Los Angeles

Clippers

Moon nearly helped the Clippers pull off an incredible comeback. He scored 21 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter alone, including some incredible 3-pointers. Moon is on a two-way contract and will likely spend most of next season in the G-League, but it’s still nice to see him playing well in Summer League.

Preston has spent the majority of his first two seasons in the G-League or injured, but the improvements are happening. The Clippers are built to win now, so it may be a few more seasons before Preston ends up seeing real time in the NBA. However, it’s encouraging to see him orchestrating the offense and playing as effectively as he did in this game.

Preston didn’t play at all during the 2021-22 season due to a foot injury, and when healthy last season, he only appeared in 14 games. Staying healthy has been an issue, and the hope is that the procedures he underwent in the spring will provide the young guard with a boost moving forward. Preston underwent LASIK surgery in April, which improved his vision significantly. And there was also surgery to repair a deviated septum, which will help Preston with his breathing. And being healthy heading into Summer League is a big deal, as the Clippers have until July 18 to decide whether or not to guarantee his salary for next season. Preston’s expected to be used on and off the ball by Clippers Summer League coach Dahntay Jones.

Plumlee enjoyed a resurgent season for Charlotte before being dealt to LA at the trade deadline. He’ll return to play a backup role behind Ivica Zubac, though judging by the minutes split between the two centers, Plumlee’s status as a “backup” is in name only. He should see 20 minutes or more next season, which is enough to make him worth rostering in deeper leagues.

The Clippers have been looking to bolster their rotation with younger players, which is especially important given the past injury issues of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Martin, who was a starter for 49 of the Rockets’ 82 games last season, fits the bill. In the best season of his NBA career to date, he averaged 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.8 3-pointers in 28 minutes per game. Martin shot nearly 57% from the field, with more than 69% of his shot attempts coming from within 10 feet of the basket. Given the Clippers’ depth, Martin’s fantasy value will likely be that of a streamer on nights when the team is shorthanded at the forward positions.

After a miserable tenure with the Lakers, Russ was much better with the Clippers over the last two months of last season. He isn’t the player he used to be, and he won’t be a great option in category leagues, but he can be an important player for the Clippers. Despite how well he played in the playoffs, he won’t be putting up those numbers with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George playing.

After being in trade rumors for years, EG will become a coveted free agent this summer. He’s still capable of providing value from deep for a contender, but he won’t be doing much for fantasy managers.

Well, this is a rather significant piece of news, even if Frank described it as a “clean-up procedure.” Leonard was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in the knee in late April after missing the final three games of the Clippers’ first-round series against the Suns. That injury was initially described as a sprain by the Clippers’ medical staff, so it’s fair to be somewhat skeptical of the information provided by Frank on Thursday. The expectation is that Leonard will be back on the floor eight weeks after the procedure, which would be in early August. While he’s been an elite fantasy option when healthy, the availability issue has been frustrating for managers to deal with.

Brown spent four seasons at Missouri and broke out during his season year. He set career-highs with 15.8 points, 55.3% on field goals, and 45.5% from deep. He’s a solid, all-around player but doesn’t dominate any individual category statistically. Brown is a physical prospect at 6’8”, 250 lbs, which should help him get on the floor during his rookie season. Los Angeles is top-heavy in its rotation with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and plenty of question marks after that, so there could be minutes available right away.

George’s name has come up in trade rumors recently, but it is reportedly unlikely that the Clippers will act. According to Fischer, Portland approached the Clippers about George and was interested in putting together a package that included the third overall pick in Thursday’s draft. The focus in Los Angeles appears to be working on strengthening the roster around George and Kawhi Leonard in hopes that they can be a title contender. Of course, those two have to stay healthy in order for that to happen.