Ryan Nembhard may not be in Charlotte long, and if the Hornets do waive him, the Clippers look like the cleanest landing spot.
Charlotte just picked him up in the deal that sent Dorian Finney-Smith out, with the Hornets also getting Buddy Hield and cash considerations. But according to Marc Stein of “The Stein Line,” “he’ll have multiple suitors on potential two-ways if he is indeed waived.” Denver is already mentioned as a team that wants to bring him in after adding Cam Whitmore to a two-way spot.
Still, LA stands out as the best fit if Nembhard wants a real shot at minutes and a more secure place in the league. The case starts with what he already showed in Dallas. In his rookie season with the Mavericks, he put up 6.6 points and 5.3 assists, and he also flashed some bigger nights, including a 28-point game at Denver and a near triple-double with 23 assists against the Chicago Bulls.
That’s the appeal here: Nembhard can run an offense, space the floor, and there’s room for him to keep growing. What he needs now is a role he can actually settle into.
The Clippers might be able to offer that. Bradley Beal is still working back toward 100% health to open the season, and Jordan Miller is out for a significant stretch with a torn rotator cuff. That opens the door for minutes, and it gives Nembhard a chance to carve out a place if he can outplay the options in front of him.
There’s also the broader picture. The Clippers are leaning into a youth movement, and Nembhard, at 23, fits that direction. He would still need a strong training camp, but if the goal is to find consistent playing time and finally latch onto a stable NBA home, LA makes a lot of sense.
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 Just Lost A Frontcourt Fix They Really Needed
The Clippers have been searching for a better answer on the glass in their frontcourt, where Brook Lopez and Rui Hachimura have carried much of the load but have not given them the rebounding edge they need. That made Julian Reese an interesting name for LA, especially after the rookie big man showed he could help on the boards during his first season with the Wizards and looked like a sensible developmental fit for a team trying to shore up a glaring weakness.
Now Reese is off the board after landing with the New Orleans Pelicans on a two-way deal, which takes another potential frontcourt fix out of the Clippers' reach. With training camp approaching, the focus turns to the current two-way group and whether one of those players can emerge as the rebound-minded option this roster still needs. [Read more 🡒]