2019 - 2021 Free-Agents

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Chris Haynes, Yahoo Sports (11/2/18)

But most of all, Davis just wants to win.

That’s why rival NBA executives are of the belief that Davis could be up for grabs for a large-market organization well before he is expected to opt out of his contract in 2020. He is eligible for a super-max extension with the Pelicans in July 2019 that is worth $235 million for five years.

If Davis were to pass on such a massive deal, as some executives believe he could, the franchise would be forced to contemplate trading its cornerstone. Nevertheless, Davis said he’ll concern himself with contractual matters in the summer.

The speculation isn’t expected to cool down, with Davis recently hiring Rich Paul of Klutch Sports — the same agent who reps LeBron James — to represent him. In the summer, the Lakers will be extremely aggressive in their pursuit of high-caliber stars to pair with James in the free-agent and trade markets.

Boston, Golden State, New York and the Los Angeles Clippers will also be some of the teams monitoring Davis’ situation, sources told Yahoo Sports.

Anthony Davis: 'I Got to Play Almost Perfect Every Night to Give Us a Chance to Win'

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Pablo Uggetti, TheRinger.com (11/6/18)

This is a franchise that, after Lob City went up in flames, needed to show it was stable — enter Jerry West — and that it could win even without a star. The Clippers have achieved both goals so far this season, and in many ways they have the perfect sales pitch to a superstar who wants his own team in a big market: Come here and make us more than just a fringe playoff team. Thanks to savvy cap managing, they could have around $57 million in cap space next offseason, enough for at least one max contract — possibly even two.

None of that is guaranteed, of course. The Clippers may very well end up getting overshadowed yet again in their own city, finding themselves unable to attract free agents and getting stuck somewhere in the black hole between the 8-seed and the bottom of the West. Butler may be traded or may sign elsewhere this offseason; Leonard may stay in Toronto (the Raptors are currently destroying everyone in their path and look like the best team in the East). But the noise around this team is getting increasingly hard to ignore, and for the Clippers, that’s a moral victory in itself.

Lob City may have ended in disappointment, but maybe it needed to die so that the best version of the Clippers could live.

The Clippers Are Outrunning NBA Purgatory—and They May Just Land a Superstar in the Process

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[esqtvd]

Why Clippers are serious free agency destination for players

These are not your father’s Los Angeles Clippers — they are not a punchline. This is no longer the penny-pinching era of Elgin Baylor as general manager trying to field a team under the racist whims of owner Donald Sterling, a franchise where free agents didn’t want to go, a franchise where players like Lamar Odom begged the franchise not to re-sign them.

The Clippers now have a good, player-friendly reputation among players.

“I truly would say so,” Tobias Harris told NBC Sports of the change. “It’s a great organization top to bottom, great coach, an owner that is really invested in the team. I’ve been in different situations, different organizations, and this organization is top of the line. So it’s definitely a situation that players, in my opinion, would want to be at.”

“We just feel great right here,” Harris’s best friend Boban Marjanovic added. “Just everything, just organizational, our coach, people, teammates, people who work there, everybody you meet, when you walk in the building you feel a great energy, to feel good.”

The coach.


https://nba.nbcsports.com/2018/11/11/why-clippers-are-serious-free-agency-destination-for-players/

This is, without hyperbole, an unprecedented moment in franchise history—with an engaged, fiercely competitive owner at the helm, a whip-smart front office, a championship-winning coach (Doc Rivers), an image buoyed by their recent success and, oh yes, all of that cap room.

Doc Rivers plays into this, too — players love him and love playing for him. Especially veterans. Rivers treats them like adults and is not going to run Quin Snyder-style three-hour practices.

[MartinToVaught]

Players aren't going to tell the media "our coach sucks" no matter what.

[TrueLAfan]

Players aren't going to tell the media "our coach sucks" no matter what.

Well, no they aren’t. But I really don't think the current Clipper roster thinks that. It isn’t that hard for players to get the word out—usually via the media or social media—that they don’t like a coach. You know:

--“The rotation confuses me/us.”
--“I/we never know where we stand.”
--“Too much of an X’s and O’s guy.”
--“Not enough of an X’s and O’s guy.”
--“Long practices.”
--“Favors certain players.”
--“With our talent, we should be (a lot) better.”
--(After a loss) “I’m just doing what the coach says.”
--“We aren’t focusing on (small ball/rebounding/defense/whatever)”
--“I deserve more playing time.”

There's been plenty of times when I've disagreed with Doc Rivers. I'm not at all convinced he's a great coach--and I would really like for us to have a great coach. But I think he's a good coach, and the word going around now--via the media, social media, and general commentary--seems to be that player are happy and we're a destination for FAs. Combine that with a winning record in a season where we're expected to win 35 games and it's hard not to think Doc is due some credit.

[esqtvd]

There's been plenty of times when I've disagreed with Doc Rivers. I'm not at all convinced he's a great coach--and I would really like for us to have a great coach. But I think he's a good coach, and the word going around now--via the media, social media, and general commentary--seems to be that player are happy and we're a destination for FAs. Combine that with a winning record in a season where we're expected to win 35 games and it's hard not to think Doc is due some credit.

Not if you set your mind to it.

[mkwest]

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[Ranma]

Jones and Goodwill discuss how the Warriors have decided to stop working around KD when there was a concerted effort before to make him feel as comfortable as possible. Neither cited an inciting incident of note but the implication is that Durant has worn out his welcome a bit in Golden State. That is not to say that they wouldn't welcome him back or are not fine with him right now, but the discussion turned to how Draymond Green may already be tired of KD despite being the one who famously went out of his way to flout tampering rules in order to recruit him.

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[MartinToVaught]

For the first time, I'm actually starting to think we have a decent chance of signing KD. Still not convinced that he walks away from the easy rings when it's all said and done, but it looks more likely now.

[Forte IV]

Kawhi fits our team better

[mkwest]

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[MartinToVaught]

Kawhi fits our team better

Maybe the Logo will find a way to sign both.