Cutoff/status: 2026-07-18; verified LAC center, age 23, entering his second NBA season, and still in a walking boot after a July follow-up procedure on the right foot. NBA profile · Hoops Rumors, follow-up procedure, 2026-07 · Los Angeles Clippers
Baseline and 2026-27 projection
Niederhauser played 41 games at 10.3 MPG as a rookie, averaging 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.6 turnovers on .640/.758 shooting. Basketball-Reference
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 11.0 | .620 | .740 | 0.0 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
Correction 2026-07-18: games cut from 40 to 27 and minutes from 12.0 to 11.0. The earlier line predated an offseason follow-up procedure to remove the hardware from the March Lisfranc surgery. He remained in a walking boot in mid-July, and Law Murray reported he is not expected to be ready for opening night and may not play until after Christmas. A 40-game season is no longer the central estimate. Hoops Rumors, 2026-07
Fantasy translation
- Nine-category: 210+ per game and below that in totals; blocks become streamable only near 18 minutes.
- Points: watchlist until a confirmed return and top-two center role.
- Dynasty: stash rank 250-350. Hashtag placed him 331st, close to Baba Miller but without accounting for every league's injured reserve rules. Hashtag
Role and scenarios
- Low: rehab extends into 2027 or the foot limits explosiveness; fewer than 15 games.
- Base: returns after Christmas, ramps through the G League and reaches 11 NBA minutes when active.
- High: clearance arrives in late November and he overtakes Lopez by spring, reaching 20 minutes and 1.3 blocks.
The team announced a Lisfranc ligament tear requiring surgery on March 6. He then had a second offseason procedure to remove the hardware from that surgery — described as a normal step in the recovery — and was still in a boot in mid-July. A five-to-eight-month estimate attributed to Niederhauser and relayed by local reporter Justin Russo in April suggested November/December; the July procedure pushes that later, and there is still no official return date. ESPN, 2026-03-06 · reporter relay, 2026-04-18
Confidence
| Roster | Minutes | Rate | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | Low | Medium-low | Low |
Career record
Pre-NBA: Swiss-Ivorian center who played 2021-22 for Ehingen Urspring in Germany, splitting time between the youth side and the club's Pro A (second-division) team, before moving to US college basketball. Two seasons at Northern Illinois: 20 games and 2.2 points as a freshman in 2022-23, then 27 games with 26 starts and 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds in 2023-24. Transferred to Penn State for 2024-25 and produced his one standout college year — 29 games, all starts, 25.1 MPG, 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks on 61% from the field in the Big Ten. That single season of shot-blocking and rim finishing is essentially the entire scouting case. Draft: 2025, round 1, pick 30, Los Angeles Clippers.
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 22 | LAC | 41 | 10.3 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | .640 | .758 | 0.6 |
| Career | 41 | 10.3 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | .640 | .758 | 0.6 |
Totals reconcile: 64 field goals including one three, plus 47 free throws, gives 176 points over 41 games and 412 minutes, with 117 rebounds and 30 blocks.
Durability: 41 of 82 games, and the injury is the whole file. The Clippers announced a torn Lisfranc ligament in his right foot on March 6, 2026, requiring season-ending surgery. He then underwent a follow-up procedure in July 2026 to remove the hardware — described as a routine step — and was still in a walking boot in mid-July with no official return date. A five-to-eight-month estimate relayed in April pointed at November or December; the July procedure pushes that later, and local reporting suggests he may not play until after Christmas.
Trajectory: The rookie year did what a 30th pick's rookie year should: 64% from the field, 0.7 blocks in 10 minutes, no offense created outside the rim, no three-point game at all. That is a backup-center profile whose fantasy relevance is entirely blocks-plus-percentage, and it needs roughly 18 minutes a night to matter in nine-category leagues. He will not have those minutes at the start of 2026-27 because he will not be playing. The realistic path is a post-Christmas return, a G League ramp, and a spring push for the backup center job; he becomes worth adding only if he is cleared, shows the pre-injury vertical explosiveness, and an injury or trade moves the veteran center ahead of him out of the rotation.
Career sources: ESPN player stats · StatMuse 2025-26 season averages · Wikipedia · NBA.com, season-ending foot surgery · Hoops Rumors, July follow-up procedure
Open questions
- When is Niederhauser cleared for full-contact work and games?
- Does he retain pre-injury vertical explosiveness and mobility?
- Can added weight help him rebound without slowing the foot recovery?