Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Griffin Injures Toe, Out For Playoffs

April 22nd, 2017 at 9:30am CST by Austin Kent

9:30am: The Clippers have announced that Griffin will miss the remainder of the postseason with an injury to the plantar plate of his right big toe. Marc J. Spears of ESPN relayed the press release over Twitter.

8:24am: The Clippers avoided a worst case scenario when it was revealed that Blake Griffin‘s toe was bruised and not broken but battling through to a championship without their forward at full strength is unrealistic, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times writes.

A silver lining for the franchise is that it was quickly discovered through initial X-rays that the 28-year-old’s right big toe was bruised and not broken. Clippers courtside reporter Kristina Pink tweeted as much during the game.

Per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Griffin was scheduled to undergo an MRI following the game on Friday night.

Both head coach Doc Rivers and point guard Chris Paul understand the impact that the toe issue could have on their postseason fates.

“We won’t be able to play through the post so much,” Paul said. “Blake is such a dynamic player. We go to him in the post, and we cut and move off of him. He’s our other assist guy. There’s just a different feeling when he’s on the court.”

The news conjures images of last year’s first-round series against the Trail Blazers when both Griffin and Paul went down with injuries.

Expect the Clippers to build upon the 2-1 lead they eked out with Griffin sidelined, Hernandez writes, but unless some good news comes through the pipeline soon, that may be all they get.

According to Turner, Rivers expects that news to come Saturday with Griffin’s Game 4 status still questionable in the meantime.

And-Ones: DVP Exception, Stern, BWB

April 21st, 2017 at 9:28pm CST by Austin Kent

It hasn’t been decided if the All-NBA teams will be announced during the league’s first ever award show on June 26 but regardless of when the teams are revealed they’ll have an impact on two pending free agents, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

Neither Blake Griffin nor Gordon Hayward will win the MVP of Defensive Player of the Year award, Smallwood writes, but the two will be in contention to land a spot among the three year-end teams. This year, that’s more important than ever.

Thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement, players whose portfolios boast particular impressive accolades will be eligible for more money in the form of the Designated Veteran Exception.

Another player that will be impacted by the new exception is Stephen Curry but since the MVP clause covers anybody who won that award in the previous three seasons, his is already locked in.

It’s unclear how exactly the formal announcements will unfold but even without the drama of a formal award show, this year’s revelations will be more dramatic than any we’ve seen previously.

There’s more from around the league:

Though he’s no longer the commissioner of the NBA, David Stern is still very much involved with the league and the sport of basketball, Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press writes. The article discusses some of the 74-year-old’s latest endeavors.
For the first time ever, Basketball Without Borders is setting up camp in Israel, E. Carchia of Sportando writes. BWB has reached 134 countries and territories since 2001.
The NBDL Player of the Year is former Cavaliers training camp invitee John Holland, the Cleveland D-League affiliate announced in an official press release. The guard averaged 22.9 points per game for the Canton Charge.

Redick Getting Limited Shots In Playoffs

April 20th, 2017 at 10:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick has gotten off just 13 shots in the first two games of the playoffs, but coach Doc Rivers appreciates his unselfish approach, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Redick has scored 11 points in the series under heavy defensive pressure but the team hopes to get him more involved in Game 3 on Friday, Turner adds. “Sometimes in certain games and series, you have to give yourself up to get the team stuff,” Rivers told the assembled media on Thursday. “J.J. has been terrific with that. He’s going to get his shot eventually.”
Clippers guard Austin Rivers will miss Game 3 with a strained left hamstring but remains hopeful of returning for Game 4, Turner reports in a separate story. Rivers has not played the last eight games, including the final six of the regular season.

Doc Rivers Hoping To Retain Clippers’ Core

April 18th, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers are down 1-0 to the Jazz in their first round playoff series, and there has been speculation that if L.A. can’t get by Utah, a significant roster overhaul could be around the corner. However, head coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he’d like to keep the Clippers’ core intact, even with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and J.J. Redick facing potential unrestricted free agency.

