Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Lowry, Gasol, Parsons, Ariza

June 30th, 2014 at 12:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is likely to make a strong push to re-sign Kyle Lowry just as free agency begins tonight to prevent the Heat and Rockets from having a chance to jump in, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Here’s more free agency chatter with 11 hours left to go until negotiations can begin:

Pau Gasol will meet with the Thunder, Bulls and Warriors, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, who suggests the big man hasn’t ruled out a meeting with Lakers brass, either.
Chandler Parsons would be on board with a sign-and-trade to the Wolves if the money is on the mark, a source close to Parsons tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Minnesota reportedly has interest in Parsons as a fallback trade target in a Kevin Love swap.
The Rockets, Mavs, Lakers, Clippers, Cavs, Raptors, Suns and Pistons are all suitors for Trevor Ariza, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders hears (Twitter link).
The Rockets and Mavs are gearing up to sign Jordan Hill, as are the Lakers, Hill’s incumbent team, Wojnarowski tweets.
The Magic are likely to make a play for Rodney Stuckey, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes.
Kent Bazemore is anticipating interest from the Suns, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter).
Matt Bonner is interested in a return to the Spurs, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News observes (Twitter link). “I’d love to be back, especially if everybody is coming back.”
Damian Lillard would like to see the Blazers go after Channing Frye, Vince Carter, Spencer Hawes and Ariza after re-signing Mo Williams, the point guard tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Carter would be open to signing with Portland, Haynes hears.

Clippers Waive Willie Green

June 29th, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Cray Allred

SUNDAY, 10:40pm: Green has officially been waived, the Clippers announced.

SATURDAY, 12:47pm: A source tells Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times that the Clippers wish to re-sign Green to another deal (Twitter link).

10:16am: The Clippers are planning against keeping Willie Green‘s non-guaranteed contract on the books for 2014/15, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. While the report frames the decision as a declined team option, Green’s deal is actually a non-guaranteed year that becomes fully guaranteed if he isn’t waived before July 1st. Presumably, the Clippers are planning to waive Green prior to that deadline.

Clippers Prioritize Re-Signing Darren Collison

June 29th, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Charlie Adams

Doc Rivers made it clear his top priority this summer is re-signing Darren Collison, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Collison turned down a player option worth $1.9MM that would have brought him back to Los Angeles for the 2014/15 season. “You know our first guy, I’ll be honest, is one of our guys that opted out,” Rivers said, referring to Collison. “He’s a little guy. That’s very important for us.”

The rise in the projected tax line to $77MM will mean that the Clippers will have access to the full non-taxpayers mid-level exception, worth roughly $5.3MM. Collison’s impressive 2013/14 campaign will likely force Los Angeles to dip into most or all of their mid-level exception if they’re truly interested in bringing the point guard back.

Los Angeles hasn’t counted themselves out of the race to land Carmelo Anthony yet, says Turner, but they would need to make significant changes to their roster in order to land the superstar forward. According to Turner, Spencer Hawes is interested in playing for the Clippers, but he’d have to be willing to take a pay cut if he wants to join Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The Clips have $66.3MM in guaranteed salary next season, so a run at re-signing Collison is likely a more realistic scenario for Rivers and company.

Rivers mentioned how it’s tempting to shoot for the stars in free agency but added it’s important to be practical at the same time. “You look at needs first, unless there’s somebody out there that’s so talented that they trump all your needs and you go for that,” Rivers said. “But most of the time that is too expensive.“

Draft Grades: Pacific Division

June 27th, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2014 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to take a look back and see how each team used the draft to make improvements and fill needs. I already took a look at the Atlantic and Central Divisions. Now I’ll check out the Pacific Division:

Golden State Warriors

Team Needs: Center, Point Guard, Depth

Draft Picks:

No picks.

The Warriors sent their selection this year to the Nuggets as part of the trade that netted them Andre Iguodala. Denver used the pick to select Rodney Hood, who is a good player with upside, but I think the Warriors are happy with their end of the trade.

