Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Notes: Niederhauser, Harden, Trade Market, Leonard

June 26th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The move to the Big 10 by USC and UCLA played a role in the Clippers‘ selection of Yanic Konan Niederhauser with the 30th pick Wednesday night. In a post-draft session with reporters, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Penn State held practices at his team’s facility when it traveled west to face the Southern California schools (Twitter link). That gave Clippers officials a chance to watch the Nittany Lions’ center up close.

Frank added that L.A. was searching for a big man with size who can roll to the rim and serve as an effective backup for Ivica Zubac. Frank and general manager Trent Redden preferred to avoid a direct comparison, but Frank said they were hoping to find a center with skills similar to Clint Capela (Twitter link).

Frank added that historically a player drafted at the end of the first round only has a 15% chance to still be in the league five years later (Twitter link). They have confidence that Niederhauser will be able to accomplish that, with Redden adding that youngster “has real upside” and should benefit from the chance to learn the game from Zubac.

There’s more on the Clippers:

Frank stated that keeping James Harden is the team’s top priority for the offseason (Twitter link). The 35-year-old guard has to decide by Sunday whether to opt out of a $36.3MM salary for next season. If Harden chooses free agency, Frank said he hopes they can reach a mutually beneficial agreement on a new deal.
Regarding the trade market this summer, Frank wants to make sure the team stays in position to make a competitive offer if star players become available (Twitter link). “You’re constantly engaged and looking to get better,” he said. “… Our goal is how can we get this current group as good as it can possibly be … but have flexibility going forward.”
Frank told reporters that Kawhi Leonard kept up his training regimen through the end of the NBA Finals “to push his body to get to that point so he can play deep in June.” Leonard didn’t make his season debut until early January, but he was mostly healthy after that and was able to play in all seven games of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series. “He’s extremely excited because it’s the first time in a while he is not rehabbing from injury … and getting back to working,” Frank said (Twitter link).

Clippers Pick Yanic Konan Niederhauser At No. 30

June 25th, 2025 at 10:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Penn State center Yanic Konan Niederhauser is the last pick of the first round of the 2025 NBA draft, having been selected by the Clippers with the No. 30 overall selection.

We have the full results of the first round right here.

Niederhauser transferred to Penn State in 2024 for his junior year after spending his first two college seasons at Northern Illinois. The Swiss big man had an impressive breakout season in ’24/25, averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in just 25.1 minutes per game across 29 starts for the Nittany Lions.

Niederhauser shined during the pre-draft process, particularly at the G League Elite Camp — his performance there earned him an invitation to the full-fledged combine. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report wrote earlier this month that Niederhauser was largely off NBA radars earlier in the spring but began earning late first-round consideration as a result of his performances during combine week and in workouts.

Ivica Zubac, an All-Defensive second-teamer who was also a Most Improved Player finalist this season, is the Clippers’ starting center, but the club doesn’t have a ton of depth up front behind him, with reserve center Drew Eubanks considered unlikely to return. While Los Angeles may have additional moves on tap to add a more experienced backup for Zubac, it’s possible there will be a path to rotation minutes for Niederhauser as a rookie.

L.A. Notes: Doncic, LeBron, Harden, Clippers, Draft

June 25th, 2025 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

After facing criticism on his way out of Dallas for his work ethic and conditioning, Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been “incredibly committed” to his conditioning since the team’s season ended, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic.

A source with knowledge of the situation tells Woike that Doncic has lost weight and is working on “strict diet and cardio training.” The 26-year-old deviated from his usual offseason routine by spending a month away from on-court activities in order to focus on his body, Woike adds.

As he prepares for his first full season in Los Angeles, Doncic will become eligible later this summer to sign a contract extension that could be worth up to nearly $229MM over four seasons.

