Clippers Promote Jordan Miller To Standard Roster
3:03 pm: The Clippers have officially signed Miller to a new standard contract, the team confirmed.
10:38 am: After elevating Kobe Sanders from his two-way contract to their 15-man roster earlier this month, the Clippers will take the same route with another two-way standout, forward Jordan Miller. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Miller has agreed to sign a new two-year standard contract with the team.
The 48th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Miller didn’t play much during his first two NBA seasons, appearing in just 45 games and averaging 10.0 minutes per night. However, the 26-year-old began to receive regular rotation minutes for L.A. in mid-December and has since emerged as a reliable contributor.
Miller has appeared in each of the Clippers’ last 29 games and the club has gone 20-9 during that time. In his past 18 outings, the 6’5″ wing has averaged 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 25.9 minutes per game while making 52.6% of his shots from the floor.
Miller still had 15 games of eligibility left on his two-way contract, but the Clippers have nearly reached their “under-15” limit for two-way players. Teams are only permitted to use players on two-way contracts for a total of 90 combined games as long as they’re carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts — L.A. is at 88, per Spotrac.
In other words, the Clippers would’ve needed to keep their 15th roster spot filled in order to continue using Miller anyway, so the team has opted to simply promote him into that opening. L.A. will now have a pair of two-way slots open and will be able to activate whichever players fill those openings without worrying about the under-15 rule.
As for Miller, he’ll receive a minimum-salary contract that includes a team option for 2026/27, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). His exact rest-of-season salary – and the Clippers’ accompanying cap hit – will depend on when the team officially completes the signing, but if it happens today, both figures would be $712,637.
Clippers Sign Dalano Banton To 10-Day Contract
February 8: Banton’s 10-day contract was finalized on Saturday, according to the official transactions log at NBA.com.
February 7: The Clippers plan to sign free agent guard Dalano Banton to a 10-day contract, according to reports from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links).
The Raptors selected Toronto native Banton with the 46th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He played two years for his hometown team and then spent the following two seasons with Boston and Portland.
In 216 games from 2021-25, Banton averaged 6.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .402/.304/.728 shooting (14.5 minutes per contest). At 6’8″, Banton has great size for a guard, but struggled with efficiency over the course of his first four years in the league.
Banton was unable to find a regular NBA contract as a free agent in 2025, instead inking an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with Dallas in October prior to being waived. He has been playing in the G League with Mavs’ affiliate team, the Dallas Legends.
The 26-year-old has put up big numbers with a high usage rate in the NBAGL this season, averaging 24.2 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .441/.325/.821 shooting in 32 total games (32.7 MPG).
The Clippers had a pair of standard roster openings after making three trades prior to Thursday’s deadline. Banton will, at least temporarily, fill one of those spots. Assuming Banton’s 10-day deal is finalized prior to Sunday’s game at Minnesota, his contract will expire over the All-Star break.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter), the Clippers are nearing their “under-15” limit for two-way players — a team carrying fewer than 15 players on its standard roster can only use players on two-way contracts for up to 90 combined games. Signing Banton as a 14th man and then filling the 15th roster spot would allow L.A. to continue deploying both Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller beyond Saturday’s game (one of the two could be promoted into that 15th spot).
[Update: Kobe Sanders Receives Standard Contract From Clippers]
Chris Paul To Raptors, Ochai Agbaji To Nets In Three-Team Deal
February 5: The three-team trade is now official, according to the Nets (Twitter link), who have waived veteran wing Haywood Highsmith in order to create a roster spot for Agbaji.
As Gozlan tweets, Brooklyn now has about $8.9MM in cap room remaining and also still has its $8.8MM room exception, which could be used to absorb another salary in a deadline deal.
February 4: The Clippers, Raptors, and Nets are in agreement on a three-team trade that will send guard Chris Paul from Los Angeles to Toronto, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links).
Fourth-year forward Ochai Agbaji is headed from Toronto to Brooklyn in the deal, along with the Raptors’ 2032 second-round pick, says Charania. The Clippers will receive the draft rights to 2019 second-rounder Vanja Marinkovic from the Nets, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), and will send $3.5MM in cash to Brooklyn, per NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
The Raptors won’t require Paul to report to the team, according to Charania, who suggests the veteran point guard may be flipped to another club before Thursday’s deadline. If not, he’ll likely be waived.
