The Clippers have had a busy offseason thus far and the team remains active with at least two players from last season’s roster. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter) first noted that Los Angeles has been engaged with Luc Mbah a Moute and Los Angeles Times scribe Brad Turner (via Twitter) added that in addition to Mbah a Moute, the Clippers are interested in retaining Marreese Speights.
While there is interest, Wojnarowski noted that the Clippers’ financial constraints would make a deal difficult and Turner added that no deal is close.
Mbah a Moute, 30, played in 80 games (76 starts) last season while averaging 6.1 PPG and 2.1 RPG. As for Speights, the 29-year-old appeared in all 82 games for Los Angeles and the NBA champion provided his usual solid production with 8.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG.
After losing Chris Paul to the Rockets, the Clippers spent significant money on sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari (three years, $63MM), international superstar Milos Teodosic (two years, $12.3MM), and re-signing Blake Griffin (five years, $173MM). While the team restocked its roster in the sign-and-trade sending Paul to Houston, Speights and Mbah a Moute were two key pieces of last year’s team on both sides of the floor.
Los Angeles has no cap space left as the team used its bi-annual exception last year and used up most of their mid-level exception on Teodosic and Jawun Evans. With approximately $1.5MM left on their MLE, the Clippers’ best chance of retaining Mbah a Moute/Speights would be on deals worth the veteran’s minimum.
How much cap space left for them?
No cap space. They have a small amount of their mid-level left (about $1.5MM). Otherwise just minimums.
Probably less than 10
I’m suprised this is the first time i’ve heard speights name this offseason. He’s a perfect center in today’s nba and i hope he’s back
Off the bench sure, but the perfect center in today’s game can protect the rim and that’s not Speights’ game. I know it’s a really small sample size, but he gave them absolutely nothing in the series against Utah with ample opportunity. But if we’re talking about the vet min, it’s whatever
to clarify, i meant mo is good for a backup role. And he didn’t do much in playoffs but he was really nice last year
So, Jerry needs to shed contract weight in exchange for talent/favorable contracts/players.
Someone is going to get moved.
Now, I’m NOT a clappers fan, but Cuban expressed respectable desire to include Jordan.
Maybe there is something here that can get done