The Clippers concluded Thursday’s trade deadline by keeping their current roster intact, making only one minor move. The team traded for Denver Nuggets center Ismael Kamagate, a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, in exchange for cash considerations.
The 6-foot-11 Kamagate was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 46th overall pick and subsequently traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and then to the Nuggets. He has not played in an NBA game, opting instead to continue to play in Europe.
The Clippers will now have his rights if the 23-year-old French-born player decides to join the NBA.
The Clippers’ lack of additional moves leaves P.J. Tucker and Bones Hyland on the roster. The two had been the target of recent trade rumors. Tucker has been vocal about wanting to be traded to another team where he could see significant minutes.
Tucker, who came to the Clippers in the Oct. 31 trade that brought James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers, has not played since Nov. 27. He told ESPN’s Marc Spears on Wednesday that he wanted to be “somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all.” Tucker reportedly will not seek a buyout and is expected to remain with the team for the rest of the season.
Harden called the 38-year-old Tucker a “game-changer.”
“P.J. brings leadership and depending on what happens after tomorrow, if he’s here, he’ll get locked in and be a part of this as far as, I mean, being in the rotation,” Harden said after the Clippers’ loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Hyland, 23, also has seen his minutes drop since Harden’s arrival, his playing time reduced to end-of-game situations. After averaging 16 points during the first month of the season, Hyland is averaging 3.6 points in 15 games.