It’s a cost-cutting move for both the Clippers and Raptors. The Clippers will open up an extra roster spot and create breathing room below their hard cap, which they’ll likely use to promote two-way players Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders to standard contracts. Toronto, meanwhile, will duck below the tax line by swapping out Agbaji’s expiring $6.4MM contract for Paul and his $2.3MM cap hit, creating a $6.4MM trade exception in the process.
The Nets will take advantage of being the NBA’s only team with cap room by taking on a half-season of Agbaji, receiving more than enough cash to cover his remaining salary, and adding another second-round pick to their sizable collection of draft assets in the process. Acquiring Agbaji will bring Brooklyn’s cap room below $9MM, though the team would also have the option of using its $15MM+ in room in a separate deal, then absorbing the Raptors forward using its room exception.
The Nets have a full 15-man roster, so they’ll need to trade or waive a player to create room for Agbaji.
The Clippers announced over two months ago that they were “parting ways” with Paul, who wasn’t a good cultural fit, but that just meant he’d no longer be around the team, not that he was off the roster. L.A. didn’t want to waive him since it would mean eating his guaranteed salary and leaving his $2.3MM cap hit on the team’s books, compromising the front office’s ability to make additional moves around the edges of the roster.
L.A. will now have about $3.4MM below its first-apron hard cap along with a pair of open roster spots, notes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter links). Toronto will be roughly $3.1MM below the tax line and will also have two openings on its standard 15-man roster.
Trade Rumors: Bulls, Dosunmu, Allen, Missi, Rockets, Pelicans, More
There have been some “tangible” discussions this week between the Bulls and Pacers about a possible trade involving Ayo Dosunmu and Bennedict Mathurin, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, after Chicago agreed to trades for guards Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons on Tuesday, it’s unclear whether the team still has interest in Mathurin, who is also on the Pelicans‘ radar.
According to Fischer, the Bulls also explored multiple trade scenarios involving Nikola Vucevic before agreeing to a Simons trade with Boston, including offering Vucevic and a future first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Jarrett Allen. That’s a deal Cleveland wouldn’t have been able to make without ducking the second tax apron, since Vucevic’s $21.5MM cap hit comes in a little above Allen’s $20MM figure.
Whether due to the apron restrictions or simply a lack of interest, Cleveland turned down the offer, per Fischer, who adds that the Pacers are another team that has registered interest in Allen.
While the Bulls may not have a viable path to acquiring Allen, they remain very much in the mix for Pelicans center Yves Missi, reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. According to Siegel, New Orleans has continued to seek a first-round pick in exchange for Missi, but no team has been willing to meet that asking price so far.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Speaking of the Bulls, it’s worth keeping an eye on whether they end up flipping Mike Conley in a separate trade after acquiring him from Minnesota on Tuesday, Fischer writes. There have been rumblings that if Conley is traded again and then waived, the Timberwolves would have interest in bringing him back on a minimum-salary deal. That wouldn’t be possible if Chicago waives Conley directly due to NBA rules about a traded player rejoining his previous team.
- The Rockets have been connected to Bulls guard Coby White, among other targets, with forward Dorian Finney-Smith viewed as a possible trade candidate, but Siegel hears that Houston likes its roster and would be content to stand pat at the trade deadline — or to make a smaller move or two involving minimum-salary or near-minimum players. Forward Tari Eason, who will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, has drawn significant interest, but the Rockets aren’t interested in moving him, Siegel adds.
- Sources tell ClutchPoints that the Pelicans have received offers that include multiple first-round picks for both Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones, but they still haven’t seriously entertained the idea of trading either player. It remains very possible that New Orleans maintains its high asking prices for Murphy and Jones and keeps both players through the deadline, despite significant league-wide interest in them, Siegel writes.
- The Clippers continue to seek potential takers for Chris Paul and Kobe Brown, Siegel reports, since moving those players would help create breathing room under the hard cap – and room on the roster – to promote Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders from their two-way deals to standard contracts.
- Recognizing that whether or not he’s traded this week is “something that’s out of my control,” Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. says he’s at peace with whatever happens, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. For what it’s worth though, Lewis writes in a separate subscriber-only story that more and more league sources believe Porter will ultimately end up remaining in Brooklyn through this Thursday’s deadline.
