Terance Mann, Clippers agree to two-year, $22 million extension, per report

Terance Mann is signing a two-year, $22 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Marc Spears of The Undefeated. Mann, the No. 48 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, initially signed a four-year minimum contract with the Clippers upon being drafted. The final two years of that deal, which will pay Mann less than $4 million, are still valid and will now be fully guaranteed. He will then make roughly $10.6 million for the 2023-24 season and $11.4 million for the 2024-25 season. 

By signing now, Mann guarantees himself significantly more money than he’s made thus far in his career, but he’s also helped the Clippers preserve some long-term flexibility. Mann was initially set to become a free agent in 2023, but the Clippers still have a significant amount of salary on the books at that point. By locking Mann up now, they delay his free agency until 2025 and ensure that if he does continue to improve, they won’t have to pay him his true market value for two extra seasons. 

While Mann’s role has been fairly limited in the past two regular seasons, his 2021 postseason alone suggests he is well worth this contract. Mann averaged only 3.8 points in 13.5 minutes per game in the postseason prior to Kawhi Leonard’s season-ending knee injury, but once Leonard went down, those numbers jumped to 12.8 points in 28.6 minutes per game. Mann scored 39 points on 15-of-21 shooting in his team’s decisive Game 6 victory over the Utah Jazz to send the Clippers to their first-ever Western Conference finals.

Mann’s development is extremely important to the Clippers considering how many draft picks they gave up to acquire Paul George. The Clippers have limited avenues toward finding and developing young talent, and Mann appears to be a long-term keeper. If he continues to grow as a shooter, his combination of ball-handling and athleticism should make him a valuable long-term part of the team. Now the Clippers have him locked in for four more years at a bargain-basement price.