Clipper extend Qualifying Offer to DeAndre Jordan

[mkwest]

The Los Angeles Clippers today extended a qualifying offer to center DeAndre Jordan, making him a restricted free agent.

Jordan averaged 7.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.78 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game during a breakout year in which he played in 80 games, making 66 starts. Completing his third NBA season, Jordan shot a team-high and career-high 68.6 percent from the field (234-341 FG) and owned the highest field goal percentage of any player in the NBA with over 300 field goal attempts.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.

Clippers.com

Clippers Exercise Options on Griffin, Aminu and Bledsoe

The Los Angeles Clippers today exercised the club’s fourth-year contract option on forward Blake Griffin and the third-year contract options on forward Al-Farouq Aminu and guard Eric Bledsoe.

Griffin, originally selected by the Clippers as the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, begins his third NBA season and is now signed through the 2012-13 campaign. Aminu and Bledsoe, the eighth and 18th overall selections in the 2010 NBA Draft, are now also signed through the 2012-13 NBA season. Under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Clippers had the right to exercise these contract options.

Clippers.com

[DangerCurtis]

Nice, good to hear this. Any idea about how much and how long their offer to Jordan is? Or am I completely misunderstanding what "extend qualifying offer" means?

[thanumba2clippersfan]

Nice, good to hear this. Any idea about how much and how long their offer to Jordan is? Or am I completely misunderstanding what "extend qualifying offer" means?

It's just one more year on his deal, but since the qualify offer is extended to DJ he is now a restricted free agent. So any team can offer DJ a new deal and he would have to sign the offer sheet. The Clippers would then be able to match the offer sheet, if they so choose.

[mkwest]

Just to add onto what numba2 said, DJ's cap hold this summer will be for $1,091,100. Right now we have 11 guys (with the options of Cook and Warren included) on the books. We'll have somewhere around $47M in total salary for those 11 guys and a roster charge (for being under the league requirement). Under last season's salary cap of $58,044,000, we'd have approximately $11M to work with this summer. If the Clippers played their cards right, we'd have that amount to work with in addition to being able to sign DJ (if he didn't sign an offer sheet with someone else first). However, the new CBA can and likely will change that number completely.

[mkwest]

Clips exercise option on Blake Griffin

"DeAndre was a key priority for us heading into this offseason and this is the first step in the process," Olshey said. "Like the rest of the young core of our team, we see DeAndre being with our franchise a long time and playing a key role in helping us become a perennial playoff team."

July 1 is also the day the Clippers could begin negotiations on an extension with Gordon, one of their leading scorers from last year's team. If this was a normal year, all indications are that the team would do so the second the clock struck 9:01 p.m. in Los Angeles on June 30.

While there was previously some uncertainty over whether Gordon would sign a long-term extension with the team after it lost 116 games his first two seasons, a source close to the situation said that much of that uncertainty has been allayed after the Clippers traded guard Baron Davis to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February.

Gordon made little secret of his feelings about Davis, the oft-injured point guard whose work ethic and inconsistent play hamstrung the franchise for two seasons before he enjoyed a resurgence in the 2010-11 season.

In a postgame interview in December of 2009, Gordon famously said of Davis, "Last year, he never was focused. I'm just going to say it."

Ramona Shelburne, ESPN Los Angeles

[DangerCurtis]

While there was previously some uncertainty over whether Gordon would sign a long-term extension with the team after it lost 116 games his first two seasons, a source close to the situation said that much of that uncertainty has been allayed after the Clippers traded guard Baron Davis to the Cleveland Cavaliers in February.

I was a bit sad to see Baron Davis go, and not to mention reasonably upset about the Cavs getting the number 1 pick through our trade, but now knowing this little rumor, you can call me crazy, but I'd much rather have Gordon and years to come over Davis and this year's number one draft.

[guille_4]

I hope DJ gets 4y/30M. It would also be nice to make it something like: 9M, 8M, 7M, 6M, to make space for Gordon and Blakes contracts.

[madmaxmedia]

LOL, I agree with DangerCurtis. I was in favor of the trade before but obviously it had pro's and con's. But if moving Baron paved the way for EJ extension then it's all good...