We have more on the NBA’s two L.A.-based teams:

Lakers star LeBron James, who sustained an MCL sprain in the last game of the season, stated on Instagram earlier this week that he has resumed on-court work, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays (via Twitter). James has a decision due by Sunday on his $52.6MM player option for 2025/26.
Clippers guard James Harden is being accused of negligence in a civil complaint that includes allegations of sexual assault against his nephew, per Zach Powell of The Athletic. The plaintiff alleges that Harden’s nephew, Justice Armani Blackburn, raped her at a New Year’s party at Harden’s home in Houston. The claim of negligence against Harden is related to the conduct of his in-home security staff, Powell explains, with the lawsuit stating that the 35-year-old is “vicariously liable for the actions of his guards and their corporate employer.”
Janis Carr of The Orange County Register examines some possible draft targets for the Clippers, including Drake Powell, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Noah Penda at No. 30 and Viktor Lakhin at No. 51.
Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times previews draft night for both the Lakers and Clippers, but notes that the brunt of the offseason work for the two L.A. teams will likely come later, with LeBron, Harden, and several other veterans up for new contracts.

Draft Notes: Spurs, Newell, Hawks, Essengue, More

June 24th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs haven’t entirely shut down trade inquiries on the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, but they still seem likely to end up with Dylan Harper themselves, since no team is expected to meet their high asking price, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports writes in his latest mock draft.

“They want a ridiculous haul,” one front office executive told O’Connor. “Far more than I’d expect anyone to give up.”

Elsewhere in O’Connor’s mock draft, he cites league sources who say that Georgia forward Asa Newell, the No. 19 prospect on ESPN’s big board, could end up being a lottery pick — O’Connor has him going to Toronto at No. 9.

O’Connor also hears that the Hawks have been exploring a potential move up from No. 13, having even placed calls to teams picking in the top five. They’re targeting a center, O’Connor adds. Based on earlier reporting from Jake Fischer, it sounds like several teams in the back end of the lottery are in the same boat, as Fischer mentioned Phoenix (No. 10), Chicago (No. 12), and San Antonio (No. 14) as clubs eyeing big men.

Here are a few more draft-related notes from around the league:

French forward Noa Essengue, a potential lottery pick who ranks ninth overall on ESPN’s board, will miss the conclusion of the German League finals in order to travel to New York for this week’s NBA draft, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. His team, Ratiopharm Ulm, holds a 2-1 lead over Bayern Munich in the best-of-five Basketball Bundesliga championship, though the 18-year-old has been playing a pretty limited role in the series. Essengue’s draft-eligible teammate Ben Saraf has had a bigger hand in Ulm’s two victories and is remaining with the team for Tuesday’s Game 4.
John Hollinger of The Athletic has published his list of this year’s top 75 draft prospects. While there are no surprises at the very top, Hollinger is higher than the consensus on guys like Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 6), Essengue (No. 7), Thomas Sorber (No. 10), and Saraf (No. 15), with Tre Johnson (No. 11) and Ace Bailey (No. 12) ranked outside of his top 10.
Law Murray of The Athletic identifies some players that might make sense as targets for the Clippers with their 30th and 51st overall picks this week, including point guards like Saraf and Kameron Jones and centers such as Ryan Kalkbrenner and Maxime Raynaud. Rod Walker of NOLA.com, meanwhile, performs a similar exercise with the Pelicans‘ seventh and 23rd overall picks, suggesting that coming away with a duo like center Khaman Maluach and guard Walter Clayton Jr. would make it a successful draft for the team.
The Thunder recently worked out potential second-round pick Micah Peavy, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com. The Georgetown wing ranks 54th on ESPN’s board.

Suns Notes: Beal, Green, Wild-Card Suitors, Lanier, Durant, Cousins

June 22nd, 2025 at 7:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With the Suns agreeing to trade Kevin Durant to the Rockets, Phoenix radio talk show host John Gambadoro continues to believe the team will either trade or buy out Bradley Beal, he said on The Kevin O’Connor Show (Twitter video link).

Of course, Beal has a no-trade clause and would have to agree to waive it for a deal to be made. If the Suns are unable to trade or buy out Beal, then they’d have to hope he could rebuild his value on the court. Gambadoro previously noted that head coaching candidates were asked how they would utilize Beal if he’s still on the roster.

Cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link) looks back at the buyouts of Kemba Walker and Blake Griffin in recent seasons as examples of what Beal might be willing to give back, presuming the three-time All-Star could receive a full non-taxpayer mid-level exception deal elsewhere. If Beal were willing to give up 25 percent of his current contract with two years left, the cap hits for the Suns would total $40.25MM and $42.85MM.

Here’s more on the Suns:

While the Suns now seemingly have two combo guards with similar skills, they are not planning to move Jalen Green, Gambadoro tweets. Instead, the Suns will look to pair him with Devin Booker in the backcourt and see how they’ll mesh. Green has shown durability, appearing in every game over the past two seasons. He averaged 21.0 points and 3.4 assists this season.
While Durant negotiations were primarily focused on the Heat, Rockets and Timberwolves, several wild-card suitors emerged, including the Raptors, Cavaliers, Nuggets and Clippers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Cavs, in particular, were a long shot since they would have needed to send out enough salary to get under the second apron for 2025/26. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been allowed to aggregate salaries. Since the Suns are also a second-apron team, a deal between Phoenix and Cleveland would have required the involvement of at least one more club.
Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier worked out for the Suns on Friday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. Lanier set the Volunteers’ single season record for made three-pointers with 123 this past season. He’s ranked No. 38 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list. The Suns own the 29th and 52nd picks in addition to the 10th and 59th selections they’re acquiring from Houston.
Earlier in the weekend, Durant brushed off a comment by former NBA center DeMarcus Cousins, who claimed on Fan Duel’s Run It Back show that there were “fistfights” in the Suns locker room. As Rankin relays, Durant responded on social media that Cousins’ source for that claim was “lying” and that there were “NEVER” any locker room fights.

Shams: KD Has ‘No Desire’ To Be Traded To Timberwolves

June 16th, 2025 at 5:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Appearing on SportsCenter (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania said Suns star Kevin Durant has no interest in joining the team that is rumored to be the most aggressive in pursuit of him.

“I’m told Durant has no desire to be in Minnesota with the Timberwolves,” Charania said. “So how does that shape how the Minnesota Timberwolves and other teams that could have interest, that are outside of his preferred list, decide how to move forward with these Durant discussions?”

In an NBA Today appearance that included Charania, Brian Windhorst and Marc J. Spears (YouTube link), Charania indicated the Suns have some interest in Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. Windhorst anticipated that the Timberwolves’ trade offer for Durant could drop if they’re unsure about their ability to sign him to an extension. According to Spears, Durant had the Knicks at the top of his wish list but the Knicks weren’t interested in pursuing him, so the Rockets, Heat and Spurs became his fallback options.

The Suns obviously don’t need Durant’s permission to trade him to the Timberwolves, but mutual respect between Phoenix’s front office and the longtime All-Star could play a role in where he winds up. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) speculates that Durant and his rep may need to strongly discourage a team such as Minnesota from trading for him in order for him to land at a preferred destination.

Windhorst also previously identified the Raptors and Clippers as teams that are “lurking” in the Durant trade saga.

As for the Spurs, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype names Jeremy Sochan, as well as Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson, as players who could be obtained on the trade market. Sochan, who averaged 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists this season, is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. Throwing a 22-year-old player into the mix could sweeten the offer for Durant from San Antonio’s perspective.

Clippers To Hire Monte McNair As Advisor

June 16th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers plan to hire Monte McNair as an advisor, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

McNair mutually agreed to part ways with the Kings in April, shortly after the team was eliminated from the play-in tournament. He was Sacramento’s general manager for the past five years prior to being replaced by Scott Perry.

The 41-year-old executive is from Oak Park, California, which is approximately 30 miles north of Los Angeles, notes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (via Twitter).

A longtime member of Houston’s front office before he became Sacramento’s top basketball decision-maker, McNair won the NBA’s Executive of the Year award in 2023 after the Kings snapped their 16-year playoff drought. While they won at least 40 games in each of the past two seasons, they were eliminated in the play-in tournament in both instances.

Overall, the Kings had a 195-205 record (.488 winning percentage) during McNair’s tenure.

