ImageImageImageImageImage

2019 - 2021 Free-Agents

Moderators: og15, TrueLAfan

Who will be a member of the Clippers this summer?

Poll ended at Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:58 pm

Patrick Beverley
2
22%
Jimmy Butler
2
22%
DeMarcus Cousins
0
No votes
Kevin Durant
0
No votes
Al Horford
2
22%
Kyrie Irving
0
No votes
Kawhi Leonard
3
33%
Klay Thompson
0
No votes
An Ex-Clipper (Harris, Jordan, Aminu, Green, Temple, etc.)
0
No votes
Someone acquired by trade
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 9

User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Logo Recruiting Durant? KD > Kawhi? 

Post#81 » by Ranma » Wed Oct 10, 2018 10:49 am

LAClippersFilm wrote:Clippers were in Durant's top 3 in 2016, maybe they get another look at him this summer.

Pair durant w/...anyone. That's the dream.


Neither of the 2 articles cited below would be considered riveting reads or an example of impeccable journalism, but they each provide something to think about. The Clipperholics article poses the possibility of Jerry West's connection to Kevin Durant luring him to the Clippers while the SFF piece argues in favor of choosing Durant over Leonard, if presented with the choice.

Chris Haynes apparently is the reporter who's leading the charge with the possibility of Durant leaving the Warriors and even linked the Clips to Durant. While Haynes acknowledged that the Warriors still have the edge in re-signing him, he feels the Knicks have a pretty good chance at signing him as well given the affinity for that franchise from influential people close to KD. Bay Area reporter Marcus Thompson seems to back Haynes' speculation by also expressing his feelings that Durant has a foot out the door.

I've stated multiple times now that the ideal outcome for the Clippers would be to sign 2 true max-worthy free agents and retain the services of Tobias Harris long-term as the 3rd option. Kawhi and KD would be a great get for the Clippers during the summer of 2019, but would Kawhi want to team up with Durant since he reportedly wants to be the face of the franchise in the spotlight and out from under the shadow of other star players? Likewise, if Durant were to leave Golden State, he'd most likely want to prove that he can lead a franchise to championship glory even if he would need to team with another star player.

The one downside to getting both Leonard and Durant during the same off-season would be that it would almost certainly mean not bringing back Tobias Harris since Danilo Gallinari's contract would force us to renounce Harris' Bird rights in order to open up enough salary cap space for the 2 max-level slots necessary to sign both the Klaw and Durantula.

Now if we had to choose between Kawhi or Durant while also re-signing Tobias, who should the Clippers commit to? Leonard is almost 3 years younger but KD is the more transcendent talent. Who would be the better player to pair with either Anthony Davis or Giannis Antetokounmpo as acquisition targets in a couple of years?


Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter



Sir Milo Loftin, Clipperholics.com (10/5/18)
While most would probably laugh at the idea that Kevin Durant would leave the Warriors to come to the Clippers, it is not completely far-fetched. During Kevin Durant’s 2016 free agency the Clippers were one of the teams that Durant was reportedly interested in meeting with. As we all know Durant would ultimately sign with the Warriors. And who did KD speak with in 2016, helping him decide to join the Warriors? Jerry West. The same Jerry West that is now working in the Clippers front office. Can The Logo work his magic again and bring Durant to Los Angeles?

There is a very real chance that the Clippers strike out on all three star wings, but if the dominoes fall the right way. The Clippers could emerge as a prime destination for Durant next summer.

Clippers Expected to Target Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard in Free Agency


Ballhoopz, SanFranFanad.com (10/5/18)
Now that the Lakers are relevant again, its time for the clippers to make their move and go after Kevin Durant next summer. There have been a numerous amount of reports and rumors about the Clippers going after arguably the best two-way player in the game known as Kawhi Leonard, although going after Kawhi seems like the right move because he is two years younger than Durant, I am here to tell you that pursuing Leonard might not be the best idea.

With all that being said a team where Kevin Durant is the leader with a defensive minded backcourt in Beverley and Bradley and retaining Tobias Harris in free agency for the right price is a great team in my eyes, but what will make them contend for a title is searching for a defensive minded center next summer and who knows, maybe a Deandre Jordan homecoming.

Why the Los Angeles Clippers Should Pursue Kevin Durant Next Summer?
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
wco81
RealGM
Posts: 21,859
And1: 9,135
Joined: Jul 04, 2013
       

Re: 2019 & 2020 Free-Agents 

Post#82 » by wco81 » Wed Oct 10, 2018 5:59 pm

KD certainly opened the door.

