Two days after surprisingly permanently benching Chris Paul, the Los Angeles Clippers have added RayJ Dennis to their 18-man roster. The Clippers, on pace for their worst season in over 15 years, are reportedly contemplating several other roster moves.
Clippers Expect To Promote Rookie Guard, And Should They Consider Moving Ivica Zubac?
Not long after snapping a five-game skid with a 115-92 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday night, Michael Scotto of Hoopshype reported that the Clippers (6-17) were signing Dennis to a two-way deal. It was just the Clippers’ third victory since November 1 and their third road victory of the campaign.
Dennis was waived by the Indiana Pacers on November 30. On a minor league deal with the Pacers the last two seasons, Dennis had a few good scoring games this year. totaling double-figures twice and averaging 4.9 points,
Dennis is a high-IQ point guard who operates well in the pick-and-roll, where he can create. He is an elite-level facilitator, though turnovers are an issue. The 6-1 point guard can get into the paint and changes pace well, and he is also a good scorer in the mid-range. He is not a good shooter, though he is a solid point-of-attack defender with quick hands.
To make room for Dennis, LA waived rookie Jahmyl Telfort. Telfort, who signed a two-way deal after going out of Butler, saw 32 minutes of action over eight appearances. The 6-7 forward struggled with efficiency with the G-League San Diego Clippers, where he averaged 12 points on 12.2 shots per game. He had difficulty with ball-handling and compiled shooting splits of 34.2/28.2/70.
Clippers To Promote Kobe Sanders
Paul being sidelined but still on the roster causes significant volatility for the Clippers. As it leaves the Clippers with just 15 players, including their three two-way players, when fully healthy, which they are not. The addition of Dennis helps as the 24-year-old is slated to serve as the team’s third guard while others remain out behind James Harden and Kris Dunn.
“The Los Angeles Clippers are signing RayJ Dennis to a two-way contract, according to league sources,” NBA Insider Jake Fischer reported. “Dennis, who has previously spent time with the franchise’s G League affiliate, will serve as immediate point guard depth following the departure of Chris Paul.”
Bogdan Bogdanovic will miss his eighth straight game due to a hip injury last night against the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Derrick Jones Jr. (knee) remains out, and Jordan Miller (hamstring) is once again questionable. Therefore, if Miler can’t play, the Clippers will have just 12 active players against the Clippers.
Dennis received a DNP-coaches decision vs. Memphis. The Clippers continue their five-game road trip tonight with game four in Minnesota.
When Can The Clippers Add A Player?
With Paul’s salary guaranteed and the Clippers $1.2 million below the hard cap at the first apron, LA is in a holding pattern. The Clippers can’t trade Paul until December 15, as that’s when players who signed free-agent contracts this summer can be traded. They could release the 40-year-old, but could not afford to replace him until January 7 with a player making the veteran minimum. More importantly, per ESPN Insiders, the Clippers are not allowed to have fewer than 14 players on their roster for more than 14 consecutive days.
If the Clippers do waive or trade Paul for future compensation (cash, draft pick), Kobe Sanders could be promoted to take his roster spot. The No. 50 pick in 2025, on a two-way deal, has played well in 15 of his 23 appearances. He has really stepped up his production recently, scoring in double-figures five times, including in each of the last two seasons. As Keith Smith of Sportac pointed out, Sanders could be put on a standard contract right now, as he was a second-round draft pick, and the league provides exceptions for players picked in that round.
“That’s good news for LA, because converting Sanders to a standard deal could be a workaround of sorts for LA with their hard cap and roster minimums,” Smith said. “Because Sanders was a Clippers draft pick, he would count towards the cap/tax/apron at his actual minimum. That means that LA does have enough room to convert him to a standard deal.”
Sanders has been active for 17 games. The 6-8 wing averages 7.2 points and 1.1 threes with splits of 41.7/35.6/91.7.
Clippers Have Several Options
LA doesn’t have an easy way out of its predicament. However, they have some options. Despite sitting at 6-16, the Clippers could buy, sell, or stand pat. The Clippers don’t have control of their own draft pick until 2030.
Why Could The Clippers be Buyers?
“The Clippers have more than $50 million in expiring contracts and, in the apron era, that is the type of fodder that carries value as teams look to shed future money,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said. “They are light on draft assets — the Thunder also have swap rights to the Clippers’ 2027 first-round pick — and have just one distant first-round pick and three second-round picks available to trade. But, as one rival executive told me, They can wait for a blue light special.”
“There will be teams who will be willing to dump players in two months,” Windhorst continued. “Guys who might be able to help them. The Clippers are less than $2 million from hitting the first apron and are hard-capped, so they don’t have much monetary flexibility.”
One player specifically mentioned is Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine. LaVine is an outstanding scorer and shooter while also being younger than most of the Clippers stars at 3o. He is also under contract for one more season, which is a player option. He would essentially replace Norman Powell, who is now in Miami. Also, he would be cheap as his stock is way down and would likely cost the Clippers expiring contracts.
Clippers As Sellers
LA could be a seller, which makes perfect sense. But the Clippers are unlikely to go into a full-blown rebuild.
“I would be trying to get rid of the old guys, bring in some young guys that I like and let the consequences of the record being bad be what they may,” an Eastern Conference executive who pushed for the Clippers to take that path told ESPN.”But that doesn’t strike me as what [owner Steve] Ballmer would do, which in the past has been, ‘The only thing I want to do is win and to try to be competitive, and I don’t have interest in tanking and rebuilding.’”
The hard truth is that John Collins, Brook Lopez, and Bogdanovic are the most likely players to be dealt.
Could The Clippers Trade Ivica Zubac
The best thing the Clippers have going for them is the incredible drop-off in the West standings after the top few spots, an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “The belief is that this group will start to play better and at least give the Clippers a chance to reach the playoffs and avoid sending OKC a pick in the lottery.”
However, an interesting question is whether they should look to move Ivica Zubac. Zubac, one of the top two-way centers in the league, has followed a career season in 2024-25 with a strong start to this season. According to ClutchPoints, Brett Siegel, the 28-year-old under contract through 2027-28, is the Clippers’ most valuable trade asset.
“This is a very valuable contract, especially for a center like Zubac, who provides value as an elite rebounder and defensive anchor,” Siegel said. “There have been mixed signals around the league from teams that have contacted the Clippers about Zubac, and if they are actually willing to discuss his name in trade talks, but the early indication is that Los Angeles would demand at least two first-round picks, sources said.”
“Zubac has received the most interest out of any player on the Clippers entering December, as multiple Eastern and Western Conference teams in playoff position have called Frank and Los Angeles to get info on their starting center,” Siegel continued.
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