Clippers Confident About Re-Signing Blake Griffin
The Clippers reached a deal to trade away one of their stars today, but remain confident about re-signing another. According to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), the Clips believe today’s Chris Paul trade agreement clears the way for the club to re-sign Blake Griffin.
[RELATED: Clippers to trade Chris Paul to Rockets]
While the idea of re-signing Griffin after losing Paul may seem counter-intuitive, there are some reasons why it makes sense to bring back one without the other. Paul and Griffin were never believed to be the best of friends, with multiple reports over the years suggesting there was some tension between the two players.
Additionally, had the Clippers re-signed both Paul and Griffin to maximum salary contracts, the club would have gone well into luxury tax territory. Without Paul’s max salary to consider, the Clips’ books will be a little easier to manage, even with a lucrative new deal for Griffin on the cap.
Along the same lines, the Clippers wouldn’t necessarily be able to create a significant chunk of cap room by letting Griffin walk, since they already have upwards of $74MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap after taking into account the additions of Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, and Sam Dekker. Re-signing Griffin and staying over the cap would allow the team to keep the trade exception it figures to acquire in the CP3 deal.
Multiple teams, including the Celtics, Heat, and Thunder, are expected to pursue Griffin in free agency, so a return to Los Angeles is hardly a sure thing for the former No. 1 overall pick. Nonetheless, if the Clippers are willing to offer five years, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be the favorite. As our maximum salary projections show, the Clips could offer a five-year deal worth an estimated $172MM+, while any other team could offer up to about $127.7MM over four years.
Meanwhile, in other Clippers news, the team has reached an agreement with forward Paul Pierce to extend the guarantee date on his salary for the 2017/18 season, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Pierce, who remains under contract for one more year despite his plans to retire, currently has approximately $1MM of his $3.68MM salary guaranteed. The full amount was set to become guaranteed after June 30, but pushing back that deadline could allow L.A. to use Pierce’s contract in a trade once the new league year begins.
Rockets A Serious Threat For Chris Paul?
The Rockets have emerged as an “increasingly serious” threat in the Chris Paul sweepstakes, league sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein is the second ESPN reporter this week to make such a claim — Chris Haynes said on Monday that he has heard Houston has a “serious chance” to land Paul.
According to Stein, MVP finalist James Harden has been advocating for the Rockets to go after Paul, having made his interest in playing alongside the veteran point guard clear to both the team and to CP3 himself.
As Stein notes, the Rockets would have to make some cost-cutting moves in order to clear the cap space necessary to make a real run at Paul. Ryan Anderson, Patrick Beverley, and Lou Williams are among the players believed to be on the trade block, with ESPN’s report suggesting that Houston is focused on finding a taker for Anderson’s salary, which will be worth nearly $20MM in 2017/18.
Despite the classification of the Rockets as a “serious” suitor for Paul, I’m skeptical of the fit. Houston excelled this past season playing a fast-paced style with Harden running the point. Paul has generally played at a much slower pace, and incorporating him into the offense would mean taking the ball out of Harden’s hands. Additionally, I think the Rockets would probably have to attach at least one valuable asset – such as a future first-round pick – to Anderson’s contract in order to gain any traction in trade talks.
Still, according to Stein, the Clippers continue to worry that Paul could bolt in free agency, and view Houston and San Antonio as legitimate threats. We heard earlier today that CP3’s camp sat down with the Clippers on Tuesday to discuss the point guard’s future. The two sides plan to meet again a few days from now.
LeBron James Will Reportedly ‘Never’ Play For Clippers
Rumors of LeBron James plotting another exit strategy out of Cleveland has led to growing speculation that the three-time NBA champion will seek a new home out west. The Lakers and Clippers have been the two frequently mentioned destination in the event James leaves the Cavaliers — but one of those teams can reportedly be crossed off the list.
