Clippers Just Sent A Clear Message About Cam Christie

In a surprising roster shuffle, the Clippers re-sign promising wing Cam Christie on a two-way deal shortly after releasing him.

The Clippers changed course on Cam Christie almost as fast as they moved on from him.

Just 48 hours after waiving the 6-foot-5 wing, Los Angeles brought him back on a two-way deal, giving the 2024 second-round pick another path to stick with the organization. Christie had been on the standard rookie contract he signed after being drafted, and once he cleared waivers, the door opened for both sides to reset the arrangement.

Christie, who recently turned 21, was the 46th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and spent the past two seasons with the Clippers. His role never really took off in that span, in part because he struggled to earn a larger share of the floor and in part because there simply were not many minutes to go around.

“Christie was the 46th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and a guy the Clippers were excited to select with their pick. But in the two seasons he's been with the franchise, he's been unable to make strides large enough to warrant an increase in minutes. Aside from that, there weren't many minutes available to him to play, learn through his mistakes, and develop as the Clippers attempted to compete for a deep playoff run,” ClutchPoints’ Tomar Azarly wrote.

The initial waiver came as part of a busy stretch of roster trimming around the league. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto first reported the move, noting the salary guarantee date approaching on Christie’s $2.30 million deal.

“The Los Angeles Clippers are waiving Cam Christie, league sources told hoopshype. Christie had a $2.30 million salary guarantee date that was approaching. Christie, who recently turned 21, was the 46th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft and spent the past two seasons with the Clippers," Scotto wrote.

Now the Clippers are keeping Christie in the fold in a different capacity. The two-way contract gives Los Angeles a way to keep developing him while also making room for the kind of G League time that can help a young player sharpen his game and push for a bigger role down the line.

“The Los Angeles Clippers and Cam Christie have agreed to a two-way deal, agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management told hoopshype. Christie, who recently turned 21, was the 46th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft and spent the past two seasons with the Clippers,” Scotto posted.

In Other News...

Clippers Rebuild Just Got More Brutal Than Fans Realized

The Clippers long-term outlook took a major hit just as they were trying to sort out the next phase of the roster. With Kawhi Leonard long gone back to Toronto after the trade, the franchise is now staring at a rebuild that has to be managed without the kind of draft flexibility teams usually lean on to reset.

What makes the situation even tougher is how much is already riding on the current groups health and development. The coming season will hinge on whether players like Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram can stay on the floor and produce at the level needed to keep the team relevant, but the deeper problem is structural: the Clippers will be trying to stay competitive while their first-round control remains tied up for years. [Read more 🡒]