McNair reportedly interviewed with the Hawks to become their new president of basketball operations. Atlanta has not yet filled that position, but did hire a couple of senior executives to work alongside Onsi Saleh, who was promoted to GM after Landry Fields was fired in April.

Lawrence Frank is the Clippers’ president of basketball operations and has led the team’s front office since 2017.

Windhorst: Timberwolves Most Aggressive In Pursuit Of Kevin Durant

June 16th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have been the team most aggressively pursuing Kevin Durant in trade talks so far, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this morning during an appearance on Get Up (Twitter video link). Windhorst notes that Minnesota made a strong push to acquire Durant from the Suns before the February trade deadline to team him with Anthony Edwards, and that effort has been renewed this offseason.

Windhorst identifies the Raptors and Clippers as teams that are “lurking” in the Durant trade saga, with Toronto offering the ninth pick in this year’s draft along with combinations of players in “multiple different scenarios.”

A list of Durant’s preferred destinations leaked over the weekend, with the Spurs, Rockets and Heat said to be the only teams he would considering signing an extension with. However, Windhorst hears that those three teams “have not made offers that have gotten Phoenix excited.” A report on Sunday indicated that the Suns are more focused on maximizing their return in a Durant trade than sending him someplace he wants to go.

Sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) that the Raptors are willing to give up either RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley to upgrade their roster, and several league figures have said they would consider including Jakob Poeltl as well if it means getting Durant in return. Phoenix is reportedly seeking a starting-level center for next season, and the Durant deal might be the best opportunity to acquire one.

Fischer reports that Toronto’s No. 9 selection is being viewed around the league as “perhaps the most likely top-10 pick in the draft to be traded.” He adds that the Raptors would prefer not to move out of the first round completely, so the Suns’ choice at No. 29 could be part of the deal.

Phoenix would love to get Ivica Zubac, Fischer adds, but the Clippers consider him off limits. However, he notes that L.A. has two future first-round picks and some swap rights that it could offer along with Norman Powell, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Derrick Jones.

Fischer doesn’t expect the Grizzlies to get involved in the Durant chase, even though they have a fresh collection of draft assets from Sunday’s Desmond Bane trade. He notes that Memphis was reluctant to pursue Jimmy Butler before the deadline because of fears that he wouldn’t sign an extension, and Durant is probably viewed the same way.

Addressing the Suns’ desire for a center, Fischer states that the team has done background work on Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis in case he’s made available. Fischer also hears that Phoenix would be interested in free agent Myles Turner if he doesn’t re-sign with the Pacers.

Latest On Kevin Durant

June 14th, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Although the Suns cannot aggregate salaries in trades, they have been exploring ways to move below the second tax apron to ease some of the restrictions they’re currently facing. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), as part of the Kevin Durant trade talks, Phoenix’s front office has larger constructs involving Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale in an effort to reduce the team’s payroll.

Dropping below the second apron is believed to be one of Phoenix’s “primary objectives” in a Durant deal, Fischer writes. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Suns are trying to cut costs for financial reasons, they just recognize how difficult it is to operate over that threshold in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, Fischer explains.

Sources tell Fischer that Phoenix hopes to acquire “starting-level talent” in exchange for Durant, with “quality draft capital” another desired part of the return package. Fischer hears the Suns have been evaluating first-round prospects “in the belief they will obtain at least one meaningful selection” in the 2025 draft.

While Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the Rockets are one of the teams most seriously engaged with the Suns for Durant, Fischer says Houston is “exceedingly reluctant” to meet Phoenix’s asking price. According to Fischer, the Suns view the Rockets as their ideal trade partner due to their combination of young talent and draft picks — Houston controls Phoenix’s first-rounders in 2025 (No. 10), 2027 and 2029.

Fischer adds that the Rockets’ front office recognizes this advantage and is “believed to be willing to go only so far” in its offer to Phoenix, indicating that the Suns might get more assets elsewhere.

League sources tell Fischer that the Timberwolves and Heat are the teams most frequently talked about as potential destinations for Durant. Fischer adds that the Spurs and Rockets have been cited by league executives as having interest in acquiring Durant, along with the Clippers and Raptors “to a lesser extent.”

