Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Barkley, Wade, Allen, Pietrus, Shaw

By Luke Adams | at June 13, 2012 5:21 pm

Danny Ferry is considered the frontrunner to eventually replace Rod Thorn in the 76ers' front office, but he's not the only one interested in the position. According to 94WIP's Anthony Gargano (link via CBS Philly), Charles Barkley has interest in becoming the next Sixers GM. Like last month's story that briefly linked Shaquille O'Neal to the Magic's GM opening, I don't expect this one to have legs, but the fact that Barkley expressed interest in a front office job is worth tucking away, at the very least.

Here are a few more Wednesday afternoon odds and ends….

Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com hears that Dwyane Wade may sit out the Olympics. The Heat star was among those calling earlier this year for Olympians to be paid, but quickly backtracked on those comments.

Earlier updates:

Latest On Olshey Move, Clippers GM Search

By Chuck Myron | at June 8, 2012 11:04 pm

The Clippers were offering former vice president of basketball operations Neil Olshey a one-year contract worth $750K when the Blazers countered with the three-year, $3.6MM offer to become their general manager, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The Blazers deal, which Olshey took last week, includes team options for two additional seasons. Olshey had been making $450K per year on a month-to-month deal with the Clippers since August.

0 comments Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Portland Trail Blazers David Morway Gary Sacks Kiki Vandeweghe Neil Olshey Ronnie Lester Scott Perry Tony Ronzone Travis Schlenk

GM Rumors: Pritchard, Magic, Penn, Clippers

By Chuck Myron | at June 8, 2012 7:47 pm

Earlier today we learned that Pacers president Larry Bird will meet with team owner Herb Simon next week, likely to finalize a deal that will keep the Executive of the Year in Indiana, setting up Kevin Pritchard's promotion to general manager and current GM David Morway's exit from the team. Since Pritchard and Morway have both been in the discussion for the Magic's GM opening, today's news has had an effect on more than one front office.

0 comments Los Angeles Clippers Orlando Magic Kevin Pritchard Tom Penn

Free Agent Stock Watch: Nick Young

By Chuck Myron | at June 8, 2012 5:58 pm

Nick Young made an unusual decision in December, and this summer he’ll see if it pays off. Before the season, Young became just the 12th player ever to sign a qualifying offer, the minimum offer a team can make to retain the right of first refusal on a player coming off his rookie contract. Usually, the offer is just a starting point for negotiations, if that, but in Young’s case, the one-year, $3,695,857 deal on the table from the Wizards came in handy when the condensed post-lockout market limited his options.

None of the other players who signed qualifying offers wound up re-signing with their teams as unrestricted free agents the following summer. The Wizards got the jump on a divorce from Young, sending their leading scorer from 2010/11 to the Clippers in a three-team swap at the trade deadline this March. Young went from starter to reserve as a result, but it gave him the opportunity to show what he could do as a significant contributor to a playoff team. He displayed plenty of clutch shooting in the postseason, nailing 51.5% of his three-point attempts, including three in a row down in the fourth quarter of L.A.’s 27-point comeback in Game 1 against the Grizzlies.

Still, Young didn’t really prove anything we didn’t already know, aside from an ability to perform under pressure. He’s always been a solid three-point shooter, making 37.8% for his career, but his field goal percentage overall was a career-low 40.3% this past regular season, including 39.4% during his time with the Clippers. In the playoffs, he shot 35.3% on two-pointers. Those sort of numbers help explain why Young has never posted a single season with a PER of at least 15.0, the mark of an average player. He’s also a liability defensively, as he had one of the worst defensive ratings for his team in both the regular season and the playoffs this year, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Young’s unimpressive per-36-minute career highs of 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals demonstrate that if his long-range shots aren’t falling, there isn’t much he does to help his team on the floor.

For all his shortcomings, the 27-year-old Young is probably this year's most attractive unrestricted free agent shooting guard under the age of 35. That might change if the cash-strapped Grizzlies decide not to tender a qualifying offer to O.J. Mayo, but Young is likely in line for a raise and a multi-year deal. He reportedly sought $9MM per year from the Wizards in December, but I can’t see him approaching that figure. In the same report, Michael Lee of The Washington Post noted a that Young rejected an offer from the Wizards of around $5MM per year, so Young may be seeking to top that in order to justify his gamble on the qualifying offer.

The Timberwolves, Cavs and Suns are all teams that could be willing to reach for a shooting guard this summer, and the Clippers could use a solid two-guard as well. We heard last month that L.A. seemed interested in re-signing Young, but that was before GM Neil Olshey left to take the same job with Portland. The Blazers, who have $20.6MM and three years left on Wesley Matthews’ contract, don’t seem like candidates to provide a similar offer to Young, but if they miss out on some of their other targets and Young fails to find a team willing to overpay for him, it could be a Rose Garden reunion for Olshey and his last major acquisition for the Clippers.

