2019 - 2021 Free-Agents

[QRich3]

Hell, the Raptors themselves could offer a package headlined by Siakam, OG and an expiring, and that would beat the Lakers' offer and give them as good a shot at a title this year as anyone but the Warriors will have. We'll see, teams will make good offers even without assurances, but a lot will depend on how hard he's pushing things in the Lakers direction.

[Galloisdaman]

If I'm the Clippers I ask AD does he really want to become the next Chris Bosh or Kevin Lowe playing 2nd fiddle to Lebron. While that might be exaggerated I'd also say come to LA and beat Lebron instead of playing second fiddle. Make your own legacy as a Clipper.

[wco81]

Oh man if the Lakers traded Lebron for AD ...

That would be throwing a big FU to Klutch.

[Ranma]

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[donemilio21]

If I'm the Clippers I ask AD does he really want to become the next Chris Bosh or Kevin Lowe playing 2nd fiddle to Lebron. While that might be exaggerated I'd also say come to LA and beat Lebron instead of playing second fiddle. Make your own legacy as a Clipper.

We don't really have anything valuable to trade without gutting the team. No good draft picks, no high-upside players on rookie contracts.
Harris, Harrell, Lou, SGA + two draft picks could be attractive, if Harris commits to resign with Pelicans.
But that is a big risk for us to take unless we get commitment from Kawhi or Kyrie to sign with us this summer.

[esqtvd]

If I'm the Clippers I ask AD does he really want to become the next Chris Bosh or Kevin Lowe playing 2nd fiddle to Lebron. While that might be exaggerated I'd also say come to LA and beat Lebron instead of playing second fiddle. Make your own legacy as a Clipper.

I think we gotta sit tight and hold on to whatever playoff rotation-worthy people we have. Even LeBron can't win with the Laker cast he has now.

The best weather and the best owner and the best Logo will attract somebody, somebody who doesn't want to be LeBron's caddy, and I think more sooner than later. I agree on the pitch but AD already knows that if he wants to choose the Clippers in 2020, Ballmer will send the plane.

[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

If Tobias had signed the extension the Clippers offered him prior to this season, I think the Clippers would have a compelling offer for the Pelicans to consider. Personally, I think New Orleans should blow things up and rebuild but with a replacement for Dell Demps as GM. This is a dude who failed to build a contending team around Anthony Davis during his entire time as a Pelican. He was the GM who initially accepted the the Lakers' offer for Chris Paul that had short-term assets like Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom as part of that package. He's also the same guy former NBA commissioner David Stern called out for being incompetent and correctly predicted would be responsible for losing the Brow. Doc Rivers and Elgin Baylor are probably the only two people with worse track records as general managers.

Maybe Demps has finally learned the error of his ways but Woj reports that other GMs believe they can swindle him and are willing to rent Davis confident that they can at least recoup what they'll pay to get him. Chris Haynes recently noted that the Clippers have been keeping tabs on notable players including Anthony Davis, so we know our front office will do its due diligence in pursuing a trade for AD. As long as Demps has control of the Brow's rights, I think anything is possible with regards to an Anthony Davis trade.

Having said that, I acknowledge that the timing of Davis's announcement of a trade request along with the fact that he's represented by LeBron's agency, Klutch Sports, clearly indicates a push and preference for him to be dealt to the Lakers. Davis, like Kawhi, recently bought a house in Southern California only in Westlake Village. Multiple media personalities have stated that it's the worst kept secret that Davis likes Los Angeles given how much time he spends there. However, Davis left a huge amount of guaranteed money on the table in turning his back on the Pelicans' opportunity to offer him the supermax contract and talked about making his legacy a priority.

I'm sure Davis has been convinced by LeBron and Rich Paul that the Lakers are the best destination for him, but I genuinely believe he's open to other teams albeit those on a short list. The trade request is signaling to Magic not to fool around and go all out to acquire AD. While the Lakers can offer a big package, their assets have diminished in value. Ball is injured and will be out for a while, plus, he may not even want to be in New Orleans. Ingram has also had to deal with injuries in the past and has yet to realize his potential. Kuzma would be considered the centerpiece of a deal the Lakers would offer and he's unlikely to ever be an All-Star. Would the Pelicans be confident in Ball and Ingram to be the players they can develop to the point of eventually extending to a big-money, long-term deal?