During an appearance on ESPN’s Freddie and Fritz program, Mike Wise of The Undefeated cited a source who claimed that James will never suit up for the Clippers.
“I got from a very good authority — a very good authority — that LeBron James will never be a Clipper. I can’t tell you who, but I’m going to tell you it’s somebody that knows, and LeBron James will never be a Clipper,” Wise said (via CBS Sports). “I don’t know if that’s because he remembers what the Clippers used to be, or he just doesn’t want to put his lot in there, or he thinks Steve Ballmer is just too animated on the sideline. He’s never going to be a Clipper. I’m just telling people right now, for your edification.”
The Clippers seemed like a potential destination given that James’ close friend, Chris Paul, has been a fixture in Los Angeles. However, the All-Star point guard is set to hit free agency and his return is far from certain. Additionally, Blake Griffin seems poised to test the market and potentially leave the Clippers, and DeAndre Jordan was reportedly shopped during the NBA Draft.
Despite the star-studded lineup, the Clippers have failed to reach a Conference Finals and the future of Lob City is in jeopardy. The team is also working on a new arena that could lure free agents to California. While a change of heart is possible, Wise’s comments indicate that King James’ future will not include the Clippers.
Free Agent Rumors: Lowry, Paul, Teodosic, Pachulia, Heat
Michael Grange of Sportsnet spoke to NBA team sources, as well as longtime player agents, to delve into Kyle Lowry‘s free agency. Grange writes that “it is becoming increasingly evident that Lowry will take the opportunity to test the market.” He also adds that the Raptors are the only team that can guarantee a fifth year in a contract offer to Lowry and can pay more over four years than any other suitor. Grange finds a consensus among his sources that Lowry will not be receiving a max deal out in the market and that “his ceiling will top out at $30 million annually, although that would most likely be on a shorter deal.”
Here are some other relevant free agent rumors:
- According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (link via Twitter), Chris Paul and his agents met with the Clippers on Tuesday and discussed the player’s future. Paul’s camp and Clippers officials will speak again soon.
- Milos Teodosic announced that he will likely leave his Russian team and wishes to play in the NBA, via Novosti by way of Sportando: “I will not stay with CSKA Moscow almost for sure. But I don’t know yet where I will continue my career,” Teodosic said. “Going to the NBA is my wish but when I will know where, I will say that.”
- Zaza Pachulia back with the Hawks? The reunion is an interesting idea that Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution floats, as the team has just one center at present (Miles Plumlee) and Pachulia is an unrestricted free agent and likely to move on from the Warriors. Furthermore, Vivlamore points out that Atlanta’s new GM Travis Schlenk knows Pachulia from his time with the Dubs.
- Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald asks and answers key questions about the Heat‘s free agency. If Miami were to land Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin, could they still keep James Johnson or Dion Waiters? Jackson says it would be difficult but not impossible. Click through for his detailed answer.
Iguodala Drawing Interest From At Least Seven Teams
Andre Iguodala wasn’t able to take home the NBA’s 2016/17 Sixth Man of the Year award on Monday night, but he’s on the verge of landing a nice consolation prize in the form of a lucrative new contract. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, at least seven teams from around the league are expected to make an effort to pry Iguodala away from the Warriors.
The Timberwolves, Spurs, Clippers, Sixers, Magic, Nets, and Jazz are among the clubs with interest in Iguodala, per Haynes. Previous reports have suggested that the Bulls, Suns, and Hawks also may have interest in the veteran swingman, though Chicago has since entered a rebuilding phase, and Phoenix and Atlanta may opt to go in another direction.
According to Haynes, the Timberwolves and Sixers both have interest in Iguodala as a veteran leader for their young squads, while the Jazz view Iguodala as a contingency plan should they lose Gordon Hayward in free agency. The Spurs have internally discussed the possibility of trying to add both Iguodala and Chris Paul, according to Haynes, who confirms that San Antonio has explored trading Danny Green and LaMarcus Aldridge.
