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]
Kobe Sanders Receives Standard Contract From Clippers
The Clippers have promoted two-way player Kobe Sanders to a standard contract, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Sanders’ new deal will be a two-year, minimum-salary contract that features a team option for 2026/27.
The 23-year-old shooting guard has become a productive member of L.A.’s rotation in his first NBA season. Through 43 games, he’s averaging 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.5 minutes per night with .448/.381/.814 shooting numbers.
Sanders agreed to the two-way contract after being selected with the 50th pick in last year’s draft. The Clippers acquired him in a draft night trade with New York.
With just 13 players holding standard contracts, L.A. was nearing its “under-15” limit for two-way players to be active. 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.
Sanders’ promotion and the expected signing of Dalano Banton to a 10-day contract will remove that concern, at least through the All-Star break.
When Banton’s 10-day deal expires, the Clippers will have to re-fill that 15th roster spot to ensure two-way player Jordan Miller can remain active — Miller himself could be promoted into that spot.
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.
Spencer Jones Among Two-Way Players Nearing Active-Game Limit
Second-year forward Spencer Jones has emerged as a key part of the Nuggets‘ rotation this season, starting 31 games and averaging 23.5 minutes per night for the Western Conference’s No. 3 team. However, Jones’ two-way contract only allows him to be eligible for up to 50 regular season games and he’s just three away from that limit — he has appeared in 43 contests and was a DNP-CD in four more early in the season.
While the Nuggets have let Jones and his representatives know that they want to promote him to the standard roster, the 24-year-old is also aware he may run out of games before that happens, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).
“You want to figure out, where you’ve got a championship push, everything you need to make that push. So yeah, I always knew the decision wasn’t going to be until the (trade) deadline, (that it) won’t be decided until around then,” Jones said. “I may run out of games before then. So they’ve mentioned the possibility of sitting out one or two just ’cause. So we’ll see how it pans out.”
Denver has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so the front office could convert Jones’ contract today without making a corresponding move. However, the Nuggets will likely want to hold that spot open for a few more days to maximize their roster flexibility at the trade deadline.
The Nuggets are also operating above the luxury tax line by about $400K and have reportedly made it a priority to finish this season as a non-taxpayer. That means Jones might have to wait for his promotion until after Denver makes a move to shed a little salary.
If they were to trade one of their lowest-paid players without taking back any salary, the Nuggets could sign Jones and remain below the tax line due to the gap between a full-season and prorated salary. For instance, Hunter Tyson‘s deal features a $2,221,677 cap hit, whereas a minimum-salary contract for Jones would count for just $871K as of February 6 (Denver could also use a portion of its mid-level exception to sign Jones for more than the minimum).
“Whatever happens with Spence, he’ll be fine. What he’s done and what he’s put on tape is a professional basketball player that belongs in a rotation,” head coach David Adelman said. “And he’s earned it. … We’ll figure it out. What that means, I don’t know. And those are Ben (Tenzer) and Jon (Wallace) questions; we’ll have that conversation with them. But we’ll do the best we can do for (Jones) and for the whole roster as we go forward.”
As Durando points out (via Twitter), Jones got a bit of a reprieve when the Nuggets had a game postponed last Sunday and rescheduled for March. But Denver still plays four times between now and next Thursday’s deadline, so if the club isn’t ready to promote Jones until after the deadline, he’ll have to sit out one of those four contests.
There are several other two-way players around the NBA who are nearing their active game limits. Here are the players who are within 10 of the limit, with the number of games they have remaining noted in parentheses:
- Chris Youngblood, Thunder (2)
- Pat Spencer, Warriors (3)
- Jabari Walker, Sixers (3)
- Note: The Sixers have reached their limit of 90 “under-15” two-way games and must maintain a full 15-man standard roster to use their two-way players.
- Daniss Jenkins, Pistons (4)
- Johnny Juzang, Timberwolves (4)
- Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Cavaliers (5)
- Sidy Cissoko, Trail Blazers (7)
- JD Davison, Rockets (8)
- Ryan Nembhard, Mavericks (9)
- Caleb Love, Trail Blazers (10)
- Kobe Sanders, Clippers (10)
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: Durant, Suns, Sanders, Kerr, Kuminga
Playing against his former team on Monday, Rockets forward Kevin Durant secured a victory for his current team by making a game-winning three-pointer with one second left in the fourth quarter. He admitted to reporters after the victory that being able to deliver that dagger against the Suns made the moment more meaningful, per Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press.
“Most definitely,” Durant said. “A place that I didn’t want to leave. My first time — I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but I will — to be kicked out of a place.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems they had. And it hurt because I put all my effort and love and care towards the Suns and the Phoenix area and Arizona in general. But that’s just the business, that’s the name of the game. So, when you play against a (former) team, yeah you got a chip on your shoulder.”
The Suns, whose “big three” of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal never meshed like they hoped, began discussing possible KD trades ahead of last season’s trade deadline, which was news to Durant. He helped nix those talks by making it clear he had no interest in returning to Golden State, then put Houston on his list of preferred destinations when the Suns renewed those trade efforts in the summer.
“It’s nothing but love for the players, but I want to beat that team,” he said on Monday. “I want to show them that I still got some juice in the tank. Even though I’m old, I still can play. I feel like every player has that mentality playing against their former team. I don’t think it’s malicious in any way towards them. But just as a competitor, you want to go out there and beat them.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Clippers rookie Kobe Sanders made his fourth career start on Monday with James Harden out due to shoulder stiffness and set or matched career highs in points (20), rebounds (seven), and minutes (36). Sanders, who has now been active for 29 games, has made a strong case for a promotion from his two-way contract to the standard roster and is earning praise from head coach Tyronn Lue in the process, writes Beth Harris of The Associated Press. “His poise, his ability to understand what we’re doing defensively and offensively, and just getting more and more confident,” Lue said of what has impressed him about the 2025 second-rounder.
- Monday’s one-point loss to the Clippers was a frustrating one for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who received two technical fouls and was ejected after disputing multiple referee decisions, including a no-call that crew chief Brian Forte acknowledged after the game should have been a goaltending violation, per Anthony Slater of ESPN. Veteran assistant Terry Stotts coached the team following Kerr’s ejection, then took Kerr’s place during the post-game media session. “I’m up here because I’m saving Steve some money,” Stotts explained.
- Monday’s game was the ninth in a row that Jonathan Kuminga didn’t play, including his seventh DNP-CD during that stretch. Asked after the game about whether he thinks Kuminga’s nonexistent role and uncertain future are weighing on his Warriors teammate, Jimmy Butler quickly replied, “Nope, not at all,” and referred to Kuminga as his “friend” and brother” (Twitter video link via Slater). “I tell JK, you be a pro of all pros,” Butler said. “Come here and get your work done. Smile and have a good time. Because you’re still an NBA player (and) one of the best people in the world. I’m not even talking about basketball. So you keep smiling and you keep being the great human being that you are.”