Pacific Notes: LeBron, Sabonis, Suns, Clippers
Lakers star LeBron James was moved to tears watching a tribute video during the first quarter of Wednesday’s blowout loss in Cleveland, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The video showed highlights of James’ performance with the Cavaliers during Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals, when he scored 48 points — including the team’s final 25 — in a double overtime victory.
“I think it just comes from just being present. I was just more present today than I’ve been [in past trips to Cleveland],” James said. “[It] definitely got to me a little bit, for sure.”
After the defeat, James admitted he wasn’t sure whether or not it was final game in Cleveland, McMenamin notes.
“I’m just trying to take everything in, not take the moments for granted,” James said. “Because it could be [my last season]. I obviously haven’t made a decision on the future, but it very well could be.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Kings big man Domantas Sabonis knows his name has popped up in trade rumors again this season, but he tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee he’s doing his best to tune out the speculation. “There’s nothing you can do,” Sabonis said. “You just try to ignore it. I’m here right now, and we’re just trying to go out there and play as well as we can.” The three-time All-Star conceded the rumors feels “different” now that he’s married with three children and owns a home in the Napa Valley, along with a wine brand. “It’s definitely different this time,” Sabonis said. “I’ve got kids, so you’ve got to think about that, but on the court it’s the same thing. I forget everything once I’m in between those lines and the goal is just to help your team win.”
- The Suns aren’t expected to make major roster changes ahead of the February 5 trade deadline, as they reportedly “love” the chemistry they’ve established this season under first-year head coach Jordan Ott. “We have people in place in leadership to take care of a lot of that stuff,” Ott said earlier this week, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “We know it’s right around the corner, but we love our group. We love our group. We continue to say that. Our group is growing internally. Our big piece we’re going to get back is Jalen Green and that’s what we’re excited about.” Green returned to action on Friday against Cleveland after missing three games due to hamstring tightness.
- Law Murray of The Athletic examines the Clippers‘ deadline approach, writing that L.A. could use a play-making combo guard who can get in the paint, make shots and push the ball in transition while being passable on defense. If the Clippers look for significant roster upgrades rather than just clearing roster spots to promote Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders, Brook Lopez, Derrick Jones Jr., Bogdan Bogdanovic and Cam Christie could be trade candidates, Murray writes.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, James, Clippers, Brooks
Many factors will go into any trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but among realistic suitors, the Warriors could have the cleanest path to putting together a compelling trade package, writes ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Marks looks at 11 teams who could potentially make a move for the Bucks’ star. Among those 11, he has the Warriors and Pistons tied for the lowest degree of difficulty in terms of making an enticing offer due to the two teams’ combination of young players, salary-matching contracts, and available draft picks.
He notes that Jimmy Butler‘s two-year, $111MM contract would be required in any deal for Antetokounmpo, and that the Warriors could then include Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, four first-round picks (including one in this year’s loaded draft) and up to three pick swaps. Such a deal would require taking back either Bobby Portis or Kyle Kuzma, whom the Bucks would likely be interested in moving off.
While Antetokounmpo’s preference will likely come into play in any deal, the number of picks the Warriors can offer should appeal to the Bucks. By comparison the Heat can only offer two first-rounders starting in 2030, while the Knicks can’t trade a first-round selection until the offseason outside of a protected Wizards 2026 pick that is unlikely to convey.
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- LeBron James is almost certain to stay with the Lakers through this trade deadline, but some in his circle have speculated he could play another season in the NBA somewhere outside of Los Angeles, reports Shams Charania for ESPN (YouTube video link). “If he does actually play one more season, there is definitely chatter,” Sharania said. “Where could that be? Could that be in Cleveland? Where could that be? Could it be back in L.A.?” Charania emphasized that James’ focus at present is playing out the year with the Lakers, who will be active trying to improve the team at the trade deadline.
- With Patrick Baldwin Jr.‘s 10-day deal having expired, the under-15 clock is back on for the Clippers, notes Spotrac’s Keith Smith (via Twitter). This rule prevents a team from having its two-way players active for more than 90 combined games while carrying fewer than 15 players on its standard roster. Unless the team re-adds a 15th man, Los Angeles has just five more games in which both Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller can be active. Converting one of the two of them to a standard contract after the trade deadline could solve the issue, with Miller looking the more likely candidate for a promotion. The third-year wing has averaged 14.3 points in 28.5 minutes per game over his last 10 games.
