2019 - 2021 Free-Agents

MartinToVaught · Post #881 » by **MartinToVaught** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:38 am

Imagine actually thinking this franchise will ever land a big name free agent. How many more strikeouts do you have to see before you accept reality?

Blow it up. Tank. That's our only chance of ever getting elite talent, either through drafting or trades.

mttwlsn16 · Post #882 » by **mttwlsn16** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:38 am

Maybe we can convince Klay to leave GS lol

TheNewEra · Post #883 » by **TheNewEra** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:42 am

Ranma wrote:
TheNewEra wrote:We needed a second max caliber player. Kawhi doesn’t seem found of hoping Gallo stays healthy

I get that, but did we really want to pay an injured KD for his past accomplishments when he'll likely sit out one season and have another getting back into shape and then playing the final 2 seasons at maybe 75% of his form? Horford is an overpay while Butler is a chemistry risk. Any of those three would have made sense only as a companion piece and would have been a disaster if they only came by himself. So again I ask, "What would have been the point?"

We have no choice but to wait for Kawhi because he's the only foundational piece in free agency that would have made things work. If we miss out on him, it only makes sense to go back to the drawing board rather than burden ourselves with long-term commitments that wouldn't have gotten us anywhere in the long game.

I can even go Pollyanna and point out that Klay Thompson hasn't actually signed with the Warriors yet, so there may still be a glimmer of hope. But again, even that wouldn't matter because the endgame is Kawhi. Period.

We have the assets to make significant trades for another disgruntled star should one become available down the line. We would even be in play for Giannis Antetokuonmpo if he were to make it to free agency. The point is you don't make a rash move to risk the progress you've already made unless it's a worthwhile gamble.

Look at what the Nets have accomplished today. That was possible only because of a long process of waiting out their previous regime's bad management. The Clippers, on the other hand, were able to put ourselves in this position in less than 2 seasons and yet some fans are acting with a sense of Lakers entitlement and Knicks myopic expectations that we have to do something big or anything to make this off-season a success. Stick to the plan.

2 years and some change for KD would of been more than enough with Kawhi. Jimmy Butler was made for a team like this that plays rough and talks trash. If Kawhi goes to the Lakers we are forever screwed. Went from the Lakers era to the Warriors back to the Lakers

Kinger95 · Post #884 » by **Kinger95** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:44 am

Looks like you guys will at least have cap space to re-sign Beverly!

Galloisdaman · Post #885 » by **Galloisdaman** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:49 am

MartinToVaught wrote:Imagine actually thinking this franchise will ever land a big name free agent. How many more strikeouts do you have to see before you accept reality?

Blow it up. Tank. That's our only chance of ever getting elite talent, either through drafting or trades.

They still have hope for KL. This kind of situation was what I was getting at when a poster or two kept talking about getting KL, KD, and AD in this one off-season like it was more likely than not.

MartinToVaught · Post #886 » by **MartinToVaught** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:50 am

Galloisdaman wrote:
MartinToVaught wrote:Imagine actually thinking this franchise will ever land a big name free agent. How many more strikeouts do you have to see before you accept reality?

Blow it up. Tank. That's our only chance of ever getting elite talent, either through drafting or trades.

They still have hope for KL. This kind of situation was what I was getting at when a poster or two kept talking about getting KL, KD, and AD in this one off-season like it was more likely than not.

We're not getting Kawhi. He's not turning down either the reigning champs or LeBron/AD to join an 8th seed treadmill team. Let's be real now. All we ever were, and all we'll ever be with any big name free agent, was just leverage.

mttwlsn16 · Post #887 » by **mttwlsn16** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:51 am

Kawhi. Bev. DGreen. JGreen. Boogie.

Ranma · Post #888 » by **Ranma** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:51 am

TheNewEra wrote:2 years and some change for KD would of been more than enough with Kawhi. Jimmy Butler was made for a team like this that plays rough and talks trash. If Kawhi goes to the Lakers we are forever screwed. Went from the Lakers era to the Warriors back to the Lakers

And if Kawhi signed with the Lakers, anyway? What would be the point of getting Butler then? If Kawhi really wanted Jimmy Butler, the Clippers would have pursued him hard once we got a commitment from him. Dude, you're acting as though we're still the same Sterling-owned Clippers where we should be grateful to pay KD to not even play for us on name recognition alone.

Besides, KD and Kawhi talked about playing together and he still went to Brooklyn, which shouldn't be a shock given that he moved his startup to New York and even relocated to do his rehab there. Did you want to relocate the franchise over to New York?

