Report: Clippers reduce luxury tax hit by trading Antawn Jamison and Byron Mullens

Antawn Jamison will be a Clipper no more. (Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

In separate moves, the Clippers agreed to unload forwards Antawn Jamison and Byron Mullens, according to ESPN.com, as a means of reducing their luxury tax bill.

Jamison was sent to the Hawks in exchange for cash and the rights to Cenk Akoyl, as clarified by the Orange County Register. The minimum salary exception allows the Hawks to absorb Jamison's contract, and the cash received more than covers what remains of Jamison's salary for this season. After the trade deadline passed, Yahoo! Sports reported that Jamison could be bought out by the Hawks, making a quick buck Atlanta's primary motivation to play a part in this deal.

Jamison, a 15-year veteran and two-time All-Star, has played sparingly for the Clippers this season. He's averaged 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes, appearing in 22 of 56 games.

Mullens was packaged with a future second round pick and sent to the Sixers in exchange for a second round pick the Orange County Register called "conditional." That suggests that the pick Philadelphia is sending back to L.A. might never be conveyed, or at least would be protected to a degree that would limit its value. Mullens has not been a relevant part of the Clippers' rotation since very early in the season, and in all has averaged 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per game.

Even after making both of these deals, the Clippers were not able to skirt under the luxury tax line entirely. That not only means that owner Donald Sterling will be forced to pay a (relatively) small penalty, but the Clippers will also not be entitled to a share of the total luxury tax payments split among all non-taxpaying teams.

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