2019 - 2021 Free-Agents

[Ranma]

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[mkwest]

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[QRich3]

You can tell having to compliment Doc was hurting Matt as he was writing it

[MartinToVaught]

If Durant really knew what to expect by joining the Warriors, why has he been so consistently insecure since he joined them? Burner accounts, cupcake hats, sulking over a joke at the ESPYs, etc. Those are the actions of someone trying to deflect criticism, not accept it.

And the idea that Durant was making a "sacrifice" by joining the 73-win team that had just beaten him will never not be laughable. Poor Durant, getting to collect easy rings on the most unfairly stacked team ever assembled. How sad.

[Ranma]

If Durant really knew what to expect by joining the Warriors, why has he been so consistently insecure since he joined them? Burner accounts, cupcake hats, sulking over a joke at the ESPYs, etc. Those are the actions of someone trying to deflect criticism, not accept it.

And the idea that Durant was making a "sacrifice" by joining the 73-win team that had just beaten him will never not be laughable. Poor Durant, getting to collect easy rings on the most unfairly stacked team ever assembled. How sad.

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[mkwest]

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[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

if Durant came here, would this be his team?

If so, is that a good thing?

[esqtvd]

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Rachel had a very good point. "I thought it would make me happy" to join the Dubs and pick up a ring or two. But it didn't. It's been empty.

As they say in the video, it's been obvious to most of us that GSW is Steph's team. Always will be. He won a Larry without KD, and IMO actually stepped back and let Durant win two Finals MVPs.

The Cursed Clippers are an obvious place for KD to create his own legend once and for all, but frankly, so are the Knicks. In fact, restoring the NBA's most valuable franchise [Forbes: $4 billion*] to greatness would have the hugest impact possible in all of sports.

OTOH, the Knicks suck. Irredeemably. They have the worst team in basketball and the worst owner. KD turns 31 in September. Look at the fustercluck Bron just created for himself with the Lakers with the sands of time running out. Bron may just have condemned himself to misery for the rest of his career.

If I'm counseling KD--the Clippers are the smart bet. Dude, if you play this right you can get yourself your own damn statue outside Ballmer's Inglewood Xanadu.

In the Bay Area? Not. Gonna. Happen. It's Steph's team.

https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/kevin-durant-envisions-getting-statue-front-warriors-chase-center

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* https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2019/02/06/forbes-releases-21st-annual-nba-team-valuations/#4f67cecf11a7

[mkwest]

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If it doesn't play directly...

Spoiler:

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[Ranma]

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[TrueLAfan]

Game 2 basically showed that the regular season wasn’t a fluke. That alone makes it worth a huge amount. Even if we lose three more in horrific fashion—which I don’t think is going to happen—people will remember the underdog knocking the champion down. Our potential went from probably real to definitely real at that moment—the difference between having “a puncher’s chance” and actually flooring the opponent. In this case, we got there with young talent, a good coach, a terrific organization and a committed owner. So, yeah, it brings us into (much) clearer focus a free agent destination.

As for Durant: To make it short (and blunt)—Durant gets flustered. He gets flustered by negative media reports about him (and sets up burner accounts to argue with the bad press). He gets flustered by teammates that don’t understand what he’s thinking and feeling (as if that was a possibility) Just now, he got flustered by a 6’1” PG. And all of this has happened while he’s been in cities with soft media and he’s often been on championship level teams (yes, the 2014 and 2016 Thunder were championship level) or actual championship teams. I don’t want to argue whether that makes him soft or not; that’s another discussion. But it makes him vulnerable in a way that guys like MJ, Kobe, LeBron, Wade and most other alpha players aren’t. I can’t imagine what would/will happen if Durant goes to New York and has to deal with the media there. And I don’t want him here. He’s antithesis of our current team, which can mentally deal and adapt. When we lose, it’s usually because we’re outtalented. Durant overcomes getting flustered and sulky with his talent, which is considerable. But he still gets bothered by things and it affects his play and his mental state and the mental state of his team. I don’t want a guy like that, regardless of whether he’s more talented than Kawhi. He is. But I don’t like the mental makeup. I don’t want to have to coddle a player that much.