As Haynes explains, Iguodala has become one of the hottest free agents on the market this summer because teams view it as a priority to get him out of Golden State. Building a super-team to compete with the Warriors isn’t realistic for most franchises, so chipping away at the Warriors’ core by signing away one of the team’s key contributors is a more logical way to close the gap between Golden State and the rest of the league.
While earlier estimates for Iguodala’s new contract indicated the Warriors might be able to bring him back for an annual salary in the range of his current $11.1MM+ figure, a report from Shams Charania of The Vertical last week suggested that number could be much higher if the 33-year-old heads elsewhere. According to Charania, there’s a belief among teams around the NBA that Iguodala could approach $20MM per year on a new deal.
Outside of the Warriors’ stars, Shaun Livingston and Iguodala represent the team’s most important veteran free agents. Haynes says that Livingston should be popular in July as well, reporting that the veteran point guard may command a salary in the range of $10-12MM per year.
Celtics Working To Land Both Hayward And George
With the free agent period fast approaching, the Celtics are pursuing an “aggressive” plan that would include signing Gordon Hayward and acquiring Paul George in a trade, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The plan – first reported by Adam Kaufman of 98.5 The Sports Hub (Twitter link) – would require specific sequencing, and would hinge on getting a commitment from Hayward.
As Wojnarowski explains, the Celtics would want to get a verbal commitment from Hayward before attempting to finalize a deal with the Pacers for George. However, Indiana won’t necessarily be operating on the same schedule as Boston, and could look elsewhere in an effort to get something done with George while the C’s are waiting on Hayward.
Hayward is expected to start taking meetings with the Celtics and Heat on July 1, and the Jazz continue to fight to hang onto their star forward, according to Wojnarowski. The Vertical’s report indicates that Utah is exploring alternative offseason plans should Hayward leave, but is also working to upgrade its roster before July 1.
The Jazz have approximately $16MM in cap room that will expire on July 1, so that space could be used to accommodate a significant acquisition. For instance, ESPN’s Marc Stein has tweeted that Utah is among the teams to express trade interest in Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio. With their available cap room, the Jazz could absorb Rubio’s entire $13.5MM+ salary without having to send out any contracts.
If Hayward ultimately chooses Utah or Miami, the Celtics may look to substitute Clippers big man Blake Griffin in his place in an effort to land both Griffin and George, writes Wojnarowski. Griffin is also eligible for unrestricted free agency and can earn the same maximum starting salary as Hayward.
The Celtics and Pacers were said to be in “serious” talks involving George on draft night before those discussions stalled. As Wojnarowski points out, Boston is probably the Pacers’ preferred trade partner, since the C’s have a huge stockpile of young prospects and picks that would aid Indiana’s rebuilding process. Meanwhile, the Celtics also have a “growing confidence” that they could sign George to a contract extension and make him more than a one-year rental, which is “fueling” the team’s willingness to part with some of its assets, per The Vertical.
If the Celtics were to acquire George, he’d be eligible to sign an extension, but Boston would have to clear out even more cap room in order to renegotiate his contract and give him the sort a raise that might convince him to postpone his free agency. Like the rest of the Celtics’ plan, that wouldn’t be impossible, but there are a lot of moving parts involved that could complicate the situation.
Green, Gobert Headline 2016/17 NBA All-Defensive Teams
The NBA has announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2016/17 season, and Defensive Player of the Year finalists Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert, and Kawhi Leonard all earned a place on the First Team. Green led the way with 99 First Team votes, while Gobert received 97 votes for a spot on the First Team.
Here are the full rosters for the NBA’s All-Defensive teams:
First Team:
- Draymond Green (Warriors)
- Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
- Kawhi Leonard (Spurs)
- Chris Paul (Clippers)
- Patrick Beverley (Rockets)
Second Team:
- Tony Allen (Grizzlies)
- Danny Green (Spurs)
- Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
- Andre Roberson (Thunder)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Avery Bradley (Celtics), Klay Thompson (Warriors), and John Wall (Wizards) were among the other players receiving votes who just missed out on an All-Defensive spot.