He chose the Warriors to maximize his chances at as many titles as possible. Draymond Green’s pitch to him was that they’d win a lot more rings together rather than competing against each other.

KD said before the playoffs started tha titles weren’t important to him. But after the Warriors won in June, he said it was very hard to repeat and he yelled “back to back!” when they were celebrating on the court.

Then David West alluded to locker room drama and then there was the awkward moment in the victory parade between him and Bob Myers.

Now, he says he will be more transparent about his decision next summer. That’s a huge contrast to Kyrie saying he definitely plans to sign with the Celtics after the season.

There was a theory when he signed with the Warriors that Nike either encouraged him or gave him incentives to sign with the Warriors because they didn’t want to get locked out of all the media attention the Warriors were getting. Curry was Under Armor so they had to get a Nike superstar on the team.

If that was a big factor in him choosing the Warriors, maybe he feels he’s met that obligation. Or maybe Nike now wants him in some other big market.

Thing is, he has a chance to match or exceed the number of titles of several all time greats like Lebron, Bird, Magic, Shaquille, Kobe, MJ. He’s going to the HoF regardless but if he left the Warriors in the middle of their peak, there are no guarantees he’ll win again.

Of course no guarantees if he stays either as injuries can change the equation instantly.
User avatar
esqtvd
RealGM
Posts: 10,775
And1: 3,802
Joined: Jun 24, 2017
Location: LA LA LA LAND
Contact:
     

Re: Logo Recruiting Durant? KD > Kawhi? 

Post#83 » by esqtvd » Wed Oct 10, 2018 10:58 pm

Ranma wrote:
The one downside to getting both Leonard and Durant during the same off-season would be that it would almost certainly mean not bringing back Tobias Harris since Danilo Gallinari's contract would force us to renounce Harris' Bird rights in order to open up enough salary cap space for the 2 max-level slots necessary to sign both the Klaw and Durantula.


Oh I'd love to have that worry. An unprotected 1st and/or Jerome Robinson would probably be enough to get some Hinkiesque fustercluck to take Gallo's last year off our hands.
Image Are We Having Fun Yet?
User avatar
QRich3
Retired Mod
Retired Mod
Posts: 5,844
And1: 3,946
Joined: Apr 03, 2011
 

Re: 2019 & 2020 Free-Agents 

Post#84 » by QRich3 » Thu Oct 11, 2018 9:44 am

Even if you trade away Gallo and Jerome and take no salary back, which is already difficult enough, and even if you manage to trade away Bradley's $2M guaranteed for next year without taking anything back, you still have no room for 2 max contracts and Tobias. Even if after that, you trade away Harrell for no salary, you're still a hair short of two maxes + Tobi's cap hold. That's with the 7-9 year max, like the one Kawhi, Butler, Irving are getting (starting at about $32.4M in year 1). If you add Durant into the equation, you'd have to clear about $6M more, cause he's a 10+ year veteran and his starting max salary will be almost $38M.

2 max contracts and Tobi is not happening, you'd literally have to have an empty roster but for Shai, and that's not realistically doable, nor is it a good idea to build a team even if you were able to do it.
User avatar
esqtvd
RealGM
Posts: 10,775
And1: 3,802
Joined: Jun 24, 2017
Location: LA LA LA LAND
Contact:
     

Re: 2019 & 2020 Free-Agents 

Post#85 » by esqtvd » Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:29 pm

QRich3 wrote:Even if you trade away Gallo and Jerome and take no salary back, which is already difficult enough, and even if you manage to trade away Bradley's $2M guaranteed for next year without taking anything back, you still have no room for 2 max contracts and Tobias. Even if after that, you trade away Harrell for no salary, you're still a hair short of two maxes + Tobi's cap hold. That's with the 7-9 year max, like the one Kawhi, Butler, Irving are getting (starting at about $32.4M in year 1). If you add Durant into the equation, you'd have to clear about $6M more, cause he's a 10+ year veteran and his starting max salary will be almost $38M.

2 max contracts and Tobi is not happening, you'd literally have to have an empty roster but for Shai, and that's not realistically doable, nor is it a good idea to build a team even if you were able to do it.


So there you have it. But if we still want say, Durant and Kawhi, looks like we have to let Tobias walk and we still have to dump Gallo [or Lou], so that part's still in play. Keeping Tobias and getting either KD or Kawhi seems like the most live strategy.

