Amir Coffey Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Leonard, Harden Signed Off On Paul Addition

July 22nd, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Paul‘s return to Los Angeles and the Clippers goes beyond sentimentality. Paul could be a piece to a championship puzzle as a key second-unit floor leader, according to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

Paul signed a one-year contract for a second stint with the organization for which he played from 2011-17. He started for the Spurs all of last season but accepted a backup role offered by the Clippers.

“Chris takes care of the ball and runs an offense about as well as anyone who’s ever done it,” Frank said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “He’ll slot into our roster as a reserve point guard. There’ll be nights when Chris plays a lot, there’ll be nights he does not. Chris is excited to be here, to be part of the group, to help lead the group and to play when called on.”

Paul was looking to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. The 40-year-old had issues with James Harden when the two stars played in Houston but there’s no lingering bitterness. In fact, Harden felt Paul would be an ideal choice to back him up.

“When talking to James, talking to Kawhi (Leonard) … both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role,” Frank said. “I think James is all about winning. … He thought that Chris would be a great fit for the team.”

This could be Paul’s last season and last chance to win a championship, a goal which has eluded him in his career.

“Well, I think there’s the nostalgic aspect,” Frank said, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “But I think the No. 1 question that we always say, is how can he help impact winning? … And yeah, look, there’s the heartstrings part of it, of someone who was such a significant part of the Clippers’ rise to be able to bring it back. Whether this is his last year or not, that’s obviously Chris’ story in terms of what he feels and what he wants. But I think No. 1 is his ability to help impact winning.”

Frank also touched on a few other topics during his Zoom session:

Amir Coffey remains a free agent after appearing in 72 games with the Clippers last season. Jordan Miller, who starred in the Summer League for the Clippers, was waived earlier this month. Frank isn’t sure that the team will be able to bring back either player due to first apron concerns, Law Murray of The Athletic tweets. “If there’s an opportunity here, we’d love to be able to create it. If there isn’t, then we wish those guys nothing but the best,” Frank said.
Frank believes there’s more quality players than rotation spots on the current roster, according to Murray (Twitter link). “We’ll probably have a nine-man rotation… but you have 11 quality players,” he said.
The frontcourt, ball-handling and shooting were areas Frank was looking to upgrade this summer. He feels those goals have been achieved, Murray tweets. “I think we feel really, really good and excited about where we’re at, but you never stop,” he said. The Clippers traded for forward John Collins, signed guard Bradley Beal after he was bought out by Phoenix and also added veteran center Brook Lopez in free agency.

Free Agency Rumors: Monk, Pistons, Westbrook, Yabusele, Clippers

June 30th, 2025 at 10:24pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Pistons may be pursuing a trade for Kings guard Malik Monk, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (via Twitter). Dennis Schröder is expected to sign with Sacramento and could get there via a sign-and-trade deal that sends Monk to Detroit.

With Schröder expected to join the Kings and Malik Beasley‘s NBA future up in the air due to a gambling-related investigation, the Pistons have been scouring the trade and free agency markets for ball-handling, scoring, and shooting. The club already agreed to sign Caris LeVert and also has interest in free agent sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, as Fischer confirms (Twitter link).

Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal reports (via Twitter) that the Kings have been shopping Monk in the hopes of finding point guard help, and previously made an offer to the Hawks for Kobe Bufkin and Georges Niang, which Atlanta declined.

We have more free agent rumors from around the league:

The Knicks are unlikely to pursue Russell Westbrook with one of their remaining guard spots, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (via Twitter). It had previously been reported that there was mutual interest between the two sides, but with Jordan Clarkson set to sign with New York after clearing waivers, the pathway to playing time for Westbrook would be limited.
Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele appears increasingly unlikely to remain in Philadelphia, reports Tony Jones of the Athletic (via Twitter). The skilled French forward had a strong season in his return to the NBA after six years in the EuroLeague. He is expected to be pursued by the Spurs, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link), while Jones adds (via Twitter) that the Nuggets are another team to keep an eye on.
Jones also reports (via Twitter) that the Sixers have been trying to trade center Andre Drummond and his $5MM expiring salary, though it’s unclear whether that would change the team’s outlook for Yabusele.
Neither Amir Coffey nor Ben Simmons seems likely to return to the Clippers, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who suggests they could probably get better offers elsewhere. Simmons is seeking a deal worth more than the veteran’s minimum, Murray notes.