[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

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Jovan Buha, TheAthletic.com (4/18/9

The Clippers’ Best Recruiting Pitch for Kevin Durant is Right in Front of Him

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[Ranma]

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Molly Knight, TheAthletic.com (4/18/9

Clippers Get Clobbered and That’s Fine Because Their Future is So Bright

[Ranma]

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Eric Pincus, BleacherReport.com (4/18/19)

According to a Clippers executive, the difficult decision was determining they weren't going to reinvest in Harris this summer. Once they decided upon that, they aimed to land valuable first-round picks without hampering their ability to compete in the Western Conference.

The matchup against the Warriors may be unfortunate—Golden State is still the heavy favorite—but the Clippers also benefit from an up-close audition with Durant. The All-Star forward can receive a starting salary up to $38.2 million this summer ($164 million over four years) in Los Angeles. The Warriors can pay him more to stay, but if Durant is looking for a new challenge, the Clippers can pay him without decimating their roster.

If Durant's goal is to team up with someone like Irving, the Clippers likely would need to relocate Gallinari via trade, which shouldn't be difficult after his productive year (even with the $22.6 million he's owed in 2019-20). If they did so without taking salary back, the Clippers would be near the $32.7 million they'd need to sign a second star after inking Durant.

The numbers are even easier for two middle-tier max stars like Leonard and Irving.

One former player said Leonard's teammates expect him to leave for Los Angeles after the season, although he didn't specify which franchise. Outside of a few who suggest Leonard might choose the Lakers, it seems almost everyone around the league (dating back to last July) believes Leonard will join the Clippers instead.

The Clippers are Making a Huge Statement to This Summer's Free-Agent Class

[mttwlsn16]

The only star type player who I really have zero interest in us signing is Jimmy Butler. Dude has problems everywhere he's been.

Kawhi, KD, Kyrie, Kemba, Klay, Khris Middleton. I'd be cool with grabbing 2 from that group for sure.

Lot of great FAs whose names start with K available lol

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[simon24]

The point star type player who I really have zero interest in us signing is Jimmy Butler. Dude has problems everywhere he's been.

Kawhi, KD, Kyrie, Kemba, Klay, Khris Middleton. I'd be cool with grabbing 2 from that group for sure.

Lot of great FAs whose names start with K available lol

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His injury history also scares me. He turns 30 too. Might as well kept Blake.

[mkwest]

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[Ranma]

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Rob Mahoney, Sports Illustrated (4/21/19)

Consider their case as a destination franchise: a team based in Los Angeles, run well, backed by incredible wealth, coached to empowerment and carried to extraordinary success by their capacity to give a damn. What was once thought to be a forgettable team instead smashed its way into the playoffs and the history books.

The great irony of this Clipper run is that their complete investment—the defining character of their play—only makes it easier to look forward at the expense of the present. The resolve is already there. What if, when the offense begins to sputter, this same Clipper team had Kawhi Leonard to drive through the lane like a battering ram? Considering how small L.A. has been forced to play in this series, how different might their matchups look if Doc Rivers had Jimmy Butler to work with? Or, for a more immediate example: What might the Clippers become if the seven-foot scoring singularity lifting the Warriors were to switch jerseys?

All three stars will be free agents in a matter of months, and the Clippers are a perfectly logical destination. Some might prefer a blank slate roster to shape in their own image, but L.A. has built a fascinating alternative: a playoff-proven team, culture included, that is unusually non-threatening. There would be no established star to meet with to clear the air. Danilo Gallinari could swing between forward spots as needed. Gilgeous-Alexander is a promising young guard, but not the kind who would threaten to dominate the ball. Where stars on other teams watch from the bench as their team falls apart without them, a Clipper star would hand the offense over to Williams and Montrezl Harrell, an elite pick-and-roll duo in every sense. A lead would feel safe.

The Clippers are Making a Strong Case to Impending Free Agents