Kobe Sanders signs standard contract with LA

The Los Angeles Clippers upgraded rookie guard Kobe Sanders from a two-way contract to a standard NBA contract on Saturday, confirming his spot on the 15-man roster. Sanders was productive in his first professional season and will now have no restrictions on his playing time going forward. The agreement also reportedly includes a team option for the 2026–27 season.

Selected with the 50th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, 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, scoring a career-high 35 points and setting school records 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 3-pointer against VCU and 30 points and 27 points 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 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 percentages 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. He is contributing 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocks per game defensively. His consistent production made the promotion necessary, as two-way players are limited to a maximum of 50 NBA games, and Sanders was approaching that threshold while also being active in two additional games.

The move also addresses roster issues for the Clippers, who had just 13 players on standard contracts and were near the limit for two-way player activity. With Sanders now on a standard contract and the expected addition of Dalan Bunton on a 10-day deal, LA can take full advantage of their roster flexibility. The Clippers currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference with a record of 24–27.

With Sanders now a fixture in the rotation, Los Angeles gets a versatile 6-foot-8 guard who can contribute on both ends of the floor.