Clippers Rumors: Harden, Powell, Offseason, Eubanks, Batum, More

June 4th, 2025 at 7:36am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers guard James Harden, who holds a $36.3MM player option for the 2025/26 season, is “trending toward” declining that option, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

As Scotto explains, both the Clippers and Harden have interest in continuing their relationship, so if the 35-year-old opts out, the expectation is that the two sides would work out a new deal. According to Scotto, there’s a “growing belief” that Harden’s next contract will put him on the same timeline as star forward Kawhi Leonard, whose deal runs through the 2026/27 season.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Although Norman Powell will be extension-eligible this offseason and averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game in 2024/25, he isn’t considered a lock to sign a new contract with the Clippers in the coming months. As Scotto writes, Powell’s expiring $20.5MM contract could end up being useful as a salary-matching piece if Los Angeles makes a bigger trade at some point in ’25/26. The club also wants to maintain significant cap flexibility for the summer of 2027, Scotto reports. Currently, only center Ivica Zubac is owed guaranteed money beyond that point.
If the Clippers do pursue a deal for a high-priced star, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Derrick Jones are the other notable veterans whose contracts might come in handy for salary-matching, says Scotto. Bogdanovic will earn just over $16MM next season, while Jones will make $10MM.
If the Clippers don’t take a big swing this offseason, they’re expected to focus on adding another point guard, as well as a rim-protecting center to back up Zubac, according to Scotto, who notes that the club should have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to shop with in free agency.
L.A. isn’t expected to retain center Drew Eubanks, who has a non-guaranteed $4.75MM salary for 2025/26, but the team is counting on Nicolas Batum to return, per Scotto. Batum holds a $4.9MM player option. It remains to be seen how much interest the Clippers will have in re-signing unrestricted free agents Amir Coffey and Ben Simmons, Scotto adds.

Clippers Notes: Post-Deadline Expectations, Powell, Rotation, Zubac

February 22nd, 2025 at 9:37am CST by Earnest Marshall

The Clippers retooled their rotation at the deadline, bringing in Bogdan Bogdanovic, Drew Eubanks, Patty Mills and MarJon Beauchamp via trade while also adding Ben Simmons from the buyout market. With the new-look roster comes rejuvenated expectations for the stretch run of the season, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.

“It’s good for us to start over, I think offensively,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “[We need to] just to get better and do the things we need to do that’s necessary to win games. Just be better at executing what we’re trying to do. It’s going to take a little bit of time as far as rotations and how we play guys together and things like that. But from a basketball standpoint, I’m kind of excited about it.”

Bogdanovic and Simmons in particular have logged big minutes since arriving in Los Angeles, while Eubanks is also expected to play a modest role. Both Bogdanovic and Simmons have been effective off the bench. Simmons reportedly was deciding between the Clippers and the Cavaliers as he negotiated a buyout agreement with Brooklyn, ending up with Los Angeles in a sizable role.

“I’m excited man, I mean Ben brings a skill set that we don’t have other than myself, his passing ability and his speed pushing the ball in the offense to get guys involved,” teammate James Harden said.

The arrival of five new players isn’t the only reason the Clippers are operating under a renewed identity. Star Kawhi Leonard returned from an offseason knee injury and only topped the 30-minute mark for the first time on Feb. 6, Carr notes.

“I think every team needs to, wants to come out the All-Star break and be playing with [a high intensity],” Harden said. “If we want to get to where we want to go, the time is now. We added some shooting, we added some defense and obviously with a healthy Kawhi we’ve got a chance to compete with anybody. So, I think for us, it’s just finding out how we want to play and attacking it.”

We have more on the Clippers:

Guard Norman Powell was added to the Clippers’ injury report on Thursday with left knee soreness and went on to miss the contest against Milwaukee (Twitter links via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and The Athletic’s Law Murray). It marked Powell’s 10th missed game of the season. The Most Improved Player candidate will have to play at least 20 of the team’s remaining 27 contests to qualify for award consideration.
The absence of Powell and the ongoing integration of the newcomers had Lue searching for the right combination in the rotation on Thursday, Murray writes. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. are cycling in and out of the starting lineup while Amir Coffey earned a starting nod on Thursday in Powell’s place. Additionally, Murray opines that the team will need to optimize lineups involving Simmons. Lineups featuring both Simmons and Ivica Zubac struggled against Milwaukee.
In the same story, Murray notes that Zubac has been less involved in the fourth quarter than in the rest of the game as of late. The Clippers’ starting center didn’t attempt a field goal in the fourth against the Bucks, the fifth time in six games that’s occurred. Zubac said he’s “trying to figure it out” when it comes to his role in the offense in the fourth.