Lucas Hann is CN's cap guy:

Nobody chased after Montrezl early in free agency with big offers, and the Clippers wisely waited for a market to emerge. I fully suspect that their decision to offer him a 2-year, $12 million deal came as other teams began to discuss similar deals with him (likely at the taxpayer mid-level).

In terms of next year’s cap space, this stings a little bit. At an estimated flat $6,000,000 annual salary, he bites quite a bit into the Clippers’ potential cap room next summer. Even a core of just Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerome Robinson, and the Clippers’ 2019 first round pick leaves the team short of two 30% max salary slots next summer. Now, even if you take Montrezl out of that group and replace him with an empty roster hold (worth about $900,000), the Clippers are short of the $64 million in room necessary to give two veteran free agents maximum-salary deals. However, they would have room to hold on to Tobias Harris’ $22.6M cap hold and have a 30% max slot for one star free agent.



https://www.clipsnation.com/2018/7/24/17606294/the-team-building-impact-of-the-harrell-contract-and-harris-non-extension-clippers-nba-free-agency
Image Are We Having Fun Yet?
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Woj Coming Around on Clippers 

Post#86 » by Ranma » Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:15 am

Even Wojnarowski is conceding that the Clippers have a better chance than not at Kawhi Leonard when he was previously echoing team sources in saying the Lakers were his preferred destination. Woj goes on to remark that the Clippers are well built for premier free agents to want to sign with us because we have hard working players that would allow elite players to star in our system. He also thinks the Clippers will revisit Jimmy Butler once Minnesota is resigned to being more reasonable in their asking price.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter


Spoiler:
Image
Image
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Rachel Nichols Interviews AD 

Post#87 » by Ranma » Wed Oct 24, 2018 8:22 pm

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Question for Free Agents to Consider 

Post#88 » by Ranma » Wed Oct 24, 2018 8:43 pm

I've heard Windhorst mention recently how Los Angeles has become the capital of the league where players spend most of their time during the off-season when it used to be other places like Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, New York and Phoenix, which makes it a desirable free-agent destination. Given that, one has to think that the Clippers will eventually make the most of this advantage when you can sell premier players on having a pioneering owner like Ballmer, the Logo as advisor, a new arena coming, establishing your own legacy away from Kobe stans as well as the 2 max salary slots.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
simon24
Rookie
Posts: 1,083
And1: 199
Joined: Feb 02, 2014

Re: Question for Free Agents to Consider 

Post#89 » by simon24 » Thu Oct 25, 2018 6:41 am

Ranma wrote:I've heard Windhorst mention recently how Los Angeles has become the capital of the league where players spend most of their time during the off-season when it used to be other places like Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, New York and Phoenix, which makes it a desirable free-agent destination. Given that, one has to think that the Clippers will eventually make the most of this advantage when you can sell premier players on having a pioneering owner like Ballmer, the Logo as advisor, a new arena coming, establishing your own legacy away from Kobe stans as well as the 2 max salary slots.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter


It takes a special person to play in the same conference as LeBron and Curry. That's my only concern.

I'd hope Bev and AB get moved at the deadline so SGA and JR can start. Hopefully SGA, JR, Harris and the others could be what the Lakers were last year and a brave guy like Kawhi could think of himself as the centerpiece.
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Super Freak 

Post#90 » by Ranma » Thu Oct 25, 2018 10:43 am

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Stern Words About CP3 Trade and AD 

Post#91 » by Ranma » Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:00 am

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Durant Wearing Out Welcome in Golden State? 

Post#92 » by Ranma » Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:45 am

I found the following podcast to be of particular interest with respect to Kevin Durant's free agency. 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.

The two sportswriters go on to point out how Durant has been treated with kid gloves by the media despite him calling it out for not recognizing his accomplishments. This from a guy who was voted MVP of the NBA not too long ago. The discussion further focuses on how Kevin wants to be fully embraced.

This seems to reinforce my suspicion that Durant wants to win a title while being the face of the franchise to prove himself. However, he's not going to be able to do that on his own, so simply joining a team with cap space is not going to do it. Conversely, joining a team with LeBron on it still puts him under someone else's shadow. It's a bit of a quandary for Durant.

KD needed Stephen Curry to get him his long sought-after ring, but now he seems to be restless under Steph's long-range shadow. What's funny is that Durant would be the ideal type of player to counteract Curry's game as long as he had a talented team behind him. This might explain the rumblings from local beat writers who think Durant will leave the Bay Area this summer.