Boston is supposedly not a top target for Davis, but that's not going to stop Ainge from trying to deal for him. Philadelphia is reportedly not going to prepare an offer for Davis right now, but that could change and they should, to be honest. I'm still not sold on Ben Simmons, but I can see the Pelicans being convinced that he'll be the best player they'll receive in any trade. I can also see Toronto making a play for AD with Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby as their primary trade pieces. Unless the Knicks land the 1st overall pick to draft Zion Williamson, I don't see how they can make a competitive offer given that Kristaps Porzingis is damaged goods.

If the Clippers can somehow acquire Anthony Davis, there is no doubt in my mind that we can convince him to stay given that we check all of the boxes for him. We offer his preferred location in Los Angeles. We have a front office that is committed and poised to building a contending team for sustained success. We have an extremely wealthy owner willing and eager to pay for his next long-term contract while investing in whatever resources necessary for him to be successful on and off the court. Plus, we'll most likely pair him with another star determined to win in Kawhi Leonard. In fact, Howard Beck noted recently that the Clippers have reached the point of even being a little cocky in anticipating Kawhi will be with them for next season and beyond.

I believe I made it a point earlier in this thread or elsewhere in this forum of how important it is to keep the Lakers from acquiring Anthony Davis given how the Clippers are currently competing with them for market and mind shares in Los Angeles. Ballmer has made long-term investments to change hearts by renovating public basketball courts throughout the city but it will take time to realize that vision. Having AD join LeBron would derail the progress of such endeavors. Luckily, Jerry West is determined to not lose out to Magic and the Lakers, but the fact remains that we're still limited by the assets we currently possess or rather the lack thereof.

I would offer a combination of anything we have to secure Anthony Davis. Gallo has arguably been our best player this season, so maybe we can convince Demps and the Pelicans to take him instead of Tobias or even offer both. Montrezl and Lou should certainly be attractive to any team, especially given their respective contracts. Shai and Rome are promising prospects even if they haven't been showcased nearly enough. It's a shame we can't offer Tyrone Wallace since the Pelicans pursued him before we matched their offer sheet, so we can't trade him to them until September. We can maybe offer 3 future first-round picks and the rights to swap first-rounders for the other 3 years. It'd be 4 first-round selections if Doc didn't deal it away for half a season of worn-out Jeff Green; in fact, we might have to offer less if the pick doesn't convey this year. If Demps is still focused on the short-term, I think the Clippers have a decent-to-good chance of making an attractive offer for him, but it remains to be seen what direction he will have the Pelicans heading in in the aftermath of having to deal away their franchise player.

In any case, I'm hoping the confluence of circumstances has us in play for AD. If Davis pushes to be traded to the Lakers, it might actually help the Clippers' cause to swoop in and trade for him since it might reduce the amount of suitors and we'd still be in position to convince him to re-sign long-term. If he goes to Toronto, Philadelphia or even, to a lesser extent, Boston, there's still a likelihood we could recruit him as a free agent in 2020 since he won't immediately sign an extension regardless of where he's traded to because he'd lose out on a bigger contract. We just have to hope that the rest of the league will help us in keeping him away from the Lakers.

[Wammy Giveaway]

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My proposal:

1. Keep the fine on Davis. This is more an agent problem than a player player.
2. Gag order on Davis. All teams would be barred from trading for Anthony Davis for the rest of this season. They can make offers though for Pelicans to consider.
3. Fine the Lakers. In addition to whatever monetary fine, Lakers would be forced to trade an additional draft pick if they wish to acquire Davis. The penalty pick must be the most current and highest of draft order and will not be effected by the Ted Stepien Rule.
4. Gag order the Lakers. If Lakers attempt a trade for Davis, they will be barred from trading with other teams for the remainder of next season.

[Ranma]

I don't see that happening, Wammy, but I gave you a +1 for the tweets. I think Anthony Davis and Rich Paul anticipated and are even willing to accept the fine in order to signal to the Lakers to come after him. Dahntay Jones was wrong, after all.

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[Ranma]

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[Wammy Giveaway]

I don't see that happening, Wammy, but I gave you a +1 for the tweets.

