RealGM

Our first Game 7 of 2025, but the Clippers fall in a very close series. [Reg season, tied 2-2 and playoffs, 3-4 vs DEN]. LAC is the 21st team eliminated as a result, well, that huge Denver run sealed it.

Previous Threads:



Time of death: May 03, 2025
Record at elimination: 50-32 [3-4 in playoffs]
Head coach: Ty Lue

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/la-clippers/yearly

Contract summary:
Kawhi – 2yr/100M remain
Harden – 36M PO
Powell – extension eligible, or 20M expiring
Bogdan Bogdanovic – 2yr/32M (final year 16M TO)
Zubac – 3yr/60M remain
Derrick Jones Jr – 2yr/20M remain
Kris Dunn – 2yr/11M remain (final year has non-guaranteed conditions)
Drew Eubanks – 4.7M non-guaranteed 1yr deal next season
Nic Batum – 5M PO
Patty Mills – UFA
Ben Simmons - UFA


Rookie Scale/minimums (varies on 2-4 years remaining):
Amir Coffey – UFA
Kobe Brown – 2yr remain
Cam Christie – 3yr remain
Jordan Miller – 3yr remain


TW
Patrick Baldwin
Trentyn Flowers
Seth Lundy

Dead-cap – 3.7M off the books this season, NONE retained next.

Capspace: 1st apron (hard-capped), will have limited space to operate on the few open roster spots left.

PICKS for 2025 draft:
OKC 1st
MIN 2nd

A SMALL SEASON REVIEW:

The Clippers entered the season with a healthy list of questions on how it would play after Paul George signed with Philadelphia in free agency. There were some hesitations, I think, as PG13 was one of the cornerstone players of the franchise from some fans. However emphatically answered by Norm Powell, it was "addition by subtraction." in a bold statement. PG13 leaving seems to have been positive for the team's chemistry, but ultimately results in another 1st round exit.

This team admirably hung its hat on solid defense and shotmaking. Harden, Powell, and Kawhi steadied the play on the wing while Zubac/Dunn rounded out a difficult unit to beat straight up. Though Kawhi only played 37 games in the RS, he did not exit this playoffs injured, it is a positive sign at least - they made it through a very competitive 7-game-series without having a massive injury issue for the offseason.

Throughout the year we can pick moments where LAC played very well, such as 4 separate win streaks of 3+ during the RS, and 18-of-21 wins to close the year. Harden, Powell, Zubac, DJJ, and Kris Dunn held down the fort in games Kawhi missed. Bogdanovic was acquired mid-season in a trade with ATL (Terrance Mann) and helped space the floor too. Zubac really played great this year!

They have a couple of picks to utilise, the #30 via OKC, and a late MN 2nd, so some small moves can be made. In the larger picture, how high this roster can go will depend on if Kawhi and Harden can conjure another healthy year and raise the level of the team even greater because a solid foundation is still here - maybe still one piece away from reaching title contender status. Powell is up for an extension. 35-year old Harden has a big PO he can pick up. Kawhi will have 2 years left, as do a few other core players.

How did you think the Clippers fared this season and what is your outlook for their future after this tough loss ?

James Harden and Game 7s:

Kawhi injury excuse for the last 4 years ends tonight. No clue how this team improves next season or in the near future as they don't control their own draft picks until 2030 and with Harden/Kawhi a year older and no actual young prospects so goodluck Clips fans.

On the bright side, they have a young guy named Kobe they can build around.

IMO Kawhi is to blame for the series loss. There was only 2 games separating LAC and HOU and Kawhi, the part time player, played in only 37 games.

If he played 60+, LAC would easily be 2nd seed and avoid playing DEN

That being said, it's time to blow it up. They cannot get any better at this point

they had such an incredible season but that kind of choke is something...Harden will never deliver when it matters.

Clippers had a good season. Norman Powell had a career year (did anyone predict that?) and Zubac improved.

I'm sure they wish that they had gone further, but how far would they realistically go?