Anyway, given how some of us were concerned with the high maintenance of Kawhi Leonard as well as his injury issues, I'm curious as to how everybody feels about the high maintenance apparently required to placate Kevin Durant. Furthermore, could two high maintenance players coexist on the same team when both seem to have the desire to be the face of the franchise even if both need each other in order to reach their ultimate shared goal of success as champions?


Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
wco81
RealGM
Posts: 21,859
And1: 9,135
Joined: Jul 04, 2013
       

Re: 2019 & 2020 Free-Agents 

Post#93 » by wco81 » Fri Oct 26, 2018 1:11 am

David West alluded to drama in the locker room. Who knows what that is.

Warriors have been a tight knit group since the 2014-15 season, always din8ng together. They really played up the strength in numbers thing.

Where KD might not mesh with them off the court is that KD has his own crew. Curry is married with kids and Draymond had a son last year.

With the success they’ve had, there are all kinds of off court demands on their time. Plus they’re all older so they’re not going to hang out as much.

So that may make it easier for KD to bail.
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Does Magic Know Something Already? 

Post#94 » by Ranma » Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:52 pm

Maybe Durant's overriding need to be embraced will have him more comfortable with the Lakers, after all, given how that team is the preferred NBA club by the vast majority of Angelenos. I can see Magic & LeBron selling KD on the notion of him being the star player with LeBron playing a more complementary role despite the wide perception of it actually being LeBron's team.

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
Wammy Giveaway
Starter
Posts: 2,401
And1: 1,046
Joined: Jul 30, 2013
Contact:

Being Good Enough To Earn Your Greats 

Post#95 » by Wammy Giveaway » Thu Nov 1, 2018 1:42 am

Read on Twitter


Read on Twitter


Read on Twitter


(In reference to Anti-Lob City Clippers A Breath Of Fresh Air)
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Attention to Detail Videos 

Post#96 » by Ranma » Thu Nov 1, 2018 4:27 am

LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Brow-Raising Speculation 

Post#97 » by Ranma » Thu Nov 1, 2018 11:02 pm

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Reinforcing Speculation 

Post#98 » by Ranma » Fri Nov 2, 2018 12:23 am

Ranma wrote:Maybe Durant's overriding need to be embraced will have him more comfortable with the Lakers, after all, given how that team is the preferred NBA club by the vast majority of Angelenos. I can see Magic & LeBron selling KD on the notion of him being the star player with LeBron playing a more complementary role despite the wide perception of it actually being LeBron's team.

Read on Twitter

Ranma wrote:I'm not giving much weight at all to wannabe insider Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson's so-called reporting no matter how many random appearances he may or may not have made on major media outlets given the current state of deterioration in our news outlets, but his speculation lines up with my thinking of Durant jumping on another bandwagon. The problem is that if Durant jumps ship at the same time, Klay will likely stay in Golden State since the Warriors would then be more inclined to offer Mychal's son a max contract.

In any case, being competitive and positioning the Clippers as the team of the future while having the Lakers hopefully be the team of the past celebrating their history with LeBron on a retirement tour would be crucial to giving the Clips the advantage with premier free agents worthy of a max contract whether it's Durant, the Brow, Giannis, or the Klaw. However, if we fail to be competitive and the Lakers start contending again, it would prove to be a challenging endeavor.


Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Inner City Battle for Premier Free Agents 

Post#99 » by Ranma » Fri Nov 2, 2018 12:42 am

We already knew that Magic & LeBron would go all out for free-agent stars so the recent reports and speculation aren't exactly shocking. However, with multiple star players--including Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard--reportedly forgoing the opportunity to play with him this past off-season, there was optimism that momentum was building towards giving the Clippers the advantage between the two LA NBA franchises.

While I still think that we're the favorites for the Klaw this summer, the rumblings of KD's preference for the Lakers and their pursuit of Antony Davis is troubling. I can live with KD joining LeBron in purple-and-gold but adding the Brow to that duo is a killer. What makes it all the more disconcerting is that the Lakers--much like the Celtics--have the attractive assets necessary to acquire him from New Orleans.

Now things can change between now and July, which is why the Clippers are sending personnel to KD and Kahwi's games this season, but I have to concede that I get the sense of the Lakers having the advantage right now.
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Freaky Friday Clip 

Post#100 » by Ranma » Fri Nov 2, 2018 10:21 pm

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip

Return to Los Angeles Clippers