Xavier

Moon

Hyland wasn’t initially on the injury report, but he also wasn’t in the starting unit, so him not playing makes sense. Xavier Moon will get the start at point guard and should play a ton of minutes. Hyland has played well lately, but he hasn’t been part of the team’s rotation for most of the year. Perhaps they have plans to play him in the postseason, especially if James Harden continues to deal with this foot injury. Otherwise, it is puzzling why he isn’t playing in this one.

The Clippers will be without most of their usual starters for this game, which will allow some of the younger guys to continue to play big minutes. Bones Hyland isn’t starting, but he should still play a significant role off the bench. Kai Jones isn’t available to play in this game.

Westbrook joins James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard on the sideline for Wednesday’s game. His absence means Bones Hyland will start at the point, and while erratic, he’s worth streaming in active leagues due to the Clippers’ lack of healthy options. Xavier Moon could also enter the rotation, but Hyland is the player who fantasy managers should target in this spot.

Primo, a former first-round pick whose time with the Spurs ended due to his allegedly exposing himself to women on multiple occasions, agreed to a two-way contract with the Clippers just before the start of training camp. While the contract conversion gives him more stability, he isn’t worth rostering in fantasy leagues. In a corresponding move, the Clippers are bringing Xavier Moon back on a two-way contract.

Moon was the Clippers’ most consistent performer in Las Vegas, and he capped his run with another quality performance. The veteran guard finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double while shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. After playing on a two-way contract last season, Moon became an unrestricted free agent when the Clippers declined to extend a qualifying offer before the start of free agency. His play in Las Vegas should earn Moon a training camp look, whether it’s with the Clippers or another team.

Moon helped push the Clippers to 2-1 in Las Vegas with another standout fourth-quarter performance. He scored nine of his 16 points in the final frame, making it three straight games in which his fourth-quarter point total has exceeded the number from the first three quarters combined. While Moon was on a two-way contract last season, the Clippers declined to extend a qualifying offer for next season. Technically, that makes him an unrestricted free agent, and Moon’s play should boost his chances of being signed by an NBA team well before training camp.

Moon is one of the most experienced professionals playing in Las Vegas this week, and he looked the part on Monday. The veteran guard did a good job of balancing getting looks for himself with setting up his teammates, and the six assists were countered by zero turnovers. While he’s had prior NBA experience, Moon has only played in 18 games for the Clippers over the last two seasons. With Jason Preston (two points, three rebounds, and five assists in 24 minutes) having a non-guaranteed contract for next season, Moon could be in a position to make a run for that spot. The end result of that “competition,” if there is one, would not impact fantasy basketball.

Moon nearly helped the Clippers pull off an incredible comeback. He scored 21 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter alone, including some incredible 3-pointers. Moon is on a two-way contract and will likely spend most of next season in the G-League, but it’s still nice to see him playing well in Summer League.

Moon was in training camp with the Clippers this fall before being waived, so there’s some familiarity there. That said, he’s unlikely to be in the rotation, so this move will not impact fantasy basketball. In order to free up a two-way slot, the Clippers are waiving Keaton Wallace.

Neither Moon nor Fitts nor Darling were going to figure into the Clippers’ rotation, so none of these moves was a surprise. All three could be headed to the team’s G League affiliate in Ontario, California. The Clippers now have 16 players under contract and one open two-way contract slot (rookie Moussa Diabate occupies the other).