It may not be long before the Clippers see Milos Teodosic back in action, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. The rookie point guard has been sidelined with a plantar fascia injury since the second game of the season but is nearing his return.
- The Clippers may look to move DeAndre Jordan at the deadline if they’re not pleased with their chances of competing in the Western Conference. This ESPN Insider piece explores four possible trade scenarios, including one that would see Jordan land with the Bucks in exchange for Jabari Parker, Thon Maker and Matthew Dellavedova.
Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari is set to get back on the court after missing a month due to a strained left glute, he confirmed on Wednesday (Twitter link via Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times). Gallinari, who suffered the injury in a November 5 game against the Heat, will make his return tonight against the Timberwolves.
Gallinari, acquired via a three-way sign-and-trade in July, was the Clippers’ most noteworthy free agent addition this offseason, but he has been one of many of the team’s newly-added players who has faced health problems so far. Point guards Milos Teodosic and Patrick Beverley have missed time too, with Beverley’s knee injury sidelining him for the rest of the season. Blake Griffin, who signed a new five-year contract with the Clips over the summer, is also on the shelf.
DeAndre Jordan has been the Clippers’ lone starter who has stayed healthy throughout the year, a fact he alluded to today after word broke that Gallinari is set to return. “We’ve got a starter back,” Jordan said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “That makes two of us.”
With the Clippers plagued by the injury bug and struggling to an 8-14 record, there has been increasing speculation that the team could become a seller prior to the trade deadline. Perhaps Gallinari can help right the ship in Los Angeles, but even if the Clips continue to struggle, it’s hard to imagine the club moving the former Nugget this season. Gallinari, who becomes trade-eligible on December 15, is one of just two Clippers (Griffin is the other) whose salary is fully guaranteed through 2020, so he appears to be part of the team’s long-term plans.
The league has granted the Clippers a $2.75MM disabled player exception after the franchise lost Patrick Beverley for the season, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (Twitter link). The point guard missed several games for the franchise with knee troubles before undergoing surgery.
Los Angeles has several players on the mend, which is contributing to their disappointing 2017/18 campaign to date. Blake Griffin is currently sidelined with a knee injury and he’s not expected back for a least another four or five weeks. Danilo Gallinari and Milos Teodosic both could be back much sooner, with the Italian forward eyeing Wednesday as a possible return date and the point guard likely a week away from seeing action.
While the $2.75MM exception gives the Clippers the ability to add another piece, an acquisition might not be in the cards, as the team sits approximately $122.5K below the luxury tax line. Los Angeles has finished over the tax line in each of the previous three seasons, meaning the franchise would have to pay $2.50 in taxes for every dollar spent should it cross the threshold yet again.
- After practicing with the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario on Monday, Danilo Gallinari, Milos Teodosic, and Brice Johnson were recalled by the Clippers, as Robert Flom of Clips Nation details. Gallinari and Teodosic are close to returning from their respective injuries, with Gallinari hoping to play on Wednesday.
- Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari is hopeful of returning this week from a strained left glute, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times relays. Gallinari hasn’t played since November 5th. He was acquired in a three-way deal in July.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers will likely hold onto his job the remainder of the season, multiple sources told USA Today’s Sam Amick. Owner Steve Ballmer feels the team’s rash of injuries has made it difficult to judge Rivers’ performance this season, Amick continues. The team’s top player, power forward Blake Griffin, is out at least a month with an MCL sprain. Point guard Patrick Beverley underwent season-ending knee surgery, while newcomers Milos Teodosic and Danilo Gallinari have barely played because of ailments. “You’ve just got to hang in there,” Rivers told Amick. “People get down on the team. They get down on you. They get down on everybody. That’s what happens, and you can’t waver. You’ve just got to keep doing your job, and the players have to just keep playing.”