- A technical foul that Dillon Brooks received in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game between the Suns and Nets, the NBA announced (Twitter link). This puts Brooks at a league-leading 14 technicals for the season, one ahead of the Lakers’ Luka Doncic, which means he’s still two techs away from a one-game suspension.
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Sabonis, Suns
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and his expiring $18.3MM contract are considered available as Los Angeles scours the market for help on the wing, according to reports from Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The team has also dangled Gabe Vincent ($11.5MM) and Maxi Kleber ($11MM) on the trade market, Scotto notes.
Turner and Scotto provide a long list of names viewed as potential Lakers targets, including Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey, Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and several players who have previously been linked to L.A., like Herbert Jones, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga.
According to Turner, Hachimura’s strong play as of late has increased his trade value while also potentially making him less expendable for the Lakers. Turner confirms that second-year wing Dalton Knecht is another potential trade candidate to watch, as Marc Stein reported in the past 24 hours.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- The red-hot Clippers aren’t looking to trade Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, or Ivica Zubac, but John Collins isn’t off limits, according to Turner. Sources tell the L.A. Times that acquiring a pick-and-roll oriented point guard and creating room on the roster to promote two-way players Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller are among the Clippers’ goals at the trade deadline.
- The Kings have had discussions with some teams about the possibility of packaging DeMar DeRozan and Ellis together in a trade, sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto also checks in on the Domantas Sabonis situation, reporting that at least one team was told Sacramento would be seeking at least one first-round pick in return for the big man. In talks with the Raptors about Sabonis, RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji have been discussed, but the Kings are resistant to taking on the pricey long-term contracts of Jakob Poeltl and/or Immanuel Quickley, Scotto adds.
- Confirming reporting from the Arizona Republic, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) says the Suns are on the lookout for an upgrade at power forward, in the hopes of finding a player who can provide more “scoring punch” than current starter Royce O’Neale. However, Phoenix isn’t just looking for a short-term rental, per Fischer, who writes that the front office will be mindful of the long-term price and fit of any acquisition.
Clippers Rumors: Sanders, Miller, Paul, Brown, Zubac, Collins, More
One of the Clippers‘ primary goals at the trade deadline will be to create the roster and cap flexibility necessary to promote Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller from their two-way contracts to the standard roster, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
The Clippers are currently operating about $1.15MM below their first-apron hard cap, with 14 players on full-season standard contracts (Patrick Baldwin Jr. is on a 10-day deal). They’ll need to move off of at least one of those 14 players in order to create roster space for both Sanders and Miller, who are nearing their active-game limits.
Point guard Chris Paul and forward Kobe Brown are the top trade candidates to watch, Azarly writes. While waiving either player would open up a roster spot, it would leave that player’s full salary on the Clippers’ books. Moving off of Paul’s or Brown’s contract in a trade would be necessary to create enough breathing room below the hard cap to sign both Sanders and Miller to new deals sooner rather than later.
For what it’s worth, the Clippers have already used their full mid-level exception and don’t have a bi-annual exception this season after using it in 2024/25. That means that if they want to offer Sanders or Miller a salary worth more than the minimum, they would need to use their $2.68MM disabled player exception, which can only be used for a one-year contract. A minimum-salary offer would be capped at two years.
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Azarly adds the Hornets to the list of teams that have inquired on Ivica Zubac but says the Clippers haven’t shown any real interest in moving their starting center. Sources tell ClutchPoints that one team put an unprotected first-round pick and a pick swap in an offer for Zubac, but didn’t get anywhere in negotiations.
- Although the Clippers had some talks earlier in the season about big man John Collins, they’re less interested in moving him at this point, Azarly writes. Collins has played well during the team’s recent hot streak, averaging 15.6 points in 28.1 minutes per game on .675/.635/.792 shooting in his past 14 outings.
- Azarly says the Clippers aren’t “actively shopping” veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, though I’d be surprised if the team isn’t very much open to the idea of trading him. Bogdanovic has been limited to 16 games and hasn’t played since December 26 due to health issues, and is averaging career lows in several categories, including points per game (8.0) and field goal percentage (37.6%).
