The Los Angeles Clippers upgraded rookie shooting guard Kobe Sanders from a two-way contract to a standard NBA contract on Saturday, solidifying his spot on the team's 15-man roster. Sanders has been productive in his first professional season and will now face no restrictions on his playing time. The agreement also reportedly includes a team option for the 2026–27 season.
Selected by the New York Knicks with the 50th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Sanders' rights were immediately traded to Los Angeles. The 6-foot-8, 207-pound guard played collegiately at Cal Poly before transferring to the Nevada Wolf Pack for his final season. During his four years at Cal Poly, he appeared in 100 games with 71 starts, recorded a career-high 35 points and set the school record for free throws, including 17-for-17 in a single game against CSUN in December 2023.
In his senior season, Sanders averaged 19.6 points per game and earned All-Big West Honorable Mention honors. At Nevada, he averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, highlighted by a game-winning three-pointer against VCU and 30-point and 27-point outings against Boise State and Wyoming, respectively. He was named third-team All-Mountain West before entering the 2025 NBA Draft.
In the NBA, the 23-year-old player has appeared in 43 games this season, averaging 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.5 minutes per contest. His shooting splits are .448 from the field, .381 from three-point range, and .814 from the free-throw line, resulting in a 56.6% true shooting percentage. Defensively he contributes 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocks per game. His consistent production made the promotion necessary, as two-way players are limited to a maximum of 50 NBA games, and Sanders was getting closer to that limit as he was active for two additional games.
The move also solves roster concerns for the Clippers, who had only 13 players on standard contracts and were close to the two-way player activity limit. With Sanders now on a standard deal and Dalano Banton expected to join on a 10-day contract, LA can fully utilize its roster flexibility. The Clippers currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference with a 24-27 record.
With Sanders now joining the rotation, Los Angeles receives a versatile 6-foot-8 guard who can contribute on both ends of the floor.
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