5 Clippers Playing Their Final Season in Los Angeles
These five Clippers players could be gone at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The Los Angeles Clippers enter the NBA All-Star break on a roll and sit third in the Western Conference. Despite some early bumps, this team has found its stride following the James Harden trade, putting them in prime position to compete this playoffs.
While Harden looks like a piece to keep around for years, the same can't be said for a few players who've fallen out of favor. With that in mind, here are the Clippers most likely leaving LA at the end of the season.
1. Bones Hyland
Bones Hyland's tumultuous start to his NBA career has continued on in Los Angeles. The young managed to play in just 14 games for the Clippers last season following his trade from the Denver Nuggets, then put together an unimpressive showing in the playoffs (8.6 PPG on 34.7% from the field in five outings) that is mostly propped up by 20-point performance in Game 3.
Many hoped an offseason to really gel with his new squad would pay dividends for 2023-24, but instead things have gone backwards. Hyland's averaging fewer minutes (13.2) than he did for the Clips last season (18.9), which has led to a big drop-off in scoring (6.2 PPG).
These on-court struggles have boiled over into the locker room and off of the court, with Hyland making his frustrations known this year. The situation has gotten so bad the Clippers sent Hyland home before All-Star Weekend to reset.
Development: The Clippers sent home two players – Bones Hyland and PJ Tucker – from road trip vs. Warriors tonight, sources say. Both are expected to rejoin the team after the All-Star break. https://t.co/YkhZiWm026
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 14, 2024
NBA teams won't put up with 23-year-old players causing distractions, especially those who haven't proven much basketball-wise yet. This puts Hyland on very shaky ground for not just the rest of this season, but beyond as well.
Los Angeles has a looming decision to make on Hyland's $4.1 million team option for 2024-25. Even if that's picked up, and there's no guarantee it will be, it'd be no surprise if he's rerouted to his third team this offseason.