The LA Clippers announced on Sunday that they were waiving forward Luc Mbah a Moute. Could the Clippers sign another player before the playoffs begin?
On Sunday afternoon, the LA Clippers officially announced that they had waived Luc Mbah a Moute. The veteran forward appeared in just four games this season and recently underwent season-ending knee surgery at the end of March.
It’s an unfortunate end for Mbah a Moute, who looked to be one of the offseason’s most savvy signings before the season began. Fresh off a successful campaign with the Houston Rockets, he appeared to be playing some of the best basketball of his career. Outside of a shoulder issue, he maintained relatively good health as well.
The Clippers were able to sign him to a one-year, $4.3 million contract last July, bringing him back to Los Angeles — where he spent the two seasons prior playing for Doc Rivers.
After injuring himself between LA’s fourth and fifth games this season, Mbah a Moute was listed as day-to-day and the expectation was that he would only miss a few games. But after several setbacks and then nearly making a return after the All-Star break, it was clear the forward just wasn’t healthy enough to play.
Assuming Mbah a Moute makes a full recovery over the summer, he should find his way onto another NBA squad in no time. However, it seems safe to say, at least for now, that he won’t be playing for the Clippers again any time soon.
The most important news for LA Clippers fans to know now is that the team opened up a roster spot by waiving Mbah a Moute — meaning they could add another player to be playoff-eligible before the season ends on Wednesday.
Any player that the Clippers could look to add would have to have been released by their former team before March 1, but there aren’t many players that were waived prior to that date that are of great value. Carmelo Anthony‘s name is one that immediately jumps off the list, but based on the limited contributions he made this season in Houston, it’s unlikely that the Clippers would go for him. Other notable players include Zach Randolph and Ben McLemore.
Of course, the Clippers could also look to convert the two-way contracts of Johnathan Motley or Angel Delgado. Both players were named to All-G League teams this past week and had impressive seasons with the Agua Caliente Clippers. Just one roster spot is open though, and the Clippers may struggle to come to a conclusion.
Regardless of what the LA Clippers choose to do, it’s easy to trust in Lawrence Frank and the rest of the front office to make the right decision.