I had a feeling this was coming.
There has not yet been a press release, but according to Jonathan Abrams in the LA Times, the Clippers have waived Ruben Patterson.
With the roster sitting at the maximum 15 and Patterson carrying the only non-guaranteed contract, the move is entirely about roster flexibility (Patterson's contract would have become guaranteed this Saturday). And say what you will about Clipper management, the fact that they got Ruben agree to come to LA and play without any guarantees was a pretty shrewd move. If it worked out (and early in the season it looked like it would), that's great. But with the team having lost 13 of their last 17, the benefit of carrying a veteran like Patterson is short term, while the thinking has to be long term. The fact that so much of the team's limited offensive arsenal (Cassell, Mobley, Maggette not to mention Brand and Livingston) has spent all or part of the season hurt makes a one-dimensional defender like Patterson less appealing. He's valuable in situations, like guarding Ron Artest - but the Clippers need more shooters on the floor in every game, and he can't shoot.
What the Clippers do with the roster spot remains to be seen. Abrams says that they're concerned with the point guard position, given Cassell's injury. But the shooting guard is even thinner, with Mobley playing hurt and Ross currently out. So picking up a combo guard might be the most logical move. Of course their former second round pick, Guillermo Diaz, is right down the road in Anaheim. He's never proven to be an effective point guard, and he has little more size than Dickau (the diminutive Clipper points being a problem right now), but he can score, and at least he has upside.
I'll pass along the press release when it is available.
Update [2007-12-13 15:50:38 by ClipperSteve]: Here's the text of the press release. It doesn't add anything, but just to be official:
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