L.A. Notes: Clippers, Harden, Davis, Hachimura

January 25th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are built around their stars, but they also have a deep roster that’s capable of competing when their top players aren’t available, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. With six rotation members sidelined against the Celtics on Wednesday, L.A. managed to take the game into overtime before falling to the defending champions.

“We have four starters out and to be able to come out with the team that we had just shows how deep we are,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “It just shows you that guys deserve opportunities to play, but you can’t play 15 players. And so, it’s hard. But it definitely shows the job that (president of basketball operations) Lawrence Frank and (general manager) ‘Red’ (Trent Redden) and (assistant GM) Mark Hughes putting a team together that’s deep, that can step up and play when guys are out and we were able to see that tonight.”

Derrick Jones Jr., who signed with the Clippers over the summer after an NBA Finals run in Dallas, said he tries to create a “next man up” mentality among the team’s younger players so they’re ready when needed. That was evident against Boston as Kevin Porter Jr. scored 26 points and Amir Coffey added 24 as they both got a rare chance to start.

“I always tell ’em to be aggressive, be who you are. You are on the team for a reason, you in the NBA for a reason, so just go out there and be who you are,” Jones said. “Don’t shy away from no pressure, don’t shy away from no opportunity. Just go out there and take it in full force.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

James Harden returned to the Clippers‘ lineup on Thursday and notched his 79th career triple-double, passing Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time list, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “It means a lot, just impacting the game in other ways,” Harden said. “Scoring is one thing, but rebounding the basketball, facilitating is another thing. And just impacting the game. You don’t get to be the best player on the court by just scoring the basketball every single night. Obviously that helps, but there’s other ways to impact games and you’ve seen it throughout the course of history of the NBA. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
Lakers management is paying attention to Anthony Davis‘ request for another big man, Shams Charania of ESPN said on tonight’s NBA Countdown (Twitter video link). Charania expects the front office to be aggressive in shopping its first-round picks for 2029 and 2031 to try to add another piece or two before the deadline.
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura is missing tonight’s game against Golden State due to left calf soreness, tweets Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Jarred Vanderbilt made his season debut after recovering from offseason surgery, but coach J.J. Redick said Hachimura’s absence won’t affect Vanderbilt’s minutes, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Dorian Finney-Smith got the start in place of Hachimura.

Clippers’ Derrick Jones Out At Least Two Weeks With Hamstring Strain

December 10th, 2024 at 2:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Derrick Jones will be sidelined for at least a couple weeks after suffering a right hamstring strain, the team announced (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

Jones will be reevaluated in two weeks, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he misses additional time beyond that, given the nature of soft-tissue injuries.

According to Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points (Twitter link), Jones was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday’s game vs. Houston after experiencing soreness in the hamstring. He played 12 minutes in the loss.

Jones signed a three-year, $30MM contract with the Clippers over the offseason after playing a key role in helping Dallas make the NBA Finals last spring. He was off to a solid start in his first season in Los Angeles, averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .500/.417/.871 shooting through 25 games, all starts (25.0 MPG).

With Jones out, forwards Jordan Miller and Nicolas Batum saw an uptick in minutes vs. Houston. That figures to continue for at least the next two weeks.

In other injury news, James Harden (groin), Amir Coffey (shoulder contusion) and Mohamed Bamba (left knee) practiced today, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. All three players were sidelined on Sunday.

Head coach Tyronn Lue also provided an injury update on star forward Kawhi Leonard, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). Lue said that Leonard went through non-contact drills during Tuesday’s practice and he’ll remain out for Friday’s contest in Denver.

“He did offensive script, defensive work, just no contact. But he did pretty much everything else,” Lue said of Leonard (Twitter video link via McMenamin). “He looked good. He’s not playing this week but he’s getting better. … Just keep building up until he’s able to do contact. We’re not sure when that’s going to come.”