As Bobby Marks of The Vertical observes (via Twitter), Gobert’s cap hit for the 2017/18 season will now increase by $500K to $21.9MM based on his spot on the All-Defensive First Team.
Clippers Pay $2MM For Sindarius Thornwell Pick
- The Clippers ended up agreeing to pay $2MM for the Bucks draft pick that turned into Sindarius Thornwell at No. 48, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- As speculation mounts that LeBron James could be targeting a move to Los Angeles next summer, the battle between the Lakers and Clippers gains momentum. Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Daily News points out that the potential pursuit of James may see L.A. legends Magic Johnson and Jerry West squaring off.
And Ones: Stoudemire, Paul, G League, Fegan
Former NBA All-Star and now Israeli League champion, Amar’e Stoudemire, has completed his first season abroad and is now weighing three major options, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Those options are retirement, returning to Israel to defend his title with Hapoel Jerusalem, or pursue an NBA comeback.
Stoudemire, soon-to-be 35 years old, last appeared in the NBA for a 52-game run with the 2015/16 Heat. In those games, the six-time All-Star posted totals of 5.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG in just under 15 minutes per game. In Israel last season, Stoudemire played a similar role as a sixth man, averaging 9.9 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 23 minutes.
The former Rookie of the Year was last effective in his first season with the Knicks after signing a massive five-year pact. Stoudemire revealed to Berman that while no talks have taken place yet, a reunion with the Knicks is possible. “I’ve followed New York, always pulling for the Knicks to have success,’’ Stoudemire said. “I’ve been hearing the stories [about Carmelo Anthony]. I’m always rooting for the Knicks and Carmelo as well to have success. Unfortunately it wasn’t the case this year. I do have positive energy toward the team, and soon they’ll start succeeding.”
Here are some additional notes from around the basketball world:
- Soon-to-be free agent Chris Paul is set to opt-out of his Clippers deal but he will retain role as president of the National Basketball Players Associates, per ESPN’s Marc J. Spears (via Twitter). The All-Star guard was reelected to a new term in New York City Friday.
- NBA agent Dan Fegan has filed a $30MM lawsuit against ISE’s Hank Ratner for fraud and contractual interference, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (via Twitter). In a separate tweet, Zillgitt says that Fegan alleges ISE and Ratner “orchestrated a Machiavellian conspiracy, to steal Dan Fegan’s clients and destroy his reputation.” ISE said in a statement that Fegan’s lawsuit is a “publicity stunt.”
- Adam Johnson of D League Digest (via Twitter) reports that the G League expansion draft — which will include four new teams — is scheduled for August 23.
Chris Paul To Opt Out Of Contract
7:36pm: A tweet from ESPN’s Marc Spears says that, while Paul is expected to opt out, he hasn’t formally told the team or filed with the league at this point.
5:20pm: The Clippers have been informed that All-Star guard Chris Paul will decline his player option for 2017/18, Brad Turner of the LA Times tweets.
Paul, who recently turned 32, averaged 18.1 points and 9.2 assists in his 12th NBA season and is among the biggest names on the market this summer. While the Clippers will obviously look to retain him – and are the ‘overwhelming favorite‘ to do so – the veteran has also been linked to the Spurs (June 2 report) and, to a lesser extent, the Rockets and Nuggets (June 15 report).
The news of Paul’s decision comes shortly after it was announced that Blake Griffin, too, opted out of the final year of his own deal, effectively jump starting an inevitably busy offseason for Clippers president Doc Rivers.
Had Paul accepted his player option, he would have made $24.3MM this season. Now, under the new collective bargaining agreement, he’ll be eligible to make around $200MM over five years, so long as he stays with the Clippers.