Name, position, height, weight, school/country, age
NICOLAS BATUM, F, 6-8, 230, France, 33
Batum continues to be a key player for the Clippers, a veteran who is expected to have a significant role in Coach Tyronn Lue’s deep roster. Lue foresees lineups that are interchangeable, and Batum’s versatility will be key to the team’s success. A 14-year veteran, Batum has averaged 8.2 points on 46.2 shooting from the field in his two seasons in L.A.
BRANDON BOSTON JR., G, 6-6, 188, Kentucky, 21
Boston saw limited minutes as a rookie last season, but when he was on the court it was electric as he showed when he scorched the Celtics for 27 points on the strength of five 3-pointers. He shot 39.5% from 3-point range last season. With the addition of John Wall, finding minutes in a crowded backcourt could be difficult for Boston.
MOSES BROWN*, C, 7-2, 245, UCLA, 23
Brown was undrafted coming out of UCLA in 2019 and has played a handful of games for a handful of teams. Signed to a two-way contract, Brown will probably see most of his minutes in the G-League given the Clippers’ loaded roster, but he could serve as a backup to Ivica Zubac.
AMIR COFFEY, G/F, 6-7, 210, Minnesota, 25
The Clippers re-signed the fourth-year wing to a three-year, $11 million deal after anoutstanding 2021-22 campaign. With an injured Kawhi Leonard on the sideline, Coffeystarted 30 of 69 games and averaged 9.0 points and 2.9 rebounds. He will see plentyof action with the second unit.
ROBERT COVINGTON, F, 6-7, 209, 31
Covington came to the Clippers, along with Norman Powell, in a late-season tradewith Portland, a move that paid dividends quickly. In 23 games last season, he averaged 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds. Even on a crowded roster, he can still be asolid defensive presence in the frontcourt.
MOUSSA DIABATE* F, 6-10, 217, France, 20
The Clippers drafted the energetic Diabate out of Michigan with the No. 43 pick and in the team’s final preseason game they were reminded of the 20-year-old’s potential when he threw down a thunderous dunk. He was part of the Clippers’ Summer League team and is expected to play with the team’s G-League squad this season.
PAUL GEORGE, F, 6-8, 220, Fresno State, 32
PG will not have to shoulder the load as he did last season with a healthy KawhiLeonard back on the floor. Together, they are one of the best pairs of wings in theleague, with George No. 2 and Leonard No. 1. Although George has taken more of aleadership role this season, he said his job is to “to make everybody better” not be thestar.
REGGIE JACKSON, G, 6-2, 208, Boston College, 32
With the arrival of All-Star point guard John Wall, Jackson’s role as a starter isn’t a sure thing. They both could find themselves in and out of the starting five, as Lue has been slow to announce a starter. Jackson, who started all 75 games he played last season and averaged 16.8 points and 4.8 assists, said he isn’t concerned about it, adding “I just care about winning, man.” One thing is clear, Jackson will again bring his upbeat attitude to the court.
LUKE KENNARD, G, 6-5, 206, Duke, 26
Lue said Kennard has gotten “better and better” since his first season with the Clippers, pointing to his rebounding and one-on-one defensive skills. “He’s really taken it personal,” Lue said. Preseason observations indicate Kennard has become more aggressive defensively, adding defense to his long-range shooting. Last season, he improved from 3-point range, shooting 44.9%.
KAWHI LEONARD, F, 6-7, 225, San Diego State, 31
Once again, the key for the Clippers is a healthy Leonard. The last time Leonard wason the court, he was making a case that he was the best player in the league. He then tore his ACL in the 2021 playoffs and sat out all of last season. But the small forward came into camp ready – both physically and mentally. He is stronger, bulkier and eager to get started. “Just don’t wanna take anything for granted, like I always say, and just trying to live in that moment and bring a sense of energy for the team,” Leonard said.
TERANCE MANN, F/G, 6-5, 215, Florida State, 24
Mann was inserted in the starting lineup during the 2021 conference semifinals when Leonard got injured and responded by dunking on Utah center Rudy Gobert to seala Game 5 road win, then scored 39 points on 7-of-10 3-point shooting in Game 6 to help the Clippers reach the conference finals. This season, with a deep, healthy roster, Mann doesn’t have expectations for a set number of minutes. “I’m ready for whatever and they know I’m ready for whatever role, so there’s not too much to talk about,” he said.
MARCUS MORRIS SR., F, 6-8, 218, Kansas, 33
Tyronn Lue already has said that the versatile and tough Morris will be the team’sstarting power forward and could even play the five in a pinch. Already a proven defender, his ability to hit corner 3-pointers could be invaluable – if he gets enough touches between Leonard, George and whichever point guard is on the floor (Reggie Jackson or John Wall).
JASON PRESTON, G, 6-3, 181, Ohio, 22
Preston underwent surgery on his right foot during training camp last season andmissed the entire 2021-2022 season. Technically still a rookie in terms of experience,Preston will be looking to regain the speed and ball-handling skills that made him theNo. 33 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. This will be a sit-and-learn season for himplaying behind John Wall, Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann at the point.
IVICA ZUBAC, C, 7-0, 240, Croatia, 25
Zubac continued to be the Clippers’ Mr. Reliable last season, playing in 76 games andaveraging 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds, and the team is will depend on him even more this season as he is the team’s only true center. But the Clippers could go small with Robert Covington at the five, especially in crunch time, which means Zubac needs to find his way into those minutes to stay relevant.
* = two-way contract player