Fischer also speculates that Durant would enjoy the idea of returning to Texas — where he played collegiately — either with San Antonio or Houston. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 previously stated that the Texas teams may be atop Durant’s wish list.

That could be an important consideration because Durant holds a $54.7MM expiring contract. Fischer says that front offices are considering whether it’s worth the gamble to trade for Durant with no assurances that he will re-sign after next season.

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets that there have been discussions between Minnesota and Phoenix regarding Durant, but “nothing is close” right now. Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on Wednesday that the Heat are interested in dealing for Durant, but “only at the right price.”

Ian Begley of SNY.tv considers it a “long shot” that the Knicks will get involved (Twitter link), echoing other reports from this week. Begley also points out that finding a starting center is among the Suns’ offseason priorities, and trading Durant may be their best opportunity to make that happen.

Fischer considers Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert the best center likely to be available in a Durant deal, but states that it’s difficult to create a workable trade scenario between the Wolves and Suns, who are both operating above the second apron for now. He points out that Minnesota will fall below the second apron if Naz Reid and Julius Randle both decline their player options, and Reid seems almost certain to do so. Otherwise, a trade between the two clubs would likely have to be agreed upon this month but not become official until after the moratorium is lifted in July.

Miami may be more realistic, according to Fischer, who notes that the city was on Durant’s list when he first asked the Nets for a trade. Fischer suggests that Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson are among the players the Heat can send to Phoenix to help match salaries, and they have three first-rounders that can be moved: No. 20 this year, along with their picks in 2030 and 2032.

Sources tell Fischer that Miami was unwilling to part with Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez at the trade deadline, and he speculates that its willingness to include Ware could be a “true swing factor” in a Phoenix deal.

The Spurs and other teams have been reluctant to surrender significant draft capital for Durant, according to Fischer, who reports that the Suns have limited interest in the players San Antonio has offered so far. Fischer states that it’s believed the Spurs are keeping Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft off limits and are only offering players such as Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes.

Arthur Hill contributed to this report.

Western Notes: Spurs, Williamson, Nuggets, Wolves, Clippers

June 13th, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs are expected to hire Corliss Williamson to be an assistant coach on Mitch Johnson‘s new staff in San Antonio, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

A former star at Arkansas and a Sixth Man of the Year in the NBA, Williamson appeared in over 800 regular season games for four NBA teams from 1995-2007 and won championships at both the NCAA and NBA level. He transitioned into coaching in 2007 after retiring as a player, spending a few years with college programs in his home state of Arkansas before making the leap to the NBA.

Williamson, who has spent the past two years as a member of Chris Finch‘s coaching staff with the Timberwolves, has also had stints as an assistant in Sacramento, Orlando, and Phoenix.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Western Conference:

Checking in on where things stand with the Nuggets‘ front office search, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required) says the club’s goal is to resolve the situation before the June 25 draft, even though Denver doesn’t control a 2025 pick. Given how little chatter there has been about outside candidates for the job, in-house executives Ben Tenzer (the current interim general manager) and Tommy Balcetis still look like the best bets for the full-time position, Durando writes, though he acknowledges it’s possible the team has just done a very good job of keeping other targets under wraps.
While the Timberwolves will almost certainly be a taxpayer again in 2025/26, the big question they’ll have to answer is where they’ll draw the line, Yossi Gozlan writes in previewing the team’s offseason for The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan predicts Minnesota will try to get below the second tax apron either this offseason or at least by the end of 2025/26 to avoid having another future first-round pick frozen. He also explores how the team might handle its free agents and wonders if the Wolves could reduce their 2025/26 team salary by having Julius Randle decline his player option in order to sign a multiyear deal with a lower starting salary.
Keith Smith of Spotrac looks ahead to what’s on tap for the Clippers this offseason, discussing James Harden‘s contract situation, considering what the team might do with its other free agents, and evaluating whether an extension for Norman Powell makes sense, among other topics. We published our own Clippers offseason preview earlier this week.