Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Looking To Replace The Injured Billups

February 9th, 2012 at 6:21pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld.com reports the Los Angeles Clippers are looking to replaced injured guard Chauncey Billups, who is out for the season with a torn achilles tendon.

"Billups, more so than point guard Chris Paul, has that crucial championship experience that the Clippers will need as they head into what could be an unprecedented postseason run. The Clippers will be able to replace Chauncey’s production, to an extent, throughout the regular season but having an NBA Finals MVP on the floor in the closing moments of vital playoff games?

That’s tough to overcome."

Combo guard Mo Williams and Randy Foye should be able to replace the 15 points and four assists Billups was contributing per night. And while Billups' veteran leadership will be missed on the court, Chris Paul is an old hand at leading teams through tough situations.

Billups' injury doe little to change the Clippers priorities. With the acquisition of Kenyon Martin to shore up the frontcourt, the Clippers most glaring need was athletic size on the wings where veterans Caron Butler and Ryan Gomes are the onlyl swingmen with ideal size, if not athleticism.

J.R. Smith should return from China soon, and remains an intriguing option as firepower off the bench, though he may command more than the minimum contract the Clippers can offer.

The Clippers are also armed with a $3.93MM and $2.85MM trade exception remaining from the Chris Paul trade, though their lack of a first round pick in this draft might leave options limited. With the team built around Paul and Blake Griffin, however, this depth is more luxury than necessity this first season.

Mo Williams Talks Role, Contract, Cavs Trade

February 9th, 2012 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

Mo Williams returned to Cleveland last night, playing his first game at Quicken Loans Arena since being traded from the Cavaliers to the Clippers nearly a year ago. Before the game, Williams spoke to reporters about a number of topics, including the trade that sent him to Los Angeles.

On his role with the Clippers (via Bob Finnan of the News-Herald):

"I haven't come off the bench for a long time. Once I understood the role, it's starting to flow. You have to play a role on every team. This is what they've asked me to do. Whether I like it or not, I have to perform my duties."

On the trade that sent him to the Clippers with Jamario Moon for Baron Davis and the draft pick that became Kyrie Irving (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal):

"I thought [the Cavs] handled everything first class, even though I was traded. It was a decision that they made as an organization. I would say it worked out for them."

On his current contract situation (via T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times):

"I don't know where I stand…. If you have a girlfriend and she tells you she loves you every day, obviously you know she loves you…. The way [a team] tells you they love you every day is by signing you to a contract extension."

I think Simers' portrayal of Williams as a selfish player out for another payday is unfair. Williams' comments suggest to me that he won't feel like he's part of the Clippers' long-term plans (which he may not be) as long as the team seems content to let his contract expire. Neil Olshey has said he's not shopping Williams, but the Clips GM, at least before Chauncey Billups' season-ending injury, seemed open to a trade if he received the right offer.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Warriors, Kings, Martin

February 8th, 2012 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Each of the three Pacific Division teams in action last night went down to the wire, with no game decided by more than three points. The Suns edged the Bucks, while the Kings and Warriors fell to the Timberwolves and Thunder, respectively. The Clippers are the only Pacific team in action tonight, but we've got a few links to round up….

Kobe Bryant told 710 ESPN in L.A. that he expects the Lakers' brass to make a move in the coming weeks: "They'll tweak something. I don't know what. But I'm sure they'll do something" (ESPNLosAngeles link).
Sam Amick has a pair of new Warriors-heavy pieces up at SI.com, including a Q&A with Jerry West. Both are must-reads for Warriors fans, as members of the front office discuss the team's future and the challenges they've faced acquiring talent.
The city of Sacramento is thought to be seeking approximately $80MM from the Kings and the NBA for its new arena, reports James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom.
Recently-signed forward Kenyon Martin will make his Clippers debut, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
D-League star Blake Ahearn would be a good fit for the Clippers, opines Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside (on Twitter). Ahearn is averaging 24.1 PPG and 5.6 APG at Reno this season.