As someone who had Nuggets in 7 I am gonna say the Clippers season played out just as expected.

YOU CANNOT TRUST JAMES HARDEN IN THE PLAYOFFS

This guy was right the whole time.

Marvin Martian wrote:IMO Kawhi is to blame for the series loss. There was only 2 games separating LAC and HOU and Kawhi, the part time player, played in only 37 games.

If he played 60+, LAC would easily be 2nd seed and avoid playing DEN

That being said, it's time to blow it up. They cannot get any better at this point

They don't own control of their own picks until after 2029.

Also, what kind of value do Kawhi and Harden have?

Kawhi leaving a championship team was the stupidest decision a player has ever made.

This season was a reality check. The legend, the myth of Kawhi it died tonight. He’s not the invincible playoff performer that once appeared to be. He can’t go superhuman for 4 games in a series anymore. Clippers finally got him healthy and this is what happened. They have to really evaluate their future and consider a major shakeup this offseason. The chances of Kawhi being healthy for another playoff run this time next year? I wouldn't bet a dime on it. They lucked out hard and still failed.

If any team signs Harden after this they will be admittedly crippling their franchise. Bro should retire.

No clue what the Clippers can do. They have no picks for four years. No reason to tank. I personally thought they overachieved this year because I thought Kawhi was finished. I guess, they're still a playoff quality team, however, they might need to re-embrace their underdog role. They don't play well as a favorite at all.

Kawhi is one injury away from retirement. Basically, Clipps are screwed.

TravisScott55 wrote:Kawhi leaving a championship team was the stupidest decision a player has ever made.

I'll defend the decision. It wasn't about basketball. It was about where he wanted to live. He isn't the first or last player to prefer a weaker franchise in their home city.

Dan Z wrote:

Marvin Martian wrote:IMO Kawhi is to blame for the series loss. There was only 2 games separating LAC and HOU and Kawhi, the part time player, played in only 37 games.

If he played 60+, LAC would easily be 2nd seed and avoid playing DEN

That being said, it's time to blow it up. They cannot get any better at this point

They don't own control of their own picks until after 2029.

Also, what kind of value do Kawhi and Harden have?

Why do people bring up picks when it comes to the viability of rebuilding? This is a sunk cost fallacy.

How does LAC plan to compete in the next 2 years with Harden and Kawhi being on the wrong side of 30? They are going downhill, and it is better to rip the band-aid off, trade their 2 stars, and get whatever they can

sp6r=underrated wrote:

TravisScott55 wrote:Kawhi leaving a championship team was the stupidest decision a player has ever made.

I'll defend the decision. It wasn't about basketball. It was about where he wanted to live. He isn't the first or last player to prefer a weaker franchise in their home city.

I’ll never blame a guy for wanting to live in beautiful sunny Los Angeles, California. But leaving that team, at that time, is something we gonna have to look back on as a major ‘what if’ . Raptors easily could’ve repeated lol

Marvin Martian wrote:

Dan Z wrote:

Marvin Martian wrote:IMO Kawhi is to blame for the series loss. There was only 2 games separating LAC and HOU and Kawhi, the part time player, played in only 37 games.

If he played 60+, LAC would easily be 2nd seed and avoid playing DEN

That being said, it's time to blow it up. They cannot get any better at this point

They don't own control of their own picks until after 2029.

Also, what kind of value do Kawhi and Harden have?

Why do people bring up picks when it comes to the viability of rebuilding? This is a sunk cost fallacy.

How does LAC plan to compete in the next 2 years with Harden and Kawhi being on the wrong side of 30? They are going downhill, and it is better to rip the band-aid off, trade their 2 stars, and get whatever they can

People bring that up because they have no control of where their picks end up going forward.

I agree that the current roster won't go very far, but what kind of value do you think Harden and Kawhi have? Will those guys get them their picks back or picks that look to be good? Or young players with potential? I doubt it.

Window has closed.