Clippers' Center Depth Goes From Bad to Worse After Latest Roster Cut

Entering the final month of the offseason before the regular season kicks off, the Los Angeles Clippers had 17 players under contract. They were feeling pressure to cut the roster down to 15 players before the season. Clippers fans were wondering which two players the front office was going to part ways with.

On Thursday, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the first player the Clippers move on from will be Johni Broome.

Who Will Be the Next Cut for the Clippers After Johni Broome's Release?

On one hand, this isn't too surprising. Broome was acquired by the Clippers earlier this offseason as part of a salary dump trade by the Sixers. Philly wanted to create a roster spot and financial flexibility to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and LeBron James. So, they sent Broome and his $2.1 million salary for next season to the Clippers and attached a second-round pick to make it worth LA's while. It was never clear how much the Clippers actually valued the second-year player.

On the other hand, the Clippers already lack frontcourt depth. They have an embarrassment of riches in the guard spots between Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Keaton Wagler, Bradley Beal, Max Strus, Gradey Dick, and Kobe Sanders. But they had one of the weakest center rotations in the entire NBA.

So, some wondered whether they would keep Broome around for additional big man depth. The 24-year-old center isn't a proven option there, but he was a very productive collegiate player and put up very intriguing stats in the G League last season.

The decision to part ways with Broome further complicates the Clippers' depth chart. This means that the only players who can play center on the roster are Brook Lopez, Isaiah Jackson, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.

The problem is that Lopez is 38 years old and is way past his prime. Jackson is undersized at six-foot-eight and is a defensive liability. Konan Niederhauser isn't expected to be ready for the start of the season after undergoing foot surgery back in March.

If the Clippers start the season with the Lopez-Jackson duo as their center rotation, it's going to be a serious weakness until Niederhauser is back. Even when he is back, he is still a second-year player who has very limited NBA experience under his belt.

Broome was never going to solve all of LA's problems, but he could have given the Clippers another option. Unless they make a trade for another center, the Clippers are bound to have one of the worst center rotations in the NBA.

The Clippers still have to part ways with another player. Cam Christie, whose salary for the 2026-27 season is non-guaranteed, is the prime candidate to be cut. Whether the interim Clippers front office, amid suspensions to the top brass, agrees remains to be seen.

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