Amir Coffey -- Could/Should We Keep Him?

[TrueLAfan]

I’m feeling bad for Amir Coffey. He’s a productive player, but he’s not a starter. And he’s a UFA in the worst year for UFAs in a while. Two months ago, I would have said there's a 95% chance he's going. Now I'm not as sure. The aprons have really messed up signings. Good players are getting little money. Gary Trent Jr. (2 year/$7.5 million) and Taurean Prince (2 years/$7.1 million) are pretty similar in age and production and, probably, value. So is it worth it to us to, maybe, see if Coffey would stay? I see these possibilities for him:

He goes for 5 million plus a year. I don’t see this happening.

He signs for 3 million to 5 million a year. This is the best possibility. But … would it worth it for us to try and keep him? Would a 2 year/$7.3 million or 3 year/$12 million deal get us over the first apron? And if so, would it be worth it to us to let Kobe Brown and/or Jordan Miller go to bring us back down in salaries? Because, if it’s a choice between Coffey and Jordan Miller or Kobe Brown, I’m going with Coffey seven days a week.

Would he take a deal like that? Is he really (really) going to get a better offer, or an offer with more minutes on a team that can actually contend? Does he care about that? How strong are his roots here?

[clipsfever]

I would really like to see it... and would waive or dump-trade Kobe B to make a space

[ClipOnTheEar]

Amir is a dyed in the wool Clip.

I'd say he'd snap at any contract he's offered.

He's one of us, and is a great end of bench guy.

He does fill a need in that guard/forward tweener mold.

[esqtvd]

Amir is, as they say in NBA parlance," a "guy." Filled 1700 much-needed minutes at minus-0.6. Didn't hurt us, didn't help us. Slumped badly to minus-3.3 after the ASB, ahead of only Miller and Flowers and played ZERO minutes in the playoffs.

Coffey has made maybe $12M as a pro, not bad depending on how he spent and invested it, but not slam-dunk set for life. He needs to go where the money is, but it appears at age 28, there may not be more coming. Hooking on somewhere at the minimum might be the HIGH side.

https://www.si.com/nba/knicks/news/los-angeles-clippers-amir-coffey-makes-sense-new-york-knicks

[TrueLAfan]

Quick heads up. With Jordan Miller released, we've got enough to offer the rest of our MLTE money and a vet minimum contract. If Beal gets the extra midlevel $$, could Coffey be the vet minimum player? Would we want him to be? (I think Coffey would make about $6 million on a two year vet minimum deal.)

[KL2]

Am I the only one wishing him the best and move on? I appreciate what he did and how he stepped up in dark days but I’d rather one of the others get a chance however small it is.

All signs seem to point us signing Beal and Paul and calling it an off season. For now anyway.

[Clemenza]

I’m feeling bad for Amir Coffey. He’s a productive player, but he’s not a starter. And he’s a UFA in the worst year for UFAs in a while. Two months ago, I would have said there's a 95% chance he's going. Now I'm not as sure. The aprons have really messed up signings. Good players are getting little money. Gary Trent Jr. (2 year/$7.5 million) and Taurean Prince (2 years/$7.1 million) are pretty similar in age and production and, probably, value. So is it worth it to us to, maybe, see if Coffey would stay? I see these possibilities for him:

He goes for 5 million plus a year. I don’t see this happening.

He signs for 3 million to 5 million a year. This is the best possibility. But … would it worth it for us to try and keep him? Would a 2 year/$7.3 million or 3 year/$12 million deal get us over the first apron? And if so, would it be worth it to us to let Kobe Brown and/or Jordan Miller go to bring us back down in salaries? Because, if it’s a choice between Coffey and Jordan Miller or Kobe Brown, I’m going with Coffey seven days a week.

Would he take a deal like that? Is he really (really) going to get a better offer, or an offer with more minutes on a team that can actually contend? Does he care about that? How strong are his roots here?

Its going to be tough for mid level role player free agents from here on out in this new NBA climate and new CBA. In a perfect world you resign Coffey, but he's not a needle mover and you got Cam Christie, Trentyn Flowers, and Pat Baldwin waiting in the wing that are much younger and have higher ceilings. And the thing is, almost every team has this same scenario. Coffey has had a few nice games over the years, but needed a couple of signature moments like say he gets 20 points in a playoff win over Dallas two years ago when Kawhi went down with injury. TMann had one of the greatest individual games in Clipper history and he too ended up getting dealt in the end. Its just too many players to choose from now. Rosters are full, the G League is full, hundreds of legit players to scout overseas, a two round draft every season, etc.

Coffey, BBJ, Mann, hell even Jordan Miller would've been godsends to the Lob City Era team. We couldn't acquire a decent wing back then even if we went to Popeyes or Wing Stop. Not much draft capital but low key a developmental stash of Cam Christie, Flowers, PBJ, Yankic, Kobe Sanders, is pretty f*cking good. That's not happening for us 3-4 years ago. There's a ton of players to scour through now for a NBA team. If there's no expansion and older players still won't retire, then having a NBA job will be one of the hardest jobs to acquire on the planet. That's why I don't sh*t on guys like Moussa getting on a non playoff team and making the best of it. He actually f*cking made it in this league! There's a 100K players across the globe that would switch places with him in a heartbeat.

