The LA Clippers entered training camp with a clear problem in the frontcourt: they need someone who can rebound. That need looks even sharper now that one of the better available fits, Julian Reese, is off the board after signing a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans just before camp.
Reese had been the kind of player who could have slid into a backup PF/C role and immediately helped the Clippers in an area that has already shown up as a weakness. With Brook Lopez and Rui Hachimura expected to handle major minutes, LA’s issues on the glass are hard to miss.
Beyond those two, there’s Isaiah Jackson, and not much else. The team also does not have an established backup power forward.
That’s why Reese made so much sense. He spent his rookie season with the Washington Wizards after going undrafted, then became a free agent when the Denver Nuggets waived him following the blockbuster Peyton Watson trade that involved multiple teams. Once he reached the market, he looked like a realistic answer for a Clippers group searching for more size and rebounding.
The numbers back up the case. In 13 games with Washington, the Maryland product averaged 11.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 52.9% from the field. His best nights were especially eye-catching: in four of those games, he grabbed at least 15 rebounds, including a 20-rebound performance against the Utah Jazz.
Reese also just turned 23, which only strengthened the appeal for a team looking for a young, workable option. He’s not without flaws - he’s undersized and has turnover issues - and that likely helped lead to Washington moving on. Even so, he was the kind of rebounder the Clippers could have used in a hurry.
Now that Reese is headed to New Orleans, LA will have to look inward. The hope is that one of its current two-way players, such as Jamarion Sharp or Nick Martinelli, can stand out on the glass during training camp.
In Other News...
Clippers Fans Have One Big Reason To Watch Toronto's Next Move
Torontos front office still sounds like it believes theres room to keep pushing. Bobby Webster said the Raptors have enough draft capital and financial flexibility left to make another major addition if the opportunity comes along, even after the franchise paid a steep price to land Kawhi Leonard in the first place. For Clippers fans, that keeps the old Leonard trade tree from feeling like a closed book, especially with Webster also pointing to healthy signs around Jakob Poeltl and the clubs ability to keep RJ Barrett in the fold.
Webster also addressed the process behind the Leonard deal itself, saying Toronto completed its due diligence while the NBA was investigating the Clippers and never tried to reopen or renegotiate the trade after the leagues sanctions. Leonard later signed a two-year extension with the Raptors, but the lingering context around that move still gives this another layer of intrigue for anyone in Los Angeles watching how the fallout continues to echo around the league. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Open A Two-Way Spot With Camp About To Start
With training camp about to get underway, the Clippers are making room on the back end of the roster by planning to waive Jamarion Sharp to open a two-way contract slot. Sharp, a 7-foot-5 center, joined Los Angeles on a two-way deal in August after building his case with a strong G League and college career, but the move gives the team more flexibility as it sorts out its camp roster.
If Sharp clears waivers, he is expected to become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday. The Clippers already have two other players on two-way contracts and are not actively looking to replace Sharp, which suggests this is more about preserving roster flexibility than making an immediate addition. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Passed On Three Affordable Fixes That Could Haunt Them
The Clippers spent the offseason searching for answers that might have tightened up the edges of a roster built to contend, and a few of the most practical ones were sitting in plain sight. Dorian Finney-Smith, Nick Richards and Marcus Smart all fit different needs, but each would have brought something the Clippers could have used in the postseason picture, especially on the glass and at the defensive end.
Finney-Smith is now with the Atlanta Hawks, Richards landed with the Miami Heat and Smart is set with the Houston Rockets, leaving the Clippers to wonder whether they passed on a chance to add low-cost, high-utility pieces when those options were available. Instead, the team has leaned elsewhere, and the question hanging over that approach is whether those affordable fixes would have looked a lot more valuable once the games got tighter. [Read more 🡒]