, frequently taking high-difficulty shots rather than moving the ball. It was so bad, at times, that it seemed like he almost had a mandate to not pass the ball once he received it inside the three-point line. Summer League (especially on a summer Clippers roster devoid of shot creation) is a loose, pick-up style format, but Boston is certainly got a great passer or playmaker, and his lack of vision could be another factor keeping him on the bench early in his career.

Summary

Brandon Boston is a promising rookie (especially considering his selection so late in the 2^nd round), but he’s young, fairly deep on the Clippers’ depth chart, and seemingly has much work to do on his game to be ready for high-level NBA action. He’ll probably appear mostly in garbage time and the G-League this year, but hopefully shows some flashes relating to his offensive creation and works on his body, especially his strength.

Clippers 2021-2022 Season Preview: Brandon Boston Jr.
Robert Flom