Latest L.A. Updates: Bamba’s Return, Clippers’ Moves, Knecht’s Breakout, Vanderbilt’s Recovery!

Clippers reserve center Mohamed Bamba is excited about his first two healthy bouts of the 2024/25 season, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Those games were also his first two with L.A. The former lottery pick inked a one-year minimum deal this summer.

Bamba’s first contest for the Clippers was fairly strong. In a win against Utah, Bamba played for 15 minutes, scoring nine points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor and one made free throw, while also chipping in eight boards.

“It was really good,” Bamba said regarding the game. “I told myself out there today it wasn’t going to be a matter of making shots or scoring. It was going to be just trying to get extra possessions and things of that nature.”

He scored three points in his encore clash. Bamba missed the first month of the season with a chronic knee injury. He played through the ailment during his 2023/24 run with the Sixers, but the Clippers opted instead to sideline him for a month.

“It was annoying but it’s not one specific injury,” Bamba said. “I kept getting this pocket of fluid in my knee and it was frustrating because we couldn’t figure out why it was happening. Now, though, we have a plan to manage it moving forward.”

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

• In a crowded West, the Clippers are seeking to thread the needle of competing while also developing their young recent draft picks, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. L.A. is currently 8-7 on the year, and in the midst of a game on Wednesday. With All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard hurt indefinitely, Murray notes that fans are wondering why L.A. is still prioritizing veteran guards James Harden and Norman Powell, both on the wrong side of 30, and not giving opportunities to intriguing young players Jordan Miller, Kobe Brown, and Bones Hyland.
• Lakers head coach JJ Redick has indicated that rookie wing Dalton Knecht has earned legitimate rotation minutes going forward thanks to his recent scoring output, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter link). Through his first 14 games, the Tennessee alum is averaging 11.3 points on .523/.464/.923 shooting splits, along with 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists a night. With forward Rui Hachimura hurt, Knecht has been starting for Los Angeles’ last three bouts. Across those contests, he averaged 26.0 points on .636/.615/.857 shooting splits, plus 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
• Lakers reserve forward Jarred Vanderbilt‘s recovery from surgery on both feet in May has been slower than Los Angeles had anticipated it would be, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The 6’8″ vet is expected to keep rehabilitating for at least two more weeks, at which time his status will be reassessed. Price notes that Vanderbilt hasn’t played for L.A. since incurring a right mid-foot injury in February. Vanderbilt, 25, is in just the first season of a four-year, $48MM extension deal he inked in the 2023 offseason.