The Clippers are bringing Blake Wesley back on a 10-day hardship deal, with the move now official and set to run through November 7. That covers Los Angeles’ next four games.
The club had been granted a hardship provision, giving it the ability to add a player on a 10-day contract even without an open spot on the 15-man roster. As Shams Charania of ESPN reported, that opening is what allowed the Clippers to re-sign Wesley.
The hardship route only becomes available when a team has at least four players who have missed three straight games and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks. In the Clippers’ case, the list of unavailable players includes Jordan Miller, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Max Strus, Brandon Ingram, and Bradley Beal, all of whom have yet to debut this fall. Getting the exception suggests at least four of those five are still a ways off.
Wesley, the No. 25 pick in the 2022 draft, spent his first three seasons with San Antonio before being traded to Washington during the 2025 offseason. The Wizards later waived him, and he landed on a minimum contract with Portland in 2025/26. For the Trail Blazers, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.0 assists in 11.6 minutes per game.
He also missed a big chunk of last season after suffering a fractured fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot that required surgery. Still just 23, Wesley appeared in 31 regular season games for Portland and has played 187 NBA games overall, posting averages of 4.4 points and 2.4 assists in 13.8 minutes per night.
Wesley had already been in Clippers camp this fall before being waived at the end of preseason as L.A. finalized its roster. Under this 10-day arrangement, he’ll earn $150,898, while the Clippers take on a cap hit of $140,771. If the hardship exception is still in place when this deal ends, he can be signed to a second 10-day contract.
In Other News...
Clippers Got Bullied In Every Important Area Against The Lakers
The Lakers spent most of the night making the Clippers look small in the places that usually decide a game. Quentin Grimes led Los Angeles with 23 points in a 103-87 win, and the supporting cast did plenty of the heavy lifting too, with Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Matisse Thybulle and Walker Kessler all helping tilt the game in the Lakers favor. The edge showed up everywhere that mattered, from the paint to the glass to the open floor.
For the Clippers, the numbers told a frustrating story because they could not protect the ball or recover enough second-chance opportunities to keep pace. The Lakers turned the game into a physical, turnover-heavy slog and made sure the Clippers paid for every mistake, which is exactly the sort of loss that lingers because it exposes so many problems at once. How quickly the Clippers clean that up will say a lot about whether this was just a bad night or a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonards Raptors Season Just Took A Tough Early Turn
Kawhi Leonards new start in Toronto was already unusual, with the Raptors waiting out an NBA investigation into possible salary-cap circumvention before the trade from the Clippers was finally completed. Once the deal went through, the immediate focus shifted from the paperwork to Leonards health, and the early signs were not encouraging as swelling in his left knee forced him to the sideline right away.
The hope around the Raptors has been that Leonard can get fully right before he steps back on the floor and becomes the kind of difference-maker they brought him in to be. For now, the organization is still navigating the uncertainty that comes with a star arrival delayed by injury, and the next stretch will matter as much for patience as it does for the long-term championship picture. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Suddenly Have A Ben Sheppard Problem They Didn't Expect
The Clippers are still piecing together their own rotation picture as the road schedule approaches, with several familiar names working back from injury. Max Strus, Brandon Ingram and Yanic Konan Niederhauser are all staying in Los Angeles for rehab, leaving the team to manage depth and lineup flexibility a little longer than it would like.
There is at least one welcome note on the horizon, though. Rui Hachimura is expected to join the upcoming road trip after sitting out with left quad soreness, which gives the Clippers a chance to add another healthy body as they try to steady the group away from home. For a team already navigating absences, every returning piece matters, even if the full picture still is not quite settled. [Read more 🡒]