California Notes: Coffey, Moody, Curry, Wiggins, Lakers

November 24th, 2024 at 2:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After spending nearly three full seasons on two-way deals, Clippers guard Amir Coffey graduated to a regular roster role with the team late in the 2021/22 season, then inked a three-year, $11MM deal that summer. This year, Coffey has emerged as a critical role player on an injury-laden L.A. club, including starting multiple recent games.

As Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes, Coffey has been enjoying his bigger role this season. He’s averaging a career-best 10.1 points per game on .496/.450/.853 shooting, while also contributing 2.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 steals per contest.

“It felt good,” Coffey said of a Wednesday start in which he scored 18 points while shooting 6-of-10 from the field. “I try not to get into minutes-wise or coming off the bench or starting. I just try to do my job when my name is called, so I got it going early tonight.”

Coffey reflected on his journey from being a borderline NBA player on a tenuous two-way contract to a real contributor on a 10-7 club.

“The G League is a grind, it’s a lot,” Coffey said. “So, just getting over that hump and getting to this point I’m in now, it means a lot. Like you said, the unseen hours – it’s thousands of ’em – just working on your game every day, trying to get better every summer and to end up in a position. This is a blessing.”

There’s more out of California:

Warriors guard Moses Moody has learned how to best extract wisdom out of All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry, he tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “Steph is Steph,” Moody said. “He’s teaching and coaching with all the gems that he gives on the plane and in the locker room in conversations. He’s not going to offer it up for no reason if you don’t want it. He’s not going to force anything on you. But if you go ask him, he’ll open up and tell you whatever you want to hear. He’s smart. He knows what he’s doing in all aspects of life.” Moody inked a three-year, $39MM rookie scale contract extension with the Warriors last month that will kick in next season.
Early signs seem to point to a bounce-back season for Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. An extended illness to his father, former NBA wing Mitchell Wiggins, forced Andrew to miss time in each of the last two seasons, and appeared to somewhat impact his rhythm on the court. Mitchell passed in September at 64. “The last couple of years have been very tough on him on a personal level,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Andrew. “I think he has some peace of mind. He came into camp in great shape.” Wiggins seems to have regained his perimeter defensive acumen, plus his scoring upside. Across 14 games this season for the West’s top-seeded Warriors, Wiggins is averaging 17.4 points per game on .477/.408/.770 shooting.
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura returned to the starting lineup after a four-game injury absence due to a left ankle sprain, but it did nothing to save L.A. from the opponent that has been its Achilles heel the last several years, the Nuggets, on Saturday, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Los Angeles led at halftime, but collapsed in the third frame. “We were in a good rhythm and then we kind of relaxed for some reason,” Hachimura said. “And the third quarter, they just played harder. And we didn’t fight back. That was the game.” Denver decimated Los Angeles at home, 127-102. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Nuggets have won 12 of their past 13 encounters with the Lakers, which includes two playoff meetings in successive seasons.

Pacific Notes: Booker, Davis, Curry, Coffey

November 5th, 2024 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Devin Booker is experiencing wild swings in performance. The Suns guard earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors but now finds himself in a shooting slump, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes.

Over the last two games, Booker is 12-of-41 from the field while making just two of 16 3-point tries. Booker’s shooting hasn’t affected Phoenix’s bottom line — it has won five straight.

“You just flush it,” Booker said. “Thankfully, it came in a win. That’s what the game’s about, but obviously frustrated. Just missing shots I feel I can make.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers have listed Anthony Davis as questionable to play at Memphis on Wednesday, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Davis is dealing with a left heel contusion, an injury he aggravated in a loss to Detroit on Monday. The nine-time All-Star is averaging a league-best 32.6 points per game.
Stephen Curry returned on Monday from a three-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. The Warriors superstar contributed 24 points and six assists in 24 minutes in a road win over Washington. He was on a minutes limit but coach Steve Kerr believes Curry will see more court time against Boston on Wednesday. “Assuming he feels good, I don’t anticipate a big minutes restriction in Boston,” Kerr said, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
The Clippers posted their first win in their new home, the Intuit Dome, by defeating the Spurs on Monday. Amir Coffey delivered his best outing of the season with 21 points, making all but one of his six 3-point attempts. “Tonight was Amir’s night,” coach Tyronn Lue said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. Coffey needs to have more nights like that — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Clippers Notes: Harden, Game 5 Loss, Leonard, Coffey

May 2nd, 2024 at 3:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers guard James Harden drew praise for his strong play in the first four games of the team’s first-round series with Dallas.