Odds & Ends: Billups, Alston, Prince, Mavs

February 8th, 2012 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

On this day seven years ago, Smush Parker was waived by the Suns, and it looked like his NBA career may be nearing an end. Parker bounced back though, signing with the Lakers and starting nearly every game for Los Angeles in 2005/06 and '06/07. Parker has been out of the NBA since 2008, but he's still playing professional basketball, having signed today with Venezuelan team Guaros de Lara (hat tip to Sportando). Here are a few more of today's odds and ends…

Following his season-ending achilles injury, Chauncey Billups told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times that he'd like to return to the Clippers next season to take care of "unfinished business."
Rafer Alston, who recently signed with the NBA's D-League, spoke to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv about his comeback attempt. Alston on the possibility of playing for his hometown Knicks: "If it happens, trust me, I’ll be like a kid in a candy story. I’ll feel like I won the lottery if I get an chance to play at home."
Tayshaun Prince has no regrets about signing a long-term deal to stay with the Pistons, says Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
Don't expect the Grizzlies to sign or trade for anyone in the next few weeks, says Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, noting that the team still needs to get below the tax line.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News would be surprised to see the Mavericks make a move at the trade deadline, but says they'll have plenty of money to spend this summer.
Greg Stiemsma, whose contract was guaranteed yesterday by the Celtics, has taken an unusual road to Boston, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explains the Heat's decisions on players with non-guaranteed contracts.

Decisions On Non-Guaranteed Contracts

February 7th, 2012 at 10:24pm CST by Luke Adams

February 10th marks the day that all players on non-guaranteed contracts will have their deals guaranteed for the remainder of the season. However, if a team wants to meet that Friday deadline, it will need to make its decisions today, allowing its player(s) to pass through waivers in time.

Some non-guaranteed players, such as DeJuan Blair and Jeremy Lin, are in no danger of being waived. However, with a few dozen players on non-guaranteed deals across the league, there will be plenty of cuts before the day is out. Some of those players will sign 10-day contracts shortly after being cut, while others could join the D-League or find a place on our list of current unrestricted free agents.

We'll track all the day's decisions on non-guaranteed contracts right here, with the latest news up top:

Other players who will have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the year: Ivan Johnson, Jannero Pargo, Jerry Stackhouse (Hawks), Cory Higgins (Bobcats), Brian Scalabrine, John Lucas (Bulls), Samardo Samuels, Alonzo Gee (Cavaliers), Sean Williams (Mavericks), Julyan Stone (Nuggets), Vernon Macklin, Damien Wilkins (Pistons), Dominic McGuire, Chris Wright (Warriors), Sundiata Gaines, Keith Bogans (Nets), Steve Novak, Jerome Jordan (Knicks), Ryan Reid (Thunder), DeAndre Liggins (Magic), Lavoy Allen, Francisco Elson (Sixers), Danny Green, Gary Neal (Spurs), Jeremy Evans (Jazz).
The Jazz will guarantee Jamaal Tinsley's contract, according to Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter).
The Pistons are keeping guard Walker Russell, agent Giovanni Funicello told HoopsHype (via Twitter).
The Hornets have waived DaJuan Summers and Carldell Johnson, league sources tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
The Rockets waived Jeff Adrien, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The move clears a roster spot for Greg Smith.
The Wizards have waived Hamady N'Diaye, according to a team release.
Chris Johnson received a call from Trail Blazers GM Chad Buchanan this morning saying his contract would be guaranteed, tweets Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
The Celtics will hang on to Greg Stiemsma and guarantee his deal, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
The Lakers have waived Derrick Caracter. Caracter broke the news himself, tweeting "It's over before it begun!!! …. On to the next chapter of my life" (Twitter links). The Lakers will hang on to Devin Ebanks, Andrew Goudelock, and Darius Morris, tweets Mike Breshnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
The Clippers have cut Solomon Jones, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
The Heat have waived Mickell Gladness, the team announced (Twitter link). Miami's other two players on non-guaranteed deals, Eddy Curry and Terrel Harris, look safe, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The Grizzlies have waived Josh Davis, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
The Spurs announced they've waived Malcolm Thomas, who was assigned to the team's D-League affiliate last week.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/02/07/steve-nashs-birthday-wish-should-be-a-trade/

Odds & Ends: Nash, Nuggets, Weems, Smith, Kidd

February 7th, 2012 at 10:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Congratulations to Paul Pierce, who moved past Larry Bird on the Celtics' list of all-time leading scorers in tonight's win over the Bobcats. Pierce, with 21,797 points, is now second only to John Havlicek, who retired in 1978 with 26,395 points across his 16-year career. Here's a look at tonight's links..

Suns guard Steve Nash should seek a trade to a contender, opines Eric Koreen the National Post. Nash is a free agent at the end of the season and Phoenix could potentially lose him while getting nothing in return.
It's possible that the Nuggets could look for some outside help as Danilo Gallinari could miss up to a month with an ankle injury. Gallinari hopes to come back sooner, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post.
If his Zalgiris Kaunas squad doesn't qualify for the Euroleague Top 8, then Sonny Weems writes (for HoopsHype) that he'll likely return to the NBA.
Within his article regarding the Celtics' interest in Pau Gasol, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld writes that multiple sources say that the J.R. Smith is looking for an opportunity to showcase his talents and be a primary option on offense. This could make teams such as the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Pacers poor fits for the 25-year-old.
Veteran point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are going to be in high demand on the open market this summer, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
The timing of Jeff Adrien's release from the Rockets may seem odd, but it was the only way that the club could sign Greg Smith before the center was scooped up by another team, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Adrien pulled down nine rebounds in just 17 minutes of play Monday night against Denver.

