Clippers refuse to trade Zubac for an unprotected first-round pick! Targeting four major acquisitions; affiliate team acquires Reddish

On January 22 Beijing time, according to Clippers reporter Azarly, one of the Clippers' main goals before the trade deadline is to free up enough roster spots and salary cap space to convert Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller from two-way contracts to standard roster contracts.

Currently, the Clippers' total salary is about $1.15 million below the hard salary cap, with 14 players on standard regular season contracts (Patrick Baldwin Jr. is on a 10-day contract). Since Sanders and Miller are close to reaching their two-way contract game limits, the Clippers need to trade at least one of the 14 standard contract players to create roster space for both of them.

Azarly points out that point guard Chris Paul and forward Kobe Brown are the two most notable trade candidates.Although waiving either player would free a roster spot, their full salaries would still count against the Clippers' salary cap. To create enough room under the hard cap and quickly sign new contracts for Sanders and Miller, trading Paul or Brown’s contracts is necessary.

It is worth mentioning that the Clippers have already used the full mid-level exception this season, and because they used the bi-annual exception in 2024-25, that exception is no longer available this year. This means if they want to offer Sanders or Miller more than the minimum salary, the Clippers can only use the $2.68 million disabled player exception, which is limited to one-year contracts; minimum contracts can be up to two years.

Azarly reveals that the Hornets have also joined teams inquiring about Zubac, but the Clippers currently have no real intention to trade their starting center. Sources say one team once offered an unprotected first-round pick plus a draft pick swap for Zubac, but talks ultimately made no progress.

Azarly states that although the Clippers had some trade discussions about power forward John Collins early in the season, interest in trading him has significantly decreased. Collins has performed well during the team's recent winning streak, averaging 28.1 minutes and 15.6 points over the last 14 games, with shooting percentages of 67.5%, 63.5%, and 79.2% in three categories.

Azarly notes that the Clippers are not actively shopping veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanović, but it would not be surprising if the team remained fully open to trading him. Bogdanović has played only 16 games this season and has been sidelined since December 27 due to injury, with career-low stats including 8.0 points per game and a 37.6% shooting percentage.

According to Azarly,Milwaukee forward Kyle Kuzma, Charlotte guard Collin Sexton, Boston guard Anfernee Simons, and Chicago guard Coby White have all recently been linked to trade rumors involving the Clippers.The Clippers still need a ball-handler and playmaking core to relieve offensive pressure from James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.

Additionally, according to reporter Fischer, Reddish was claimed by the Austin Spurs, the Spurs’ G League affiliate. Austin then traded Reddish to the Agua Caliente Clippers (Clippers’ G League affiliate) in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2027 G League draft.

Reddish was the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft and has played six NBA seasons with the Hawks, Knicks, Trail Blazers, and Lakers. However, this former Duke Blue Devil has never developed into a reliable offensive option, appearing in 254 games (116 starts) with career averages of 8.5 points and shooting splits of 39.8%, 32.2%, and 82.1%.

After being waived by the Lakers in March, Reddish failed to secure an NBA contract during the offseason and joined Lithuania’s Šiauliai club in September. About three months later, he left the Lithuanian team for personal reasons and returned to the U.S. This season, Reddish played nine games in the Lithuanian Basketball League, averaging 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

Now 26 years old, Reddish still shows potential, especially with his strong perimeter defense. If he performs well in the G League, he could earn another NBA opportunity in the second half of this season.