- Hornets guard Collin Sexton, Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, and Bulls guard Coby White have each been linked to the Clippers in recent days, per Azarly, who notes that the club could use another ball-handler and play-maker to help out James Harden and Kawhi Leonard on offense.
Clippers Sign Patrick Baldwin To 10-Day Contract
3:53 pm: Baldwin’s 10-day contract is official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
12:13 pm: The Clippers intend to sign forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. to a 10-day contract, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (via Twitter).
It doesn’t sound like the signing will happen immediately. According to Murray, the expectation is that Baldwin will join the team for Monday’s game in Washington. The Clippers play the Raptors in Toronto on Friday night before getting Saturday and Sunday off.
The 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Baldwin has appeared in 93 regular season games for the Warriors, Wizards, and Clippers since making his NBA debut. He finished last season on a two-way contract with L.A. and rejoined the team for training camp before being waived at the end of the preseason.
So far in 2025/26, Baldwin has played for the San Diego Clippers, L.A.’s G League affiliate. In 17 NBAGL contests, the forward – whose height is now listed at 7’0″, has averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals in 33.9 minutes per game, with a .546/.321/.652 shooting line.
The Clippers have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Baldwin. He’ll carry a cap hit of $131,970, which will move the club to within about $1.15MM of its first-apron hard cap.
As Murray points out (via Twitter), carrying a full 15-man roster for 10 days will give the Clippers some extra flexibility with two-way players Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller. While a player on a two-way contract is permitted to be active for up to 50 regular season games, a team carrying fewer than 15 players on standard deals can’t use more than 90 combined active games for its two-way players.
As long as the Clippers have a 15th man under contract, they could have Sanders, Miller, and TyTy Washington Jr. active without any of those games being considered an “under-15” game and counting toward the team’s 90-game limit. Those games would still count toward each player’s individual limit.
So far this season, the Clippers have used 74 total active games for five two-way players: Sanders, Miller, Washington, Jahmyl Telfort, and RayJ Dennis. Telfort and Dennis have since been waived.
Pacific Notes: Booker, Brooks, Hayes, Miller
Suns guard Devin Booker isn’t getting any love from the fans in terms of All-Star voting. The latest returns have Booker ranked 17th among vote-getters in the Western Conference.
Booker isn’t particularly surprised, even though he’s having a strong season. He’s averaging 25.3 points and 6.4 assists per game.
“There are some super big market teams,” he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “There are guys from different countries that have a whole country behind them. I kind of understand the process, but am I playing better than a lot of guys? For sure, but that’s not the setup.”
Teammate Grayson Allen feels Booker is being slighted by the voting public.
“He is the engine for our team,” Allen said. “Everyone knows he can score the ball, but this year, his play-making has been great. Assists, hockey assists, everything, he is the head of the snake for our team. We’ve surprised a lot of people this year and being the best player on this team, we’re not successful without him. Maybe the team success will help him out. I don’t know. I feel like he’s done enough individually to make it every year.”
Booker has made the All-Star team four times in his career.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Suns wing Dillon Brooks is two technical fouls away from a league-imposed one game suspension. Brooks picked up his 14th technical foul against Miami on Tuesday. Brooks’ latest infraction came when he shoved Heat forward Norman Powell (YouTube video link). An automatic suspension is issued when a player reaches 16 technicals and he receives an additional suspension for every two technicals he receives after reaching that threshold. No other NBA player has more than nine techs at this point.
- Jaxson Hayes underwent an MRI on his left hamstring on Tuesday, according to Lakers coach JJ Redick. Hayes told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link) on his way into the arena that he has experienced tightness in the hamstring for more than a week. Hayes, who played 19 minutes against Sacramento on Monday, hopes to be back in the lineup as soon as next game if the MRI comes back clean.
- Clippers two-way player Jordan Miller is doing his best to earn a standard contract. His minutes have spiked in the last five games and he’s averaged 11.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during that stretch, including a 21-point outing against Brooklyn and a 14-point performance against Charlotte. “I know what I’m capable of,” Miller told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “I played Summer League twice, got first-team honors, so it’s just like going out there and showing everybody like, ‘I belong here now.’ That’s really the theme of the year this year. It’s just like, show everybody you belong.”