LA Clippers: Predicting who stays, who goes ahead of roster cuts
Desi Rodriguez
Make no mistake — Desi Rodriguez is going to be an excellent basketball player. He just needs some time before he’s ready to make waves in the NBA.
A 22-year-old undrafted rookie from Seton Hall, Rodriguez made a solid impact for the LA Clippers Summer League team. In six games, he averaged 7.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across nearly 22 minutes of play.
He would be a solid utility guy off the bench for this year’s Clippers squad, but unfortunately, there’s just no room for him. With the signings of Luc Mbah a Moute and Mike Scott this offseason, virtually all of the reserve forward minutes have been allocated.
Rodriguez could still be a solid two-way guy for the Clippers. He isn’t signed to one at the moment, but he may be as good a candidate as any after Delgado and Motley’s expire, as they’re only good for 45 days. The Clippers found a way around this last season by only bringing in their two-way players on game days, so they could earn maximum time with the club. In that case, if Rodriguez is eventually brought in on one, we could expect to see him join the team in mid-to-late January.
For the time being, Rodriguez could be suiting up for the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, LA’s G-League affiliate. Some time there would surely help him develop further and prepare for a shot to land on an NBA roster, whether that’s in Los Angeles or not.