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Report: Clippers Taking Flexible Approach to Final Roster Spot

The LA Clippers may not be in a rush to fill their final roster vacancy

Joey Linn

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE, via Getty Images
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While the LA Clippers currently have one open roster spot, the team may not be in a hurry to fill it. In a recent article from Andrew Greif of the LA Times, it was reported that the Clippers currently possess little urgency to fill their final roster spot. Instead, the team is more interested in staying flexible, understanding the versatility their roster has.

While a backup center would be the most logical addition to this roster, the Clippers frequently opt to play small, sliding players like Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, and Marcus Morris into that spot. This is not to say the Clippers won't eventually add a backup big, but the urgency to do so is reportedly low at this point. By the time the season begins, and the dust has settled on the potential league-altering moves that are expected to happen, the Clippers should have a better idea on who is available for that 15th roster spot.

With this latest report indicating the team is not in a rush to sign an available free agent into their final roster spot, there is some reason to believe the Clippers may be closely monitoring the looming trades around the league before finalizing their roster. This is not to say the Clippers expect to directly involve themselves in any blockbuster moves, but the aftermath of such trades often results in the availability of certain players who were previously unobtainable.

It is reasonable to predict that the Clippers will indeed enter next season with a backup center on the roster, but maintaining flexibility throughout an offseason that projects to produce several blockbuster deals, allows the team to potentially improve in ways that are not currently possible.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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