Clippers Sign Brice Johnson to Rookie Contract

After this morning's press conference, where the Clippers introduced Brice Johnson, David Michineau, and Diamond Stone, Brice officially signed his first NBA contract, which will make him a Clipper for at least 2 years.

Johnson's new deal will likely pay him the full 120% of his rookie scale $1,273,920 next season, and $1,331,160 the following year.

For the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons, the Clippers will have team options for Brice: $1,388,520 and $2,500,725.  For these rookie scale team options, the Clippers will have to make a decision a year in advance--instead of deciding on the 2018-2019 season in June of 2018, they'll have to exercise the option in October of 2017.

If he completes those four years with the Clippers, the team will have the option to make Johnson a restricted free agent in the summer of 2020 with a qualifying offer of $3,673,564.

Michineau and Stone, who were second round picks, have not yet signed contracts.  The rookie minimum is $543,471 for this season and the minimum for players with one year of experience is $905,249 next season.  If these players are signed, their contracts will likely be non-guaranteed to provide the team with flexibility.

The Clippers are waiting to sign Michineau and Stone while they see how the roster pans out.  Presently, they own rights on these players and are the only team permitted to sign them.  Were the Clippers to sign them, and then have to cut them, they would become free agents who could sign with any team.  If the Clippers wait on signing them, they continue to own their draft rights indefinitely, even if they never sign them.