Los Angeles Clippers Bolster Bench, Add Ekpe Udoh and Chris Douglas-Roberts
The Los Angeles Clippers continue to improve their bench a few weeks away from training camp, adding center/forward Ekpe Udoh and wingman Chris Douglas-Roberts to their roster, Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports relays the latest player movement.
Udoh will receive a guaranteed one year contract for rouhgly $1 million, a deal around the league minimum salary. He will join a crowded frontcourt that has penciled in DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Udoh is big bodied banger that will provide some insurance and versatility to the Pacific Division champions Clippers that already has new acquisition Spencer Hawes and newly re-signed Glen "Big Baby" Davis on the roster.
The acquisition of Udoh is a minimum risk, high reward type of move that will provide the interior defense the Clipper sorely needs. Udoh has performed relatively well this past season in the Milwaukee Bucks.While he averaged modest numbers of 3.4 points and 3.5 rebounds, his pick and roll defense shall be counted upon once Jordan is relegated to the best during rest breaks and foul trouble.
The deal has been mentioned for a week or so in Los Angeles and the match makes sense on paper given that Doc Rivers, one of the best motivational coaches, can still extract some potential from the relatively young 24-year-old player from Michigan. He is basically playing for exposure and longer contract since the 1-year deal will make him a free agent again next summer.
The Clippers are also expected to announce the decision to sign Chris Douglas Roberts Wednesday per Dan Woike of the Orange County Register as well as the retaining of the services of Hedo Turkoglu.