The Clippers are still trying to figure out who will fill their backup center role, and a latest report has unearthed a name.
The Los Angeles Clippers have had a pretty muted free agency period, outside of the recent signing of guard John Wall. They were able to retain forwards Nicolas Batum and Amir Coffey while extending center Ivica Zubac and forward Robert Covington. But it wasn’t all roses for the team. After all, they did lose backup center Isaiah Hartenstein to the New York Knicks.
According to a report by Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Clippers appear to be filling that hole left by the departing Hartenstein by tossing an offer towards center Moses Brown.
The Los Angeles Clippers have extended an offer to free agent center Moses Brown, league sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) July 9, 2022
It’s obviously very early in the process, so we have no idea what type of contract was offered. The Clippers, as things stand, possess only one open guaranteed roster spot and one open two-way roster spot. The other two-way spot went to second round pick Moussa Diabaté. Brown could also be getting a training camp invite to fight for the remaining open guaranteed roster spot, as Hartenstein and Harry Giles III did last season.
Brown, 22, averaged 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds across 40 games last season, but only saw 8.6 minutes per game as he split time with the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Brown did average 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds, plus 1.1 blocks, in 21.4 minutes per game with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2020-21 season.
The 7-foot-2 Brown provides size, athleticism and rebounding. He would also be another player that the Clippers bring in that’s young and can seemingly grow within their player development system, as Hartenstein did this past season.
Brown had previously occupied a two-way roster spot with the Cavaliers before having his contract converted to a standard deal towards the end of this past regular season. Brown is currently an unrestricted free agent after the Cavaliers did not extend him a qualifying offer.
Should Brown latch on with the Clippers, it would bring him back to Los Angeles where he starred at UCLA for one season, finishing his freshman campaign with averages of 9.7 points and 8.3 rebounds.
This breaking news story may be updated with more information and analysis as it continues to develop.