Clippers' Preseason Opener Made One Roster Decision Even Easier

The Los Angeles Clippers kicked off their three-game preseason slate on Sunday with a win over the Golden State Warriors. But the preseason is less about the scores and more about individual performances. And there were a couple of noteworthy performances, both positive and negative, that will matter for the Clippers in the 2026-27 season.

One of the only remaining decisions the Clippers have to make between now and the start of the season is reducing their roster to 15 players. They currently have 16 players under contract, which means that they have to part ways with at least one player over the next two weeks.

Entering the first preseason game, the top candidate to be the final cut was Cam Christie. Not only has the 21-year-old shooting guard not shown much in his first two seasons in the league, but he is also on a non-guaranteed contract. The Clippers could cut him without having to pay Christie or have his $2.3 million salary on the books.

Christie needed a big preseason to avoid this fate. Unfortunately for him, he failed to impress against the Warriors.

Cam Christie's Time With the Clippers Likely Coming to an End

Despite playing the second-most minutes on the team after Keaton Wagler, Christie left plenty to be desired. He went 2/8 from the field and 0/3 from three, on his way to eight points in 28 minutes. He added eight rebounds and three assists, but had a whopping 5 turnovers.

This was a continuation of a disappointing trend for Christie. His calling card is supposed to be his shooting, but the ball just isn't going through the hoop for him. In his 68 NBA appearances, he has hit 22.6% of his threes. Things weren't much better for him in the G League, either.

The Clippers had him on the ball more than he normally would be, so maybe five turnovers could be forgivable. But the lack of passing and playmaking progress since he came into the league is certainly concerning.

If Christie starts hitting shots, he could have a career. He is still very young and has decent positional size. But he has given the Clippers very little reason to keep him around.

It's not like Gradey Dick, who is probably Christie's main competitor for a roster spot, set the world on fire in his Clippers debut. He was 1/5 from the field for four points in 16 minutes. But he has a higher profile, was a lottery pick, was just acquired by the Clippers, and makes more money, so it's hard to see LA choose Christie over him.

At this point, the best-case scenario for Christie may be landing a two-way spot. The Clippers only have Nick Martinelli and Jalen Pickett on two-way contracts, meaning that they have one slot open. They could waive Christie before his October 15 guarantee date, then try to sign him to the final two-way slot.

Whether that's the best use of resources for the Clippers remains to be seen, but Christie almost certainly won't have a better alternative at this point in his career.