Los Angeles Clippers Blog – Page 15 – NBA Blog

Clippers trade Sam Dekker to Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired forward Sam Dekker from the Los Angeles Clippers. In exchange, Cleveland will trade the draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko to the Clippers. The Cavaliers will also receive the draft rights to Renaldas Seibutis and cash considerations from Los Angeles.

“We want to thank Sam for his contributions to our team competitiveness and culture this past season,” said Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “Sam is a talented and hard-working athlete who represented this organization well as a player and a person. We wish him the best of luck with his opportunity in Cleveland.”

Dekker (6-9, 230) spent last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 4.2 points on .494 shooting and 2.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game over 73 games (one start). Over his three NBA seasons, he owns career averages of 5.3 points on .481 shooting and 3.0 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game during 153 career contests (three starts) with the Clippers and Houston Rockets. Dekker also appeared in four postseason games with Houston in the 2017 Playoffs, averaging 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game.

The 6-9 forward, who hails from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin, was originally selected by the Rockets with the 18th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Clippers waive C.J. Williams

The L.A. Clippers waived guard C.J. Williams today.

Williams, 28, appeared in 38 games for the Clippers last season, averaging 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18.6 minutes. He appeared in 16 games for L.A.’s G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario as part of his two-way contract, averaging 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 29.5 minutes. A four-year letterman at North Carolina State, the 6’5”, 230-pound guard spent time playing internationally with teams in France, Greece and Italy, and in the NBA G League, before signing with the Clippers in October 2017.

Clippers re-sign Montrezl Harrell

The L.A. Clippers re-signed free-agent forward Montrezl Harrell today.

“Montrezl is a tough, hard-playing, gritty competitor who is committed to winning,” said Frank. “We love his passion and energy, and are very excited to have Trezz back in a Clippers uniform.”

According to ESPN.com, the deal is a two-year, $12 million contract.

Harrell, 24, appeared in 76 games for the Clippers last season, averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, while shooting 63.5 percent from the field in 17.0 minutes. Initially acquired by L.A. on June 28, 2017 via trade, the 6’8”, 240-pound forward holds career averages of 8.7 points and 3.4 rebounds across 173 appearances spanning three NBA seasons with the Clippers and the Houston Rockets.

A native of Tarboro, North Carolina, Harrell was selected 32nd overall by Houston in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played three collegiate seasons at the University of Louisville, where he was a member of the 2013 NCAA Championship team as a freshman, earned First Team All-AAC honors as a sophomore in 2014 and received the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward as a junior in 2015.

Clippers, Mavericks trade Johnathan Motley, Renaldas Seibutis and Maarty Leunen

The L.A. Clippers have acquired forward Johnathan Motley from the Dallas Mavericks, along with the draft rights to guard Renaldas Seibutis, in exchange for the draft rights to forward Maarty Leunen and cash considerations.

Motley, 23, appeared in 11 games for Dallas on a two-way contract last season, averaging 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 53.3 percent from the field in 16.0 minutes. The 6’10”, 230-pound forward also appeared in 34 games for the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, averaging 22.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while shooting 56.5 percent from the field in 32.5 minutes. He was named a 2018 G League All-Star and was selected to the Second-team All-NBA G League. A native of Houston, Texas, Motley spent three collegiate seasons at Baylor University, where he was named to the First Team All-Big 12 and won the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward as a junior.

Leunen (6-9, 220) has spent the last 10 seasons playing professionally overseas (Turkey, Italy and Germany), including the last three with Italy’s S.S. Felice Scandone. In 34 Serie A games for Scandone in 2017-18, he averaged 7.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. In 14 BCL games for Scandone last season, he averaged 7.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steal per contest.

Leunen was selected by Houston in the second round (54th overall pick) of the 2008 NBA Draft after a four-year college career at Oregon (2004-08). On Jan. 22, 2016, his rights were traded to the Clippers in exchange for Josh Smith, the draft rights to Serhiy Lishchuk and cash considerations.

Seibutis (6-5, 180) was selected by Dallas in the second round (50th overall pick) of the 2007 NBA Draft. The Lithuanian guard has been playing professionally overseas since 2002-03. He spent the 2017-18 season with Spain’s Basket Zaragoza.

Clippers sign Luc Mbah a Moute

The L.A. Clippers signed free-agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute today.

Per multiple reports, the deal is for one year, $4.3 million.

“Luc is the ultimate professional,” said Frank. “He is a very smart player and an outstanding defender who leads by example and provides a strong cultural presence in the locker room. Luc is a class act that we welcome back to the Clippers.”

The Clippers’ forward rotation currently includes Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris. Mbah a Moute should be in the backup mix off the bench behind them.

Mbah a Moute, 31, appeared in 61 games for the Houston Rockets last season, averaging 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.18 steals in 25.6 minutes. The 6’8”, 230-pound forward spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with the Clippers, averaging 4.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 19.7 minutes over 155 appearances (137 starts). He holds career averages of 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds across 10 NBA seasons with Milwaukee, Sacramento, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Houston and L.A.

A native of Cameroon, Mbah a Moute was selected 37th overall by Milwaukee in the 2008 NBA Draft after three collegiate seasons at UCLA, where he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and a member of the Pac-10 All-Freshman team in 2006.

Clippers sign Angel Delgado to two-way contract

The L.A. Clippers signed rookie center Angel Delgado to a two-way contract.

