The Los Angeles Clippers won’t be entering 2025 with a win after falling to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on New Year’s Eve. However, there are few players who could have new beginnings in the immediate future.
Kawhi Leonard is set to make his season debut this week after recovering from a nagging knee injury. Bones Hyland is a trade candidate who could be moved by Feb. 6. PJ Tucker is another player who doesn’t feel quite at home with the Clippers, his contract status making him both a trade and buyout candidate.
Then there’s Jordan Miller, who “has been identified as a strong two-way conversion candidate to monitor for the Clippers,” per HoopsHype senior insider Michael Scotto.
Clippers Set To Reward Jordan Miller For Development?
Miller’s rise to relevancy has been relatively short considering that he’s only in his second season.
A fifth-year senior who spent three seasons at George Mason before transferring to Miami. The Clippers then drafted him with the 48th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. While a second-round selection may have led to lower expectations, it’s worth noting that many older prospects are drafted in the second round. Many who achieve super senior status, like Miller, go undrafted.
Take Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves for instance.
Availability His Best Ability
To this point, Miller hasn’t demonstrated as much potential as Reaves. Nonetheless, he’s posted double-figures in a quarter (5/20) of the games he’s played this season while seeing the court for 14.3 minutes per contest. In the six games that he’s played at least 20 minutes, he’s averaged 11.0 points per game and made nearly 36 percent of his threes.
Jordan miller: all around bucket pic.twitter.com/1BgYUxGyYP
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(@purpbetta) November 23, 2024
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He’s much more than just a capable three-point shooter though. He can score and playmake off-the-dribble as well. With that being said, the 24-year-old has only played one game with the G League affiliate this season. So, the Clippers do seem to prefer him to being in Los Angeles rather than San Diego.
It’s worth noting that on a two-way contract, Miller can only play 50 regular season games. He’s already played in 20 of L.A.’s games and is on pace to play about 50 by the postseason. It could be less, but there obviously situations that could cause it to be more. Speaking of the playoffs, Miller would be ineligible to suit up in any of those games under a two-way contract.
Jordan Miller scores a tough bucket over Aaron Gordon.
He has 6 points on 3/3 shooting. pic.twitter.com/naV0TUKZRY
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) December 2, 2024
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This is probably even more important than the amount of games he could play in the regular season. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue could look down his bench wanting to call his number, but to no avail. If there’s an injury situation, a hurdle that they’ve constantly had to clear, it makes having Miller available that much more important.
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