I think Coffey will land somewhere. For us its just time to see if Christie, Flowers, and company are potential needle movers or not. Plus they also need to fill in some roles with players who are on cheap contracts. They know they have to start putting in some time, effort, and opening up some lanes as far as development goes. For role players its going to be like how the NFL is starting to run through QB's year in and year out. High draft pick or not, you got two years to show us you're that guy or not then its off to the next wing we drafted, acquired, or have been developing on our G League affiliate. We can't grind the older starters into the ground to 50 wins this upcoming season that's for sure.

[Clemenza]

Am I the only one wishing him the best and move on? I appreciate what he did and how he stepped up in dark days but I’d rather one of the others get a chance however small it is.

All signs seem to point us signing Beal and Paul and calling it an off season. For now anyway.

They have to see if Cam Christie and to a lessor extent Flowers and Pat Baldwin have something. Its time. Coffey and Jordan Miller were nice to decent players but its a different era. Too many players to look at, give a chance, and cycle through. If you're not moving the needle in any direction and the team gets a hold of a couple of younger guys that could potentially have more upside then the clock is ticking.

[esqtvd]

Am I the only one wishing him the best and move on? I appreciate what he did and how he stepped up in dark days but I’d rather one of the others get a chance however small it is.

All signs seem to point us signing Beal and Paul and calling it an off season. For now anyway.

They have to see if Cam Christie and to a lessor extent Flowers and Pat Baldwin have something. Its time. Coffey and Jordan Miller were nice to decent players but its a different era. Too many players to look at, give a chance, and cycle through. If you're not moving the needle in any direction and the team gets a hold of a couple of younger guys that could potentially have more upside then the clock is ticking.

Bigs can be projects as they grow into their bodies [like Zu], but otherwise there are still overlooked late picks/longshots who simply hit the ground running and never look back. They can at least contribute somewhat on the NBA level right away. Then by 24 or 25, you is what you is. I kept telling folks that was the story with T-Mann. In fact, after he got his 3 yr/$47M, he inexplicibly went backward.

[madmaxmedia]

Am I the only one wishing him the best and move on? I appreciate what he did and how he stepped up in dark days but I’d rather one of the others get a chance however small it is.

All signs seem to point us signing Beal and Paul and calling it an off season. For now anyway.

They have to see if Cam Christie and to a lessor extent Flowers and Pat Baldwin have something. Its time. Coffey and Jordan Miller were nice to decent players but its a different era. Too many players to look at, give a chance, and cycle through. If you're not moving the needle in any direction and the team gets a hold of a couple of younger guys that could potentially have more upside then the clock is ticking.

Bigs can be projects as they grow into their bodies [like Zu], but otherwise there are still overlooked late picks/longshots who simply hit the ground running and never look back. They can at least contribute somewhat on the NBA level right away. Then by 24 or 25, you is what you is. I kept telling folks that was the story with T-Mann. In fact, after he got his 3 yr/$47M, he inexplicibly went backward.

I think looking back Terance maximized his NBA potential, and we maximized his contribution while he was here. On a team full of stars and primary scorers, I loved having him out there as a glue guy, +/- be damned. He earned his contract, but perhaps now that he's playing on it it's pressuring him to do more than he is naturally capable of. It's not so dramatic an overpay though.

[esqtvd]

They have to see if Cam Christie and to a lessor extent Flowers and Pat Baldwin have something. Its time. Coffey and Jordan Miller were nice to decent players but its a different era. Too many players to look at, give a chance, and cycle through. If you're not moving the needle in any direction and the team gets a hold of a couple of younger guys that could potentially have more upside then the clock is ticking.

Bigs can be projects as they grow into their bodies [like Zu], but otherwise there are still overlooked late picks/longshots who simply hit the ground running and never look back. They can at least contribute somewhat on the NBA level right away. Then by 24 or 25, you is what you is. I kept telling folks that was the story with T-Mann. In fact, after he got his 3 yr/$47M, he inexplicibly went backward.

I think looking back Terance maximized his NBA potential, and we maximized his contribution while he was here. On a team full of stars and primary scorers, I loved having him out there as a glue guy, +/- be damned. He earned his contract, but perhaps now that he's playing on it it's pressuring him to do more than he is naturally capable of. It's not so dramatic an overpay though.

The thing was, T-Mann HIMSELF would brag on his plus/minus, so when then that fell through the floor, there was no statistically justifiable reason to play him. That's why the Clippers gave him the gate along with the rest.



He didn't do the big things, or the little things either. He was running up and down the floor, contributing nothing. Clippers internet called him The Cardio Kid, because getting some exercise in was all he was accomplishing.


ATL benched him in the play-ins--both of which they lost, and it cost them the #22 pick this year to dump his contract on the Nets.