Delgado, 23, played four collegiate seasons at Seton Hall University, where he appeared in 132 games, averaging 12.1 points and 11.0 rebounds in 30.6 minutes. The 6’10”, 245-pound center led the country in rebounding and won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for the nation’s best center, as a senior.

He represented his native Dominican Republic in the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup, where he appeared in three games, averaging 8.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have two players signed to two-way contracts on the roster at any given time, along with their 15-man regular season roster. A two-way player for the Clippers will provide services to the team’s G League affiliate – the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario – and can spend up to 45 days with L.A., in addition to the time prior to the start of G-League training camp and after the G-League season concludes.

Clippers sign rookies Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson

The L.A. Clippers signed guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson to their rookie contracts today.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA draft are guaranteed to receive an NBA contract, assuming they wish to begin their careers in the league right away. So, these signings were expected and are standard.

Selected 11th overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Gilgeous-Alexander played one collegiate season at Kentucky, where he appeared in 37 games (24 starts), averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.7 minutes. The 6’6”, 180-pound guard shot 48.5 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point range as a Wildcat. A native of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), the 19-year old was named to the Second-team All-SEC and the SEC All-Freshman Team, and was named the MVP of the SEC Tournament.

Selected 13th overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Robinson played three collegiate seasons at Boston College, where he appeared in 90 career games (all starts), averaging 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.6 minutes. The 6’5”, 188-pound guard shot 45.0 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range in his Boston College career. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, the 21-year old was named All-ACC First Team as a Junior.

Wizards trade Marcin Gortat to Clippers for Austin Rivers

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has acquired guard Austin Rivers from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for center Marcin Gortat.

“Acquiring Austin gives us another versatile, experienced player who provides scoring and playmaking,” said Grunfeld. “He is coming off a career year and his ability to create offense for himself and others will help our second unit and allow us to play a variety of lineups throughout the season.”

“We are excited to welcome Marcin Gortat to the Clippers, a respected player that brings years of NBA experience and additional toughness to this team. We’ve been a fan of Marcin’s for some time and this decision will help rebalance the roster by adding another proven big man to the front court,” said Lawrence Frank, Clippers’ President of Basketball Operations. “Austin’s development as a player is a testament to his work ethic and desire to improve. We experienced a lot of success with Austin and are grateful for his contributions during his four seasons with the club. The Clippers wish Brittany and Austin all the best in Washington.”

Rivers (6-5, 200) averaged career highs of 15.1 points, 4.0 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals this season while shooting a career-high .378 (136-360) from three-point range in 61 games (59 starts). The 25-year-old guard posted 12 games of 20+ points, three games of 30+ points and set a new career high with 38 points at Memphis on Dec. 22 (one night after scoring 36 at Houston).

He holds career averages of 9.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 408 career games (130 starts) while shooting .355 from three-point range in five seasons with the Clippers and New Orleans. The 10th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Rivers has appeared in 23 career playoff games (six starts), all with the Clippers. He entered the NBA after one season at Duke, where he earned First Team All-ACC honors.

Gortat, who was originally acquired prior to the 2013-14 season, posted 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting .555 from the field in 402 (out of a possible 410) games over his five seasons in Washington. The team posted an .543 (223-187) overall record and made four playoff appearances during his tenure.

“We appreciate Marcin’s contributions during his time with us and wish him the best moving forward,” said Grunfeld. “He is a very durable professional who helped the team in many ways to become a perennial playoff contender and set an example with his work in the community both in D.C. and in his native country of Poland.”

Clippers draft Jerome Robinson with 13th pick in first round

The L.A. Clippers have selected Boston College guard Jerome Robinson with the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, held last night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“Jerome is someone that we targeted early on in this process. [He’s] one of the more gifted guys in this draft,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “If you study the DNA, he just grinds and he works harder than most. He is very impressive as a young man and he is now a Clipper”

“Going to the Clippers is a dream come true,” said Robinson. “It’s exciting to be in L.A., being drafted by the Clippers, and having the chance to learn from a coach like Doc Rivers.”

Robinson, 21, played three collegiate seasons at Boston College, where he appeared in 90 career games (all starts), averaging 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.6 minutes. The 6’5”, 188-pound guard shot 45.0 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range in his Boston College career. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Robinson was named All-ACC First Team as a Junior.

Clippers trade for draft rights to No. 11 pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The L.A. Clippers have acquired the draft rights to University of Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, from the Charlotte Hornets, in exchange for the draft rights to Michigan State forward Miles Bridges and two future second round picks. The Clippers selected Bridges with the 12th overall pick in the draft.

“We have been tracking Shai all year and grew more and more impressed with him. He quickly became a priority for us,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “What you will see right away is his character, competitiveness and toughness. We have guys like that here, and that’s who we want to attract.”

“I’m a play-making guard, pass-first point guard, who likes to get teammates involved,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I’m really just willing to do whatever the team needs me to do to win and cannot wait to get started with the Clippers.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, 19, played one collegiate season at Kentucky, where he appeared in 37 games (24 starts), averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.7 minutes. The 6’6”, 180-pound guard shot 48.5 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point range as a Wildcat. A native of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), Gilgeous-Alexander was named to the Second-team All-SEC and the SEC All-Freshman Team, and was named the MVP of the SEC Tournament.