Other notable items from Amick’s story:
- The club is taking calls on center DeAndre Jordan but not actively shopping him. Jordan is expected to opt of the final year of his contract next summer, leaving $24.1MM on the table. The front office believes it can re-sign him, so they’re asking price for any potential deal is high. The market could heat up on December 15th, when many players who signed new contracts last summer are eligible to be dealt. Jordan hired an agent on Monday, which could facilitate trade talks.
- The team remains committed to building around Griffin, who re-signed with them over the summer. Griffin doesn’t have an opt-out on his massive five-year, $171.1MM deal until the summer of 2021.
- Productive role players, such as guard Lou Williams, could be dealt for draft picks. The team still has its first-rounder in June but dealt away its 2019 pick.
- The Clippers have assigned Danilo Gallinari, Milos Teodosic, and Brice Johnson to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. While Johnson’s assignment is likely just meant to get him some extra reps, Gallinari and Teodosic are rehabbing injuries and will practice with the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario as they near their respective returns.
DeAndre Jordan, who hasn’t been represented by an agent for the last two years, has rectified that, having hired new representation in a potential contract year, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Wojnarowski, Jordan has signed on with Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management.
There was a reported belief among some executives and agents that Jordan would choose Rich Paul and Klutch Sports for representation, but the big man instead opted for Schwartz, one of the biggest names among NBA agents. Schwartz also represents players like Kevin Love, Kemba Walker, Andre Drummond, and LaMarcus Aldridge, among others.
While Jordan isn’t eligible to reach free agency until July, an agent may help open up trade possibilities before then if the Clippers decide to shop their starting center. As Wojnarowski notes, teams interested in trading for Jordan wouldn’t be able to speak to him directly about whether he might want to stick with that team long-term, but an agent can help facilitate those discussions.
[RELATED: Bucks have interest in DeAndre Jordan]
The Clippers, hit hard by injuries and currently out of the playoff picture in the West, offered Jordan a contract extension during the offseason and haven’t ruled out the possibility of trying to re-sign him, league sources tell Wojnarowski. However, rival teams have begun to reach out to the Clips’ front office about the 29-year-old’s availability, and the club won’t dismiss those inquires out of hand.
Jordan fired previous agent Dan Fegan back in 2015, following a bizarre free agent process that saw the veteran center verbally commit to the Mavericks before ultimately deciding to re-sign with the Clippers.
In his latest piece for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor takes a deep dive into the new-look Bucks, with a specific focus on their defense. As O’Connor outlines, Milwaukee has been one of the NBA’s best defensive teams in the 11 games since they acquired Eric Bledsoe, after ranking 29th to open the season.
Still, the Bucks’ recent schedule has been somewhat soft, and the club’s defensive rating takes a major hit when Bledsoe isn’t on the court. Adding another defensive stopper may help stabilize the lineup on that side of the ball and ensure that the club’s defensive improvements stick, O’Connor writes. Here’s more from the Ringer scribe on the Bucks and some of their possible targets:
- The Bucks are on the lookout for a big man, multiple NBA executives tell O’Connor. The team is also trying to create some cap flexibility by moving some of their pricier multiyear contracts, such as the ones signed by Mirza Teletovic, John Henson, and Matthew Dellavedova.
- One notable trade candidate who has been linked to the Bucks is DeAndre Jordan, and league executives expect the Clippers to listen to inquiries on the veteran center, per O’Connor.
- One complicating factor on Jordan is the fact that he doesn’t currently have an agent, but multiple execs and agents who spoke to O’Connor believe the Clippers center will end up signing with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. If that happens before the trade deadline, Paul could get involved on any Jordan trade talks and influence where he lands. It’s worth noting that both the Bucks (Bledsoe) and Cavaliers (LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, and J.R. Smith), who have been cited as potential suitors for Jordan, have Klutch clients. (Update: Jordan has reportedly hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management for representation.)
- Marc Gasol is another player who would make sense as a trade target for the Bucks, but three execs who talked to O’Connor don’t expect the Grizzlies to deal him. One of those execs suggested that even if Gasol were to request a trade, Memphis may wait until the offseason to make a move.