Understandable. The only reason why I'd propose these sanctions is because GMs around the league perceive Dell Demps to be easily swindable. This was actually discussed today on Tuesday's Drop of The Starters (link to podcast below), where the gang predicted that the Chris Paul veto experience, his irrational quickness to trading four 1st round picks, and Davis's face-heel turn might cost him his job. Small market teams have a reputation for being lottery farms: a losing team drafts a superstar and develops them which results in some regular season success and maybe a playoff victory or two, then when the superstar gets fed up, the small market team ends up losing him to a big market team. However, the market teams in question aren't just on location, but by reputation, with Lakers and Celtics the tops of the pops. Remember, the Lakers-Celtics rivalry was what made the league relevant in the 1960's, plus it even saved the league from bankruptcy.

Bottom line: small market teams are being exploited. This is why I would have loved to see a one-superstar-per-two-roster-spots rule in order to keep things fair.

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[Ranma]

Understandable. The only reason why I'd propose these sanctions is because GMs around the league perceive Dell Demps to be easily swindable. This was actually discussed today on Tuesday's Drop of The Starters (link to podcast below), where the gang predicted that the Chris Paul veto experience, his irrational quickness to trading four 1st round picks, and Davis's face-heel turn might cost him his job. Small market teams have a reputation for being lottery farms: a losing team drafts a superstar and develops them which results in some success and maybe a playoff victory or two, then when the superstar gets fed up, the small market team ends up losing him to a big market team. However, the market teams in question aren't just on location, but by reputation, with Lakers and Celtics the tops of the pops. Remember, the Lakers-Celtics rivalry was what made the league relevant in the 1960's, plus it even saved the league from bankruptcy.

Bottom line: small market teams are being exploited. This is why I would have loved to see a one-superstar-per-two-roster-spots rule in order to keep things fair.

There's no question small-market teams are at a disadvantage but you can't incentivize front-office incompetence or punish organizations for being good at drafting, developing and even trading. Instead of throwing money at mediocre players in order to satisfy the salary-floor minimum requirement of all teams, owners should invest in organizational infrastructure and competent leadership.

Small-market teams are always whining about something. There's a salary cap to even the playing field in terms of team spending. There's revenue sharing that funnels money to teams that don't contribute as significantly to popularizing the league as major-market clubs do. Your proposal only encourages teams to act like Donald Sterling in being more concerned about making a profit over competing.

Well-run small-market teams do well. Look at the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons during the "Bad Boys" era and even the Toronto Raptors despite being a major market but one located outside of the United States.

[Wammy Giveaway]

Small-market teams are always whining about something. There's a salary cap to even the playing field in terms of team spending. There's revenue sharing that funnels money to teams that don't contribute as significantly to popularizing the league as major-market clubs do. Your proposal only encourages teams to act like Donald Sterling in being more concerned about making a profit over competing.

You got me on that one...

While we're on the Clippers, what's your assessment of them with relation to Rachel Nichol's video on The Jump? The Clippers are in a big market, but operate more in line with small market teams. After all, they did originate in Buffalo, New York, and had a short Bobcats-esque stint in San Diego. Bad ownership stunted their growth for years until David Stern crept in with the Chris Paul trade, then TMZ and the Sterling tapes which led to Steve Ballmer. But we could point to Jerry West as the guy who's making the Clippers run properly with asset and salary management. Without him, they're another crippled small market team.

With West, the Clippers should be having the best of both worlds, don't you think?

[Galloisdaman]

If I'm the Clippers I ask AD does he really want to become the next Chris Bosh or Kevin Lowe playing 2nd fiddle to Lebron. While that might be exaggerated I'd also say come to LA and beat Lebron instead of playing second fiddle. Make your own legacy as a Clipper.

We don't really have anything valuable to trade without gutting the team. No good draft picks, no high-upside players on rookie contracts.
Harris, Harrell, Lou, SGA + two draft picks could be attractive, if Harris commits to resign with Pelicans.
But that is a big risk for us to take unless we get commitment from Kawhi or Kyrie to sign with us this summer.

