Following yet another injury-plagued regular season and postseason, the Clippers are once again confronted by an uncertain future this offseason. The team has just the Nos. 30 and 48 picks in this year’s draft, but in a breakdown from The Athletic’s Law Murray and Sam Vecenie of the team’s tenuous fate, Vecenie proposes a possible solution for Los Angeles to get further draft equity.
Vecenie opines that it might behoove the Clippers to offload All-Star forward Paul George now, suggesting the 33-year-old vet could become one of the most appealing trade targets on the market. Vecenie believes that a rival club might even take a flyer on pricey former All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard, who doesn’t seem capable of staying healthy long enough to help L.A. win meaningful games. Vecenie notes that Leonard is only signed through the 2024/25 season and still has quite a ceiling when he is available.
Should Los Angeles run things back for a fifth season with George and Leonard, however, Vecenie posits that the club could probably net a rotation player, perhaps an athletic veteran with size, by offloading its first-rounder.
There’s more out of California:
- Rebuilding the Warriors’ disrupted team chemistry has emerged as the most important element of its summer, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Poole notes that head coach Steve Kerr and departing team president Bob Myers both acknowledged that the team’s championship culture took a hit this season, with Kerr specifically pointing to the moment forward Draymond Green punched shooting guard Jordan Poole in the face during a preseason altercation. One year removed from winning its fourth championship with Green, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, Golden State dropped 30 of its 41 road games in the regular season and was booted from the playoffs in the second round by the Lakers.
- Kansas State swingman Keyontae Johnson could be an ideal culture fit for the Warriors, opines Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Johnson recently worked out for the Warriors along with five other players in front of team coaches and front office members. Johnson missed all but five games across his last two NCAA seasons at Florida due to heart inflammation, but had an eventual 2022/23 comeback upon transferring to the Wildcats.
- Lakers power forward Rui Hachimura, a restricted free agent, discussed his upcoming free agency during a recent appearance on ESPN’s “Hoop Streams” show with hosts Cassidy Hubbarth, Gary Striewski, and Tim Legler (YouTube video link). While Hachimura is uncertain about his future, he was clearly appreciative of his postseason experience with the Lakers. “Back at that time (of the trade to L.A.), we didn’t even know we were going to make the playoffs,” Hachimura said. “So we made the playoffs and the playoff run was pretty good, we lost to Denver but it was pretty good for us. I don’t know my future but I just want to be somewhere I can be happy. The Lakers have been good and we’re going to see.”
I’m a clippers fan but it’s definitely not gonna happen ! Even when healthy I never bought them as anything close to a potential juggernaut or close to unbeatable in the westL at their peak they are very beatable ! Even worse they aren’t gonna be at their peak or healthy ! If they have a chance to reset they should their future currently is as ugly as any team in the nba
Warriors should just focus on rebuilding a new team around Curry…
Draymond is a poison to a teams culture and doesn’t move the needle on the floor anymore…
What Golden State manages to do with that dead money is important…
Green could be leaving. They are not offering him a max deal so he could be gone. There are a few teams out there that may open up their wallets for him. I would not be surprised if he signs with the Pistons and goes home to make them a future playoff team. Portland, Sacramento and Dallas will be all in on him. I think everyone is under estimating the offers he gets.
The Warriors are the only team that will offer close to what he wants…
The Pistons may have the cap space… Draymond alone doesn’t help them sniff the playoffs…
They’d need to get a proper star as well…
They can’t do anything with that dead money if he leaves. They lose it. That is why they need to sign and trade or just sign him.
How the CBA is now it would save a big amount of tax money if he walks. Why bring in a another player if it doesn’t help. They need playing time for Poole, Moody, Kuminga, Payton, and PBJ. That is their problem too many players not enough playing time.
PG13 is only slightly better than KL in the availability department. He’s missed significant time every year with the LAC and has averaged fewer than 48 games per year. Fewer games than AD has played with the LAL.
Almost any team would be tantalized by the prospect of adding a healthy PG13 to their roster. If that guy still existed, there wouldn’t be a chance of a trade.
How many games have the two actually played together?
It’s clear to me that load managing doesn’t help these guys because they still manage to get hurt before the playoffs or during
Sounds like Kerr is taking a shot at the team and NBA for not giving Draymond discipline.