The Clippers added center Nathan Mensah on October 17, their latest roster move before the regular season opens October 21 against the Kings. Seven players carry an injury tag entering that game, led by Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal, both targeting a November 8 return.
Mensah fills out a center rotation thinned by injury.
Nathan Mensah joined the Clippers on October 17, adding depth at center while Yanic Konan Niederhauser recovers from a right foot and leg injury that is expected to keep him out until November 8. Brook Lopez, entering his 18th season, is the only healthy veteran big on the roster heading into the opener.
Seven players carry an injury tag into the opener.
Ingram, Beal, Strus and Niederhauser are each out with a target return of November 8, covering an Achilles and leg issue for Ingram, a knee and leg issue for Beal, and foot and leg injuries for Strus and Niederhauser. Kobe Sanders and Kris Dunn are day-to-day and aiming for the October 21 opener itself. Jordan Miller's shoulder and arm injury is the outlier, keeping him out until March 1, 2027.
The payroll stays above the cap but short of the tax.
Payroll totals $193.7 million, above the $165.0 million cap and below the $200.4 million threshold that triggers the tax. Darius Garland ($42.2 million) and Ingram ($40.0 million) anchor the bill, with Strus, Rui Hachimura and Derrick Jones Jr. rounding out the top five. Draft capital is just as encumbered: the 2029 and 2030 first-rounders are forfeited, and most of the remaining selections through 2030 are swaps.
The open question is whether the rotation holds past November 8.
Ingram, Beal, Strus and Niederhauser all share the same target date, raising the question of how much the Clippers change by the time all four are eligible to return. Miller will not factor into that answer until deep into the season.
When do Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal return?
Both are targeting November 8, with Ingram out for an Achilles and leg injury and Beal out for a knee and leg injury.
When do the Clippers open the regular season?
The Clippers open the 2026-27 season on October 21 against the Kings, after finishing preseason 2-1 with wins over the Warriors and Nuggets and a loss at Toronto.
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