“Here’s my argument to (the question of the roster will be worth going deeper into the tax to keep intact),” Rivers said. “Let’s say we don’t win this year — which I think we will, (but) let’s say we don’t. Do you give up on a 50-win team that has proven that they’re really close, or do you hang in there and keep trying to maybe make changes around (the core)?

“I always use Utah as a great (example). Thank God Karl Malone and (John) Stockton didn’t listen to people, you know what I mean? They fell (in the playoffs), and kept trying and kept trying. And finally, late in their careers, they finally broke through to the Finals. They didn’t win it (all). But you know, that’s the pursuit. I just think it’s so easy to (say), ‘Hey, they should break up,’ from the outside. And I think that’s such an easy opinion.”

As we noted this week, the Clippers were one of two teams to finish the 2016/17 in luxury tax territory, and that was with Paul, Griffin, and Redick on their old deals. The trio combined to earn about $50MM this season, but that number could increase beyond $65MM in 2017/18 for CP3 and Griffin alone, without even taking into consideration a raise for Redick as well. In total, Amick estimates that the Clippers’ team salary could increase to the $140MM range if they bring everyone back, which would mean a tax bill of more than $55MM.

Even though Rivers is the GM in Los Angeles, team owner Steve Ballmer will have the final say on roster moves if they significantly increase the money he’ll owe his players in the coming years, as Amick observes. And if the Clippers don’t make a deep playoff run this spring, there’s no guarantee that Rivers and Ballmer will see eye to eye on the team’s strategy going forward, despite the trust that the franchise’s owner has in his head coach.

A new long-term deal for Paul appears likely, but the Clippers will face some interesting decisions in the next few months, and will be a team worth watching this summer.

NBA Execs Talk Carmelo Anthony Situation

April 17th, 2017 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

It was an eventful long weekend in New York, as Phil Jackson used his Good Friday press conference to espouse the belief that Carmelo Anthony would probably “be better off somewhere else” where he can contend for a title. The players’ union objected to Jackson’s blunt – and public – assessment of the situation, while the Knicks president’s comments may inspire Anthony to dig his heels in this summer.

One frequent criticism of Jackson’s handling of the Anthony situation has been that publicly expressing a desire to move on from the star forward won’t exactly increase his trade value around the league. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News investigated that topic, speaking to a handful of NBA executives about Carmelo’s current stock, and found that the Knicks may have trouble finding a taker for Anthony, even if he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause.

“If he were willing to keep altering his style of play, you might say yes,” one GM said of trading for Anthony. “At his best, when he was four or five years younger, you could win if you built the team to fit what he does. [The Knicks] had some good teams, people forget. But at this point, at his age, it is not possible unless he becomes more of a role player — a stretch four; a second or third option. But then you’re paying $25MM per year for a role player, and how does that help you?”

While other executives are more sympathetic toward Anthony’s situation and still like him as a player, his exorbitant salary for the next two seasons – which would include a 15% trade kicker if he were dealt – is a sticking point for many execs.

“I like Carmelo, I think he takes a bad rap,” an Eastern Conference exec tells Deveney. “He doesn’t get in trouble, he has put up with a lot from that organization and I think a lot of guys would have lashed out by now. Give him credit for that. But anyone who brings him in has to ask, does he make your team better, looking at everything including his (cap) number? In most cases, that’s going to be no.”

As for which teams might be matches for the Knicks in a Carmelo trade, most executives who spoke to Deveney proposed the same few clubs we’ve heard in previous Anthony rumors. The Cavaliers are viewed as more of a long shot, with most execs suggesting that the Clippers remain the best bet — particularly if L.A. has another early playoff exit and wants to shake things up. One Western Conference executive also pointed out that Anthony’s no-trade clause will likely help keep his trade cost down for any team acquiring him.

“If he waives the no-trade, you know he is going to be OK with coming (to his new team),” the exec said. “He is not going against his will. And look at it, everyone has the Knicks over a barrel. They’re just desperate to move the guy. You are not going to have to give up much of anything to get him, just make the salaries match.”