However, in Wednesday’s 30-point home loss, the 34-year-old turned in the latest in a lengthy history of dreadful playoff performances, going 2-of-12 from the field and scoring just seven points in 33 minutes, per Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Harden did not speak to the media after the game, notes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

As Hernandez writes, Harden wasn’t the only Clipper who played poorly, with Paul George (15 points on 4-of-13 shooting) and Russell Westbrook (six points on 2-of-11 shooting) struggling as well. But L.A. obviously needs more from Harden, who will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, if it hopes to advance.

According to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post (Twitter link), Harden now has 13 playoff games shooting 20% or worse on 10-plus shot attempts, which is the most in NBA history since the league implemented the three-pointer in 1979/80. Westbrook is third on the list with nine.

The Clippers now trail the series 3-2 and are facing a potential elimination game in Dallas on Friday.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Prior to Wednesday’s Game 5, head coach Tyronn Lue said the Clippers were still uncertain about when Kawhi Leonard might be able to return to action, tweets Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “We’re not sure when he’s coming back,” Lue said. “It’s a day-to-day thing. When he’s feeling good and medical says he’s cleared to go, then that’s when we’ll go. Right now, we’re just focused on tonight.” Leonard, who has been battling right knee inflammation and clearly wasn’t 100% in his two postseason appearances, appears unlikely to be ready for Game 6, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link via FanDuelTV’s Run It Back show).
Despite the disappointing effort in Game 5, Lue noted the Clips have a recent history of winning on the Mavs’ home floor in the playoffs, including Game 4, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “We’ve shown that past two playoff series,” Lue said of being able to win in Dallas. “We were down 3-2 [in 2021]. We didn’t play our best game and we understand that. I think we all understand that collectively. So we’ll be better for Game 6.”
While the Clippers are certainly capable of winning two straight games to advance to the second round, the Mavericks have played with much more urgency to this point in the series and look hungry to advance, according to Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group. That doesn’t bode well for L.A.’s chances in Game 6 in Dallas, says Swanson.
He hasn’t posted impressive numbers in the series, but Lue said wing Amir Coffey has gained confidence starting in place of Leonard, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. “He’s always been able to attack in transition. He can make a shot,” Lue said. “… He can defend. He can defend multiple positions. So, just his confidence, I think his growth, understanding the NBA game, understanding what we need from him on a nightly basis, and he’s grown, and he’s gotten better and better. So, it’s just good to see that he could finally be in the rotation and get consistent minutes too.”

Pacific Notes: Leonard, George, Allen, Warriors

April 20th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has decided on his fifth starter if Kawhi Leonard isn’t available for Sunday’s series opener against Dallas, according to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Lue didn’t reveal the name, but Carr speculates it will be Amir Coffey, who started 13 games this season, often as Leonard’s replacement.

Leonard is still officially listed as questionable with inflammation in his right knee that has sidelined him since March 31. He was expected to take part in shooting drills at today’s practice with more movement than he did on Friday, but he still hasn’t participated in anything involving full contact since the knee began flaring up.

Lue said he’s not counting on any one player to slow down the high-powered Mavericks’ attack led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

“It’s on all of us. It’s not just one player or two players, it’s all of us collectively doing our jobs and doing it the best we can do,” Lue said. “It’s not on one or two guys, it’s on everybody to produce, as well as me and the coaching staff.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Paul George believes bad injury luck has prevented the Clippers from reaching their potential in the playoffs, Carr adds. George is making his return to the postseason after missing last season’s series with Phoenix due to a sprained knee. “Injuries happen. That’s part of the game (and there’s) no way of really avoiding it,” he said. “So, as much as chemistry and being on the floor together and playing the best basketball you could possibly play at this point of the season, a lot of it has to do with luck, too.”
X-rays were negative for Suns guard Grayson Allen, who left today’s game with an ankle injury, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Coach Frank Vogel told reporters that Allen has been diagnosed with a sprain. His availability for Tuesday’s Game 2 will depend on how he responds to treatment.
The Warriors will need to be aggressive on the trade market to have another chance at a title during the Stephen Curry era, writes Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Kroichick suggests making a run at Karl-Anthony Towns if the Timberwolves are knocked out of the playoffs early or possibly Dejounte Murray if the Hawks decide to break up their backcourt. He lists Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Pacers forward Pascal Siakam and Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram as others who might be obtainable.