According to rumors, the LA Clippers will reportedly be adding veteran forward Patrick Patterson to the roster once he clears waivers with Oklahoma City.
The LA Clippers have made their presence felt so far this summer, between adding stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and picking up Maurice Harkless via trade. They also re-signed key role players like Patrick Beverley and JaMychal Green, both of whom played big roles for the Clippers in the playoffs last season. Officially, the Clippers have two roster spots open — but according to rumors, one of those two will be taken up by veteran forward Patrick Patterson.
The information comes from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reported Thursday afternoon that Patterson intends to sign with the LA Clippers once his salary clears waivers.
The move should help the Clippers in the long run, as they’ll be adding a stretch-four that can bring some energy off the bench. He’ll likely see a majority of his minutes come when the Clippers load manage. Otherwise, he would serve as Green’s backup.
Patterson, 30, didn’t impress with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. In 63 games, the veteran big averaged a mere 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in just under 14 minutes per contest. That being said, it’s clear he’s still got plenty left in the tank, and the Clippers should be able to get the best out of him in his presumably limited role.
In 2017, Patterson shot a career-high 38.6 percent from three-point range, which dipped to 33.6 last season. And in 2016, he attempted a career-high 3.9 shots from range per game. Based on those numbers alone, it would seem that a three-and-D role would best suit Patterson, which is what the Clippers have been prioritizing as of late.
Something else floating around Twitter is the idea that this move may have been requested by George, who spent his last two seasons teamed up with Patterson in Oklahoma City. The two are rumored to be close, and their wives have recently started a business together.
Regardless of whose idea it was, bringing Patterson to Los Angeles is a low-risk move that should give the Clippers some extra depth to work with. A solid rebounder and shooter, Patterson should expect to play a minimal role on most nights.
The terms of Patterson’s reported deal with the LA Clippers are yet to be announced, but once they are, expect it to be worth minimum salary. We’ll have more on this story as it develops.