For all the latest updates related to Anthony, be sure to keep an eye on our rumors page for him.

Cavs, Clippers Finished 2016/17 In Tax Territory

April 17th, 2017 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Although last summer’s free agent period saw teams across the NBA engage in an unprecedented spending spree, four teams finished the 2016/17 season below the salary floor, and only two teams surpassed the luxury tax line and finished in tax territory.

With the salary cap having increased to a record-high level, most of the NBA’s teams were able to comfortably avoid spending $113.287MM and going into the tax. The two exceptions were in Cleveland and Los Angeles, where the Cavaliers zoomed past the tax threshold and the Clippers went a little beyond it as well.

The NBA will likely release official figures regarding this season’s taxpaying teams in July, but here’s our unofficial data on the Cavs and Clippers:

Cleveland Cavaliers:

Total team salary for tax purposes: $126,696,581
Amount above tax line: $13,409,581
Projected tax bill: $24,773,953
The Cavaliers don’t qualify as repeat taxpayers, since they didn’t pay the tax in at least three of the previous four seasons, so their tax rate is as follows:
- $1.50 per dollar for the first $5MM over tax
- $1.75 per dollar for the next $5MM over tax ($5-10MM range)
- $2.50 per dollar for the next $5MM over tax ($10-15MM range)

Los Angeles Clippers:

Total team salary for tax purposes: $114,740,032
Amount above tax line: $1,453,032
Projected tax bill: $3,632,580
Unlike the Cavs, the Clippers do qualify as repeat taxpayers, since they were in the tax for each of the three previous seasons. As such, their tax rate starts at $2.50 per dollar.

The Portland Trail Blazers were the only other team in danger of crossing into tax territory, and after Maurice Harkless earned a $500K bonus at the end of the season, the Blazers came perilously close to that threshold. According to Bobby Marks’ data at The Vertical, Portland finished $4,462 shy of the tax line.

The Blazers didn’t sign a single free agent to a full-season or 10-day contract in 2016/17 after the season began, and it’s a good thing they didn’t. The one-day salary for a player with at least two years of NBA experience this season was $5,767, so even adding a veteran for a single day would have put Portland into the tax.

Once again, our data – and Marks’ – isn’t necessarily official, so we’ll wait for formal confirmation from the NBA this summer. But it looks like the Blazers just narrowly avoided becoming the league’s third taxpayer this year. Instead of paying the tax, Portland figures to be one of the 28 teams receiving a portion of the tax charges paid by the Clippers and Cavs.

Clippers Notes: Austin Rivers, D-League, Ingles

April 16th, 2017 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Austin Rivers will miss at least one more game of the playoff series with the Jazz because of a left hamstring strain that he suffered late in the season, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. His father and coach, Doc Rivers, said Austin went through a shooting session Saturday for the first time since the injury. He also did some light sprints and dribbling drills as the workout went better than a previous attempt. “I was on the court three or four days ago,” Austin Rivers told Bill Oram of The Orange County Register, “and it didn’t really go as I planned. Didn’t feel good and they took me off and waited a couple more days, with a little treatment and stuff like that. Today we tried it again and it worked.” He is aiming to be ready for Game 3 Friday night in Utah.

There’s more today out of Los Angeles:

The Clippers are hoping to add a D-League franchise next season, reports Adam Johnson of D-League Digest. The original plan was to have a team in place for 2018/19, but the organization decided it doesn’t want to wait that long. Ontario, California, is the preferred location, and the Clippers are awaiting league approval for that site. If that doesn’t work out, Johnson suggests Bakersfield as an alternative. The city hosted the Bakersfield Jam before that franchise was purchased by the Suns and moved to Northern Arizona. The new team would be the 26th in the D-League and the fourth to join next season.
The Clippers are facing Utah’s Joe Ingles in the playoffs three years after waiving him. Doc Rivers says the move was necessary because of another contract that the Clippers were obligated to keep, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. That contract belonged to Jared Cunningham, who only spent 19 games in L.A., according to Dan Woike of DanWoikeSports (Twitter link). Ingles was waived by the Clippers on October 25th, 2014, and claimed by the Jazz two days later.
The Clippers should have been more inspired in Game 1 considering that their long-term future is at stake, writes Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin can both opt out this summer, and the core of the team could be broken up with another early playoff exit.

