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The Los Angeles Clippers have appeared to set things in motion in preparation for the potential signing of Chris Paul or Bradley Beal, with the team waiting on the buyout decision for the latter. On Tuesday, Keith Smith of Spotrac reported that the Clippers have decided to waive Jordan Miller one week ahead of the partial guarantee date on his $2.1 million contract for the 2025-26 season.
This, in turn, has now put the Clippers about $8.9 million under the first apron (which they're hard-capped at after using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Brook Lopez) while having three roster spots to fill. After signing Lopez to a two-year, $18 million deal using the non-taxpayer MLE, the Clippers still have $5.3 remaining on that exception, which they could then use to either sign Paul or Beal.
In fact, Smith noted that they can still use all of that $5.3 million and still have enough room to sign another player on a veteran minimum and to sign Kobe Sanders, the 50th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, using the Second Round Pick Exception.
So if everything breaks right for the Clippers, they can perhaps sign Beal to a $5.3 million contract, bring back Paul on a veteran minimum and then sign Sanders and be done with the offseason.
Miller was signed to a four-year, $8.3 million contract with the Clippers back in March. But he becomes a cap casualty for now for LA, even with the team being interested to bring Miller back somehow.
The 25-year-old wing is listed on the Clippers' Summer League roster, so perhaps he latches back on with the team on a two-way contract once the roster reshuffling is done.
Clippers go all-in on veterans
This is the bed the Clippers have made for themselves, and they must now lie in it. Adding Paul or Beal are positive moves considering how talented these two are, but Paul is already 40 years old and is very close to retirement, while Beal, who's been injury-prone throughout his career, recently turned 32 years of age.
But at this point, talent is talent, and the Clippers' roster is about to be very stacked if they manage to pull off both signings. They are at least confident that some form of guard help is coming, especially after trading Norman Powell away in the deal that brought back John Collins.
Time is running out on the Kawhi Leonard and James Harden core, so the Clippers front office is simply doing what it must to put together the best roster possible around those two.