Clippers Notes: Billups, Trade Exceptions, Williams

February 7th, 2012 at 9:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier tonight, the Clippers learned that they will be without guard Chauncey Billups for the remainder of the season after the veteran suffered a torn Achilles' tendon last night against the Magic. Here's a look at the potential fallout from the injury and what's next for Billups..

With Billups out for the year, Larry Coon of ESPN.com (via Twitter) points out that the Clippers have two trade exceptions: one for $3.831MM and the other for $2.756MM. The exceptions came from dealing Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu, respectively.
Despite speculation that Billups might be forced to call it a career after his Achilles injury, the guard says that he still has some "good years left to play," tweets Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
This offseason the Knicks used their amnesty clause on Billups as they feared that he would be a health risk, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The decision to reappropriate that money towards signing Tyson Chandler seems even smarter in hindsight, Berman adds.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that the Clippers were hearing a noise from fans and media early in the season about trading Mo Williams for a backup big man, but they're glad to have that guard depth now.
It sounds as though Billups is determined to continue playing beyond this season and Ben Wallace says that he'll talk to his former teammate about his future tonight, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.

Clippers Not Interested In Gilbert Arenas

February 7th, 2012 at 7:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Clippers have "zero" interest in free agent Gilbert Arenas, a source tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Los Angeles will presumably be on the lookout for guards following tonight's news of Chauncey Billups' season-ending Achilles injury.

Arenas is actively looking for work and scheduled an open workout in Los Angeles for later this week. The Lakers have been linked to the 30-year-old but it's not yet known if they'll be in attendance.

Chauncey Billups Out For Season

February 7th, 2012 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

6:29pm: Billups told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) that he plans to continue playing.

5:03pm: Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will miss the remainder of the season with a torn left Achilles’ tendon, coach Vinny Del Negro told T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times (report by Mike James). While history isn't on the 35-year-old's side, it's premature to assume that this will mark the end of his career, a source close to the guard told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

The guard suffered the injury midway through the fourth quarter of last night's overtime victory against the Magic. Billups had been starting in the backcourt alongside Chris Paul, averaging 15.0 PPG and 4.0 APG.

The 15-7 Clippers will promote Randy Foye to the starting two-guard spot in place of Billups, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. General Manager Neil Olshey & Co. will likely explore outside help and could ramp up their pursuit of J.R. Smith, who will soon return to the NBA after a stint in China. Clippers officials may also take a short drive to check out Gilbert Arenas' open workout later this week or look to the trade market where guards such as Anthony Morrow could be made available.

As Luke Adams outlined earlier today, the Clippers won't be able to use their disabled player exception to replace Billups. The new CBA only allows teams to apply for the exception between July 1st and January 15th, regardless of when the injury occurs.

Chauncey Billups & The Disabled Player Exception

February 7th, 2012 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers appeared to suffer a huge blow last night when Chauncey Billups went down with what could be a serious achilles injury. We're still waiting for the official word on Billups' status, but it looks like the injury may prematurely end his season. Unfortunately for the Clippers, even if Billups were ruled out for the season, the team can't take advantage of the NBA's disabled player rule to replace him on their roster.

The disabled player exception is one of many salary cap exceptions included in the CBA to allow teams over the cap to acquire players. If a player suffers a season-ending injury, his team can apply for an exception worth 50% of his salary or the amount of the nontaxpayer mid-level exception (whichever is lesser). If the league approves the exception, it can be used in the next 45 days to make an acquisition via trade or free agency.

According to Larry Coon, CBA expert and author of the CBA FAQ, the league's new Collective Bargaining Agreement allows teams to apply for a disabled player exception between July 1st and January 15th each season, regardless of when the injury occurred. As such, teams who suffer season-ending injuries from here on out won't have the chance to acquire a cap exception to replace the sidelined player this season.

In Billups' case, such an exception would have had minimal value anyway — the Clippers are only paying about $2MM of the point guard's salary after the Knicks amnestied him, so an exception would only have been worth $1MM or so. Still, considering the team just used its mini mid-level to sign Kenyon Martin and still has interest in J.R. Smith, every bit of flexibility would help.