Overall Draft Grade: B- —Instead of banking on the potential of a mid first-rounder, the team used the pick to nab a definite starter. Not having any second round selections though lowers the grade, especially in a draft this deep.

Los Angeles Clippers

Team Needs: Center, Small Forward, Point Guard, Shooting Guard

Draft Picks:

No. 28 C.J. Wilcox (Shooting Guard)

Wilcox is a solid, if unspectacular pick. He’s athletic, can shoot from deep, and should contribute as a role-player this season. It’s a bit of a puzzling pick though. Didn’t they draft a similar player last year in Reggie Bullock? Still on the board when they selected Wilcox were Kyle Anderson, K.J. McDaniels, Cleanthony Early, Jerami Grant, and Glenn Robinson III. All players who have more upside than Wilcox, and could have contributed more this coming season.

Overall Draft Grade: D+ —A safe, but underwhelming selection, which left players with more upside on the board.

Los Angeles Lakers

Team Needs: Talent, Depth, Small Forward, Point Guard

Draft Picks:

No. 7 Julius Randle (Power Forward)
No. 46 Jordan Clarkson (Shooting Guard)*

*Purchased pick from Wizards.

The Lakers were linked to Randle in most mock drafts, and while they failed to trade the pick for Kevin Love or to move up in the draft for a chance at Dante Exum, they still managed to nab one of the most NBA ready players in the entire draft in Randle. He’s not going to be a plus defender, but he should be a beast with the ball in the low post, and I also expect him to develop a decent mid-range game over time. Randle also makes for a ready made replacement if Pau Gasol doesn’t return. If he’s starting on day one, Randle is my favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors.

Clarkson is a combo guard with above average athleticism and a streaky jump shot. Depending on what the Lakers do about re-signing Nick Young, Clarkson could see some steady minutes next season. That might not be a great thing for the Lakers chances of making the playoffs though.

Overall Draft Grade: A- —They grab one of the few sure bets in the lottery, though his upside isn’t as high as some of the other players still available at No. 7. Randle should be a day one starter, and will pray the team signs some outside shooters so he will have room to operate down low.

Phoenix Suns

Team Needs: Star Player, Small Forward, Point Guard

Draft Picks:

No. 14 T.J. Warren (Small Forward/Power Forward)
No. 18 Tyler Ennis (Point Guard)
No. 27 Bogdan Bogdanovic (Shooting Guard)
No. 50 Alec Brown (Power Forward)

The Suns have been searching for NBA ready players that are upper-tier. They still hope to land a big name via free agency or trade, and also need to concern themselves with re-signing Eric Bledsoe. But having failed to package their multiple picks for a known asset, the team did very well on Thursday night.

Warren is an extremely talented scorer who can fill up a stat sheet. He’s a bit of a tweener which is always a concern, but he’s a polished player who will contribute off the bench next season and could grow into an effective starter. His lack of athleticism will hold him back, especially in the Western Conference.

Ennis was an excellent value pick, and a player who was openly coveted by the Raptors–which means there is still a possibility he gets dealt before the season begins. If the team keeps him, I believe Ennis has a wealth of potential and projects as a starter down the line. He’ll fit in nicely as a backup to Bledsoe and Goran Dragic next season.

Bogdanovic is a stash pick who could turn out to be a valuable sixth man candidate in a few years. He’s a flashy scorer who can handle the ball very well. He’s another player who could turn out to be a steal in a few years. Brown has D-League or overseas contract written all over him. Don’t see him being a factor in Phoenix.

Overall Draft Grade: B+ —The team picks up two immediate rotation players and another possibility in Bogdanovic. Not the haul the team was anticipating, nor as athletic a group of picks as they would have hoped for–but a very solid night.

Sacramento Kings

Team Needs: Power Forward, Shooters, Point Guard

Draft Picks:

No. 8 Nik Stauskas (Shooting Guard)

A bit of a puzzling pick. Not because of Stauskas, who was arguably the best shooter in the entire draft, but because of last year’s selection, Ben McLemore. The team needs help at power forward and point guard, and Noah Vonleh, Elfrid Payton, and Doug McDermott were all available at that spot.

