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Eight MLE Targets for the Clippers in Free Agency
Finding targets for the full mid-level exception (which starts at $14.2M and can run for up to four years) is difficult in the modern NBA. Most of the top free agents in this class aren’t really free agents, as they have player options they will likely use or are restricted free agents their teams will re-sign. There’s a tier of guys who fit the actual mid-level range, and then players who are much more towards the non-taxpayer MLE ($10M), biannual exception ($5M), or minimum ($3M) level. However, teams can split up their mid-level exception, so the Clippers could break their MLE up into two different players, or even three.
Here are some players that I could see the Clippers using their mid-level exception on, considering fit, talent, and market scarcity, though most of them I think are more one-year “prove-it” deals or guys who’d only get most of the MLE instead of all of it.
Point
Guards
Malcolm Brogdon
The Clippers have been linked to Brogdon for years; I’m sure readers will remember that the Clippers actually traded for him two years ago before the trade was cancelled due to injury issues. Brogdon is a strong on-court fit for what the Clippers need, as he’s a big guard who can run offense when James Harden is on the bench and is a good enough defender and off-ball player to survive next to James. The problem is that Brogdon is never available: he’s played over 70 games just once in his nine-year career, and over 60 games just two other seasons. Because of his injury history and age (he turns 33 in December), Brogdon is not really worth the MLE, but a one-year deal for him makes some sense.
D’Angelo Russell
There are very, very strong indications that D’Angelo Russell is signing with Dallas to tide them over until Kyrie Irving returns from injury. If the Mavs go another direction, Russell would theoretically make sense as a player who has always been a much, much worse version of James Harden. Russell is in his prime, has mostly stayed healthy the past few years, and fits the bill of a ball-handling scorer and playmaker off the bench. That said, he’s infuriating to watch and just doesn’t seem like he fits the Clippers’ ethos. I wouldn’t expect it, but it’s a possibility.
Wings
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
NAW is coming off two strong seasons as a high-minute backup on the Western Conference Finals runner-up Minnesota Timberwolves. Alexander-Walker is a standard 3 and D wing, hitting over 38% of his threes the past two years on solid volume, defending multiple positions, and adding just a bit of attacking and passing off the bounce. Nickeil turns 27 in September, so this upcoming deal will cover the rest of his prime – absolutely optimal years. He’s probably the player on this list who most deserves the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception and has several suitors willing to offer him that money. He’d presumably slot in as one of the Clippers’ starting wings, depending on what they do elsewhere on the roster, and is a good fit in between James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. The question is who he chooses in free agency.
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown is a proven championship-caliber role player who is in the middle of his prime. Moreover, he’s a gadget type player who can do a bit on-ball, play as a wing, or even serve more as a forward. So why is he available? Well, he’s honestly been pretty bad the past two years since he left Denver, bouncing from Indiana to Toronto to New Orleans and not really providing a positive impact in any of those stops. Brown was solid for the Pistons and Nets early in his career, so he’s probably not a “Jokic merchant”, but there are concerns about whether his game has slipped. He’s also been heavily rumored to return to Denver, so I doubt he’s really on the open market. Still, he does fit a lot of what the Clippers value.
Power
Forwards
Jake LaRavia
This is the kind of swing I’d like the Clippers to take. LaRavia is 24-years-old, has pedigree, and was quite good last year for two competent teams in the Grizzlies and Kings. LaRavia is a true forward size (6’8, 235 pounds), a solid defender, a decent three-point shooter (37% on 2.7 attempts for his career), and has flashed some playmaking and creation. LaRavia probably wasn’t worth the full MLE last year, but is young and has gotten better every year. More importantly, he’s the kind of player the Clippers have needed for years: a legitimate forward that can do a little bit of everything and slot in between Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac. Maybe he doesn’t develop and he’s a bit of an overpay. Or maybe he continues to get better, and this contract looks like a steal. If I were the Clippers, without much to lose, I’d try to nab LaRavia.
Guerschon Yabusele
The Dancing Bear made a triumphant return to the NBA last year after five seasons spent overseas. Originally viewed as a total bust in Boston, Yabu honed his game at the highest levels of European competition playing for Real Madrid, and was a key part of Team France in the Olympics last summer. In the 2025 season, he was one of the few bright spots for a pitiful Sixers team, scoring 11 points per game on strong efficiency and providing surprisingly good connective passing. Yabu is an ideal fit for what the Clippers have needed for years: a big, physical forward who can take the burden off of Kawhi Leonard, space the floor, and replace some of Nic Batum’s qualities as a connective piece. A full MLE for a player who only has one season of competent NBA play might be an overpay, but Yabu is 29 years old and is a really strong fit. I’d be a fan of this one.
Centers
Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez is not worth the full MLE, to be clear. He’s 37 years old and has been in decline for years. But he is still a competent center who scored in double figures last year (efficiently), protects the rim, and legitimately stretches the floor on offense. This would probably not be a multi-year deal (or at least not more than two years), but a one-year deal to get a true backup for Ivica Zubac makes some sense.
Clint Capela
This would be another overpay for an aging center. But Capela is only 31, is still an effective rebounder, and remains an above-the-rim threat. Add in the fact that he played for a half-decade with James Harden in Houston and you have a ready-made high-level backup for a season or two. Again, it’s probably not an ideal use of the MLE, but it fills a need that the Clippers have had for years. Capela would also be an exceptional veteran mentor for recent Clippers’ first round draft pick Yanic Konan Niederhauser, another raw, athletic, Swiss big man. It seems almost too good a pairing to be true.
Minimum Signings
Here’s a quick list of some players at each position that I think would be good for the Clippers at the minimum or maybe at a smaller chunk of the MLE. The point guard and center groups are definitely the strongest crops.
Point Guard: Chris Paul, Tyus Jones, Monte Morris, Delon Wright, Jared Butler
Wing: Gary Harris, Lonnie Walker, Lindy Waters III, Ziaire Williams, Trey Alexander
Forward: Larry Nance Jr., Trendon Watford, Precious Achiuwa, Taurean Prince
Center: Chris Boucher, Paul Reed, Thomas Bryant, Luke Kornet, Kevon Looney
Eight MLE Targets for the Clippers in Free Agency
Robert Flom