I think the Clippers could beat the stuff the Pelicans want from the Lakers. Bigs like AD do not come around often. You may not get another shot for 10 plus years. Harris, SGA (or Jerome) plus 2 firsts would have to be considered as long as AD extends.

[Galloisdaman]

If I'm the Clippers I ask AD does he really want to become the next Chris Bosh or Kevin Lowe playing 2nd fiddle to Lebron. While that might be exaggerated I'd also say come to LA and beat Lebron instead of playing second fiddle. Make your own legacy as a Clipper.

I think we gotta sit tight and hold on to whatever playoff rotation-worthy people we have. Even LeBron can't win with the Laker cast he has now.

The best weather and the best owner and the best Logo will attract somebody, somebody who doesn't want to be LeBron's caddy, and I think more sooner than later. I agree on the pitch but AD already knows that if he wants to choose the Clippers in 2020, Ballmer will send the plane.

I think you have to take a chance on AD if he is available. Bigs like him just do not come around often. I would take him way before Leonard and I would not even want Butler. You can much more often find guards and wings but this is a legit big. Maybe a top 10-20 player by the time all is said and done.

[esqtvd]

If I'm the Clippers I ask AD does he really want to become the next Chris Bosh or Kevin Lowe playing 2nd fiddle to Lebron. While that might be exaggerated I'd also say come to LA and beat Lebron instead of playing second fiddle. Make your own legacy as a Clipper.

I think we gotta sit tight and hold on to whatever playoff rotation-worthy people we have. Even LeBron can't win with the Laker cast he has now.

The best weather and the best owner and the best Logo will attract somebody, somebody who doesn't want to be LeBron's caddy, and I think more sooner than later. I agree on the pitch but AD already knows that if he wants to choose the Clippers in 2020, Ballmer will send the plane.

I think you have to take a chance on AD if he is available. Bigs like him just do not come around often. I would take him way before Leonard and I would not even want Butler. You can much more often find guards and wings but this is a legit big. Maybe a top 10-20 player by the time all is said and done.

Maybe, but he can't win without a supporting cast. Pels are 22-28. All we'd be doing is swapping places with them.

[Galloisdaman]

I think we gotta sit tight and hold on to whatever playoff rotation-worthy people we have. Even LeBron can't win with the Laker cast he has now.

The best weather and the best owner and the best Logo will attract somebody, somebody who doesn't want to be LeBron's caddy, and I think more sooner than later. I agree on the pitch but AD already knows that if he wants to choose the Clippers in 2020, Ballmer will send the plane.

I think you have to take a chance on AD if he is available. Bigs like him just do not come around often. I would take him way before Leonard and I would not even want Butler. You can much more often find guards and wings but this is a legit big. Maybe a top 10-20 player by the time all is said and done.

Maybe, but he can't win without a supporting cast. Pels are 22-28. All we'd be doing is swapping places with them.

The Pelicans should be winning with that lineup. AD is the building block to build a team around. If you add AD to this team even without Tobias and SGA they have a shot to do something good. The 2 draft picks would probably be 22-30. Odds are the Clippers are not getting AD but you have to do everything you can within reason to try to get him. When is the next time you will have a chance at a top 10-20 all time big?

[Ranma]

You got me on that one...

While we're on the Clippers, what's your assessment of them with relation to Rachel Nichol's video on The Jump? The Clippers are in a big market, but operate more in line with small market teams. After all, they did originate in Buffalo, New York, and had a short Bobcats-esque stint in San Diego. Bad ownership stunted their growth for years until David Stern crept in with the Chris Paul trade, then TMZ and the Sterling tapes which led to Steve Ballmer. But we could point to Jerry West as the guy who's making the Clippers run properly with asset and salary management. Without him, they're another crippled small market team.

With West, the Clippers should be having the best of both worlds, don't you think?

I'm going to correct you in pointing out that the Clippers operated as a small-market organization that didn't take advantage of its big-market location. The reason is obviously that Steve Ballmer now owns the team. Hiring the Logo certainly was a significant factor but everything changed once Donald Sterling was ousted and Ballmer purchased the team.

While it may be in its infancy, the Clippers have been making moves and investing in long-term endeavors that signal to everyone including free agents that we're going to be a first-class organization moving forward.

[Ranma]

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