It’s possible the team intends to trade McLemore, as there were rumblings of the Celtics possibly being interested. If not, either he or Stauskas will end up as the sixth man. Whatever his role, Stauskas is a talented pick who is a better all around player than many give him credit for. His ability to defend NBA level shooting guards is a question, but his ability to drain jumpers is not.

Overall Draft Grade: B — The team nabs a solid player who can fill up the stat sheet, but left other needs unfilled.

Pelicans Look To Deal Anderson, Rivers?

June 26th, 2014 at 7:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:12pm: New Orleans isn’t shopping Anderson to any teams, a source tells John Reid of The Times Picayune (Twitter link).

5:57pm: The Pelicans are shopping Ryan Anderson and Austin Rivers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). That contradicts an earlier report from Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com as far as Anderson goes. Goodman says the Clippers have asked the Pelicans about Ryan Anderson, but the Pelicans aren’t making him available for trades.

Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group has heard chatter about Anderson as a possible Warriors target (Twitter link), but it appears he’s off limits. There is some sentiment with the Clippers organization to pursue Rivers, but coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers has said that he wouldn’t feel comfortable coaching his son, as Goodman writes in his piece.

New Orleans needs to clear salary approximately equal to what Rivers makes to accommodate their agreement to trade for Omer Asik.

Clippers Shopping Matt Barnes, No. 28 Pick

June 26th, 2014 at 6:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

6:15pm: The Grizzlies have rebuffed the Clippers’ attempts to trade for Allen, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

5:32pm: The Knicks are giving signals that they intend to keep Shumpert rather than dealing him for a pick, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

5:11pm: The Clippers trying to package Matt Barnes and the 28th overall pick as the draft draws near, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Rivers would ideally like to send them to the Knicks for Iman Shumpert, several NBA executives tell Turner. Another possibility is using those assets to acquire Gerald Green from the Suns, Turner hears. The Times scribe also says Rivers has interest in Tony Allen (Twitter link).

Barnes and Shumpert were involved in a rumored trade around the deadline, and it appears that Rivers is after the Knicks swingman again. Sending a would-be fourth first-rounder to Phoenix would cause complications for the Suns, though the executives suggest to Turner that Phoenix could put a few of those picks in another trade. Allen played for Rivers when both were with the Celtics.

The 34-year-old Barnes is set to make nearly $3.4MM in 2014/15. His contract is only guaranteed for $1MM beyond that.

Hornets Shopping Gerald Henderson

June 26th, 2014 at 6:02pm CST by Zachary Links

6:02pm: Sources deny to Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops that the Hornets offered Henderson for Afflalo (Twitter link).

3:43pm: As the draft draws near, the Hornets are shopping Gerald Henderson, sources tell Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d). Sources say Charlotte offered the No. 24 pick and Henderson to the Magic for Arron Afflalo before the guard was shipped to Denver.

That’s not the only rumored trade proposal involving Henderson that we’ve heard today. This morning, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported that Charlotte was discussing a deal that would have sent Henderson to the Clippers for Jared Dudley, another player, and the No. 28 pick.

Last season, Henderson played in a career-high 77 games and averaged 14.0 PPG with 4.0 RPG in 32 minutes per contest.

Draft Rumors: Jazz, Clippers, Rockets

June 26th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (on Twitter) hears the Jazz are “frantically” trying to move up from the No. 5 spot. Everything Utah has remains available for trade consideration. The Jazz reportedly have their eye on forward Jabari Parker and they know there’s no chance of him falling to No. 5. Here’s the latest draft news..

Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears the Clippers are “50-50” on keeping their first round choice.
One name to watch for the Rockets at either No. 25 or No. 42 is Russian big man Artem Klimenko, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Houston has been doing some serious research on him in recent months.
The Lakers aren’t sensing a lot of momentum for a pre-draft trade and, as of right now, expect to keep the No. 7 pick, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
The Knicks, Blazers, and Nets are among the teams trying to land a first-round choice, league sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
The Hornets have explored moving up from No. 24, league sources tell Kennedy (on Twitter).
The Kings want to acquire a second-round pick, sources tell Kennedy (Twitter link).
There are several picks in the late 20s “to be had,” one exec tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). With nine teams lacking a first-round pick, there’s a strong market for them.
Meanwhile, Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that we could be in for high number of international picks in the 20-to-30 range. That’s because teams are placing a high value on cap space and want to stay away from the luxury tax so clubs might not be lining up to trade for picks in that range as expected (link). The clubs left holding those selections might prefer to go with draft-and-stash candidates in cases where they don’t have obvious, pressing needs.

Western Rumors: Warriors, Asik, Parker, Kings

June 26th, 2014 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

In an interview with SiriusXM, Warriors star Andre Iguodala said that he doesn’t believe teammate Klay Thompson should be traded as part of a deal for Minnesota’s Kevin Love, writes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. “That’s not going to happen,” Iguodala said. “I want to clear that up right now. We should not trade Klay Thompson. I tell Klay this every day. I text Klay and say, ‘Don’t worry. I’m your man. I’m going to make sure you get paid. I’m going to get you the max (contract). You’ll be taken care of. Don’t stress.’” Here’s more out of the West..

More dominoes will fall from the deal that sent Omer Asik to the Pelicans, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. New Orleans may move Austin Rivers to create cap space. One possibility, Windhorst suggests, would be trading him to the Clippers, where Austin’s father holds a trade exception.
The Rockets talked about sending Asik to the Pelicans for Ryan Anderson, but could not get much traction, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
The Jazz remain interested in Jabari Parker, but sources say there’s still a “big concern” about his right foot, which he broke in high school, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. However, Parker is still in the lead over Andrew Wiggins on their wish list if they can pull off a deal for the No. 1 pick (link).
The Kings appear poised to keep the No. 8 pick, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
Sponsors continue to be skittish about the Clippers as the team’s ownership situation remains unresolved, as Andrea Chang and Tiffany Hsu of the Los Angeles Times detail.
The Timberwolves received initial criticism for last year’s draft-day trade of Trey Burke to Utah for Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, but one year later, team president Flip Saunders is happy with the returns, writes Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press.

Draft Notes: Clippers, Exum, Heat, Stokes

June 26th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

The consensus around the league is that Clippers president Doc Rivers is trying to shop the team’s first round pick at No. 28, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Rivers doesn’t want to add a rookie to his roster and would rather have the cap space than pay the guaranteed salary that goes to a first-round draft pick. Officials say that Rivers has offered trade scenarios centering around their pick, plus a wing player — either Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, or Jared Dudley — and reserve guard Willie Green. One deal that was proposed had Dudley and another Clippers player and the No. 28 pick going to the Hornets for guard Gerald Henderson, but it has gone nowhere so far. The latest draft news from around the league..

Dante Exum declined to fly to Cleveland for a workout today with the Cavs, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
In addition to the Clippers, the Suns (No. 27) and Thunder (No. 29) still have picks available via trade, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. The Nets have tried hard but they look unlikely to get into the first round at this point.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter) hears that Elfrid Payton may have passed Marcus Smart as the first point guard selected. Presumably, Amico is regarding Australian guard Exum as a shooting guard rather than a PG.
The Heat like Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes and he’s an option at No. 26, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Miami worked him out multiple times and came away impressed. Hoops Rumors spoke with Stokes earlier this offseason about his NBA goals and what he can bring to a team.
UConn guard Shabazz Napier is also an option for the Heat, but he’s not likely to be on the board when they pick (link). Napier is rising up draft boards and could go in the teens.
The Bulls really like Jordan Adams, Kennedy tweets, and he’s an option at No. 16 and No. 19 if they keep those picks.