We can only deal with the cards that are dealt to us. Forcing the issue gets you to being the New York Knicks after striking out on free agency. We're still one of 3 teams in the running for Kawhi, who is widely recognized as the best player in free agency, and somehow that is not enough for you. Neither the Nets or Knicks secured a meeting with him as of yet or the 25 other teams in the league, for that matter.

esqtvd · Post #889 » by **esqtvd** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 1:55 am

Ranma wrote:
TheNewEra wrote:We needed a second max caliber player. Kawhi doesn’t seem found of hoping Gallo stays healthy

I get that, but did we really want to pay an injured KD for his past accomplishments when he'll likely sit out one season and have another getting back into shape and then playing the final 2 seasons at maybe 75% of his form? Horford is an overpay while Butler is a chemistry risk. Any of those three would have made sense only as a companion piece and would have been a disaster if they only came by himself. So again I ask, "What would have been the point?"

We have no choice but to wait for Kawhi because he's the only foundational piece in free agency that would have made things work. If we miss out on him, it only makes sense to go back to the drawing board rather than burden ourselves with long-term commitments that wouldn't have gotten us anywhere in the long game.

I can even go Pollyanna and point out that Klay Thompson hasn't actually signed with the Warriors yet, so there may still be a glimmer of hope. But again, even that wouldn't matter because the endgame is Kawhi. Period.

We have the assets to make significant trades for another disgruntled star should one become available down the line. We would even be in play for Giannis Antetokuonmpo if he were to make it to free agency. The point is you don't make a rash move to risk the progress you've already made unless it's a worthwhile gamble.

Look at what the Nets have accomplished today. That was possible only because of a long process of waiting out their previous regime's bad management. The Clippers, on the other hand, were able to put ourselves in this position in less than 2 seasons and yet some fans are acting with a sense of Lakers entitlement and Knicks myopic expectations that we have to do something big or anything to make this off-season a success. Stick to the plan.

I agree with Ramna. :wink:

Ranma · Post #890 » by **Ranma** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 2:03 am

Read on Twitter

Ranma · Post #891 » by **Ranma** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 2:04 am

Read on Twitter

mttwlsn16 · Post #892 » by **mttwlsn16** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 2:05 am

Ranma wrote:

Read on Twitter

Gross

donemilio21 · Post #893 » by **donemilio21** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 2:10 am

Kawhi is our target. We have to get him and put pieces around him.
Giving mega deals to Horford, Butler or anyone else without a commitment from Kawhi would have been a bad idea. We are doing the right thing by not overreacting.

Post #894 » by **TrueLAfan** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 2:11 am

Going to agree with Ranma here. You either trust the process or you don’t. I get it that people are frustrated that we didn’t have a night like the Nets.* But the reality is this: there are a lot of teams with money, and only so many top FAs. And some of the good players weren’t really what we need (like … all of the guards). But, yeah, it sucks to miss out on most of the top level players that could have helped us.

Still--championships are almost never won in a single season. They’re won over a period of time and acquisition. I’ve largely stayed out of the big name FA talk because … well, it’s all talk. And for the first time in, like, ever … I trust our management. It will hurt to strike out on the upper echelon FAs if that happens. But

1) That’s not a given, and
2) We’re still a 48 win team largely consisting of players on the upswing. A few not so flashy but smart moves can improve us now and in the future.

I want to win a title. But I’m also enjoying the ride of having an improving team and good FO people. I’m not going to bash management for things that they don’t as much control over as we sometimes think. And I certainly don’t want to blow up what we’ve got. Not yet, at least. I’m still sitting tight.

*OTOH … the Nets got Kyrie Irving, who’s got some leadership issues (to put it charitably), a great player in KD that won’t play for at least a year, and DJ … who we know about except he isn’t as good as he was. I’m happy for Brooklyn and all, but I definitely think they’re a question mark for a year or two … and anything can happen after that.

esqtvd · Post #895 » by **esqtvd** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 2:15 am

TrueLAfan wrote:
*OTOH … the Nets got Kyrie Irving, who’s got some leadership issues (to put it charitably), a great player in KD that won’t play for at least a year, and DJ … who we know about except he isn’t as good as he was. I’m happy for Brooklyn and all, but I definitely think they’re a question mark for a year or two … and anything can happen after that.

I'm not jealous.

Ranma · Post #896 » by **Ranma** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 2:20 am

Read on Twitter

Ranma · Post #897 » by **Ranma** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 2:45 am

Read on Twitter

Ranma · Post #898 » by **Ranma** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 3:02 am

Read on Twitter

Ranma · Post #899 » by **Ranma** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 3:25 am

Read on Twitter

SportsFan215 · Post #900 » by **SportsFan215** » Mon Jul 1, 2019 3:37 am

The Clippers could find themselves in a big leverage position if they become the only team left with cap space with teams like the Warriors and Heat desperately needing to cut salary (Iguodala, Dragic) to make their deals happen.

Who will be a member of the Clippers this summer?