Latest On Carmelo Anthony

April 15th, 2017 at 9:13am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks president Phil Jackson didn’t mince words when addressing his long-simmering dispute with Carmelo Anthony in a press conference Friday. Making his intentions clear to end their relationship, Jackson said, “I think the direction with our team, he’ll be better off somewhere else.”

The problem is that there’s no easy way for a break-up to occur. Anthony is under contract for $26,243,760 next season and $27,928,140 in 2018/19 with an early termination option. There is also a 15% trade kicker that must be paid by whatever team acquires him, along with a no-trade clause that Anthony can use to block any deal he doesn’t like.

With that in mind, several NBA writers have taken a look at where Anthony might wind up:

Anthony has three options for the offseason, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation. He can waive the no-trade clause and accept a deal, although Ziller says he shouldn’t feel obligated to do so just because Jackson wants him gone. He can submit a list of teams that he would agree to be traded to, which would presumably include joining friends LeBron James with the Cavaliers, Chris Paul with the Clippers or Dwyane Wade with the Bulls. Or he can make a stand and tell the Knicks that he won’t leave until his contract expires. Ziller favors the last option, noting that Anthony likes being in New York and has earned the power he obtained through the no-trade clause.
The Cavaliers, Clippers and Celtics, whom the Knicks reportedly contacted about moving Anthony before the February deadline, are listed as possible destinations by The New York Post, along with the Heat and Wizards.
Miami may have interest in Anthony, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel, who notes that team president Pat Riley pursued the Knicks star in free agency three years ago. With more than $25MM expected to be freed in cap space once the Chris Bosh situation is resolved, Miami could add Anthony with a simple trade, and Winderman suggests Justise Winslow as a possibility. However, that would leave the team unable to re-sign James Johnson and Dion Waiters.
The Bulls “will steer completely clear of whatever Carmelo does,” predicts Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. In a video posted on CSNChicago.com, Friedell suggests that if Anthony had come to Chicago three seasons ago, Tom Thibideau probably would have been kept as coach and current Knicks Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah would still be with the Bulls.

New Clippers Contract For Chris Paul ‘All Done’?

April 14th, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

There have been rumors that the Clippers might break up their core if they don’t make a long playoff run, but that apparently won’t apply to Chris Paul, writes Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. Paul is in line for a five-year extension this summer worth more than $200MM, and an unidentified source tells Lawrence, “It’s all done, with a wink and a nod.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard a report along these lines. Back in February, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote that Paul and the Clippers had a “verbal agreement” in place for a new long-term contract. As we noted at the time, a verbal agreement isn’t binding, so even if such an arrangement is in place, the Clippers and CP3 are free to change course in the coming months. Paul won’t be able to officially sign a new five-year deal until July 6.

Paul, 31, is expected to turn down a player option for next season worth $24.27MM and seek a long-term contract that could be his last in the NBA. The nine-time All-Star led the Clippers to the No. 4 spot in the West with another stellar season, averaging 18.1 points and 9.2 assists over 61 games. Paul has been with the Clippers for the past six seasons.

L.A. is facing an offseason in which Paul and Blake Griffin are each expected to opt out, joining fellow starter J.J. Redick on the free agent market. There have been concerns about whether the Clippers can afford to bring all of them back, particularly if the season ends with another playoff disappointment.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Griffin Productive In Push For Home Court

April 8th, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers star Blake Griffin has been putting up huge numbers as the team battles for home court advantage in the first round, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register. Griffin’s performance since returning from mid-December knee surgery will remind teams of his value as he heads toward free agency. “We keep forgetting Blake missed a huge part of the season,” said coach Doc Rivers, “and you don’t miss that part of the season and just come back and start playing well. It takes time, I think he’s comfortable now, he’s comfortable with his body. So he’s getting ready. It’s good. I like the timing.”