The Clippers concluded Thursday’s trade deadline by keeping their current roster intact, making only one minor move. The team traded for Denver’s Ismael Kamagate, a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA draft, in exchange for cash considerations.
Kamagate, a 6-foot-11 center, 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 have been the target of recent trade-day 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.”
Harden called Tucker a “game changer.”
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“PJ 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 on Wednesday.
Hyland also has seen his minutes drop since Harden’s arrival, his playing time reduced to the end of games situations. After averaging 16.0 points the first month of the season, Hyland is averaging 3.6 points in 15 games.