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0 comments Cleveland Cavaliers Free Agent Stock Watch Los Angeles Clippers Minnesota Timberwolves Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Nick Young

Clippers Notes: Olshey, Griffin, Odom

By Daniel Seco | at June 7, 2012 6:07 pm

With the departure of general manager Neil Olshey to the Trail Blazers, the Clippers' offseason has gotten off to a precipitous start with free agency looming. Before addressing the team's roster this summer, the Clippers will need to fill Olshey's role as the search has already gotten underway. The franchise hopes to build on major strides made this season after acquiring Chris Paul from the Hornets and advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines out of the Staples Center…

0 comments Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin Lamar Odom Neil Olshey

Poll: Recent Coaching Decisions

By Luke Adams | at June 5, 2012 5:17 pm

While the Bobcats and Magic search for a new head coach, several other teams have decide to retain the ones that finished the 2011/12 season. Despite a class of potential coaches that includes Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Nate McMillan, Stan Van Gundy, Mike D'Antoni, Michael Malone, Brian Shaw, and more, the Clippers, Knicks, and Wizards elected not to interview other candidates before retaining their own guys. Was that the right decision?

0 comments Hoops Rumors Polls Los Angeles Clippers New York Knicks Washington Wizards

Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Clippers

By Luke Adams | at June 5, 2012 1:14 pm

Guaranteed Contracts

Chris Paul ($17,779,458)
DeAndre Jordan ($10,532,977)
Caron Butler ($8,000,000)
Blake Griffin ($7,226,892)
Ryan Gomes ($4,000,000)
Eric Bledsoe ($1,707,720)
Trey Thompkins ($762,195)

Options

Mo Williams ($8,500,000, Player)

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Travis Leslie ($762,195)

Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Randy Foye ($5,525,000)
Nick Young ($4,435,028)
Kenyon Martin ($3,000,000)
Chauncey Billups ($2,400,038)
Reggie Evans ($854,389)
Bobby Simmons ($854,389)

Draft Picks

2nd Round (53rd overall)

Cap Outlook

Guaranteed Salary: $50,009,242
Non-Guaranteed Salary (including options), Cap Holds: $26,331,039
Total (not including draft picks): $76,340,281

Coming off a season in which the team set a franchise record with a .606 winning percentage and reached the second round of the playoffs, it's hard for Clippers fans to be anything but pleased. Chris Paul gave the team a star point guard to pair with the up-and-coming Blake Griffin, who earned All-NBA honors for the first time in his second full season.

But as successful a season as 2011/12 was, the Clippers will need to be careful to ensure it was the first step on the road to contending perenially, rather than an aberration. With GM Neil Olshey heading to Portland, the Clips will be tasked with finding a worthy successor to guide the franchise through a number of tough roster decisions and contract negotiations in the coming year.

While the Clippers won't be forced to make an immediate decision on either Paul or Griffin, contract extensions for the two stars will be a top priority for the club. Griffin is entering the final year of his rookie contract, making him eligible for an extension this offseason. The Clips are reportedly confident about getting something done before the 23-year-old reaches restricted free agency, so you have to assume they're prepared to offer a maximum-salary contract, or something very close to it.

Paul, meanwhile, has committed to his 2012/13 player option, but will be eligible for unrestricted free agency a year from now. A new contract for him this summer may not be as likely as one for Griffin, given the rules surrounding veteran extensions. So it will be crucial for the Clippers to convince him to stay by showing they're committed to making the moves necessary to ensure the team is a contender for years to come.

With no first-round draft pick and limited cap flexibility this summer, however, what exactly can the Clippers do in terms of roster moves? The team has yet to take advantage of the amnesty clause, and while it could go unused, Ryan Gomes' $4MM 2012/13 salary makes him a candidate. If Mo Williams opts into the final year of his contract though, amnestying Gomes would only reduce the team's cap figure from about $58.5MM to $54.5MM, which wouldn't create any usable cap space.

If Williams opts out, the team will have more options at it disposal, but I have a hard time seeing the veteran guard declining his option. As much as Williams seems to desire long-term security, passing up an $8.5MM salary in 2012/13 in favor of a new contract that would significantly reduce his annual salary seems unlikely.

With Williams on their books, the Clippers will be over the cap and will have only the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions to use on free agents. The MLE could give them a chance to bid on a shooting guard such as Jamal Crawford, Ray Allen, or Jason Terry if they don't elect to re-sign Nick Young. The BAE, meanwhile, may not be significant enough to woo an impact player, but we've seen veterans willing to accept discounted deals to play in Los Angeles or New York before. With Paul and Griffin on board for at least another year, the Clippers have become that sort of destination team that free agents could target.

Although free agency seems like the Clippers' best bet at adding another rotation player, a trade is also a possibility. Eric Bledsoe represents the team's strongest and most likely trade chip, though the club has been reluctant to move him in the past. Perhaps if the Clips get the impression that Paul is a good bet to re-sign long-term, they would be more willing to shop Bledsoe, who figures to be the successor at the point if CP3 leaves L.A.

With two star players entering contract years, the Clippers will be faced with a number of challenging decisions within the next year or so. Those decisions will begin this summer, which means Los Angeles will have to move quickly to find a general manager capable of making the right moves. The Clips are in no danger yet of jeopardizing the long-term futures of Paul or Griffin in L.A., but the next few months will be crucial for a franchise that enjoyed its most successful season in 2011/12 and has no desire to backslide into mediocrity.

Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.

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0 comments Los Angeles Clippers Offseason Preview

Pacific Notes: Bynum, Clippers, Suns, Warriors

By Luke Adams | at June 5, 2012 12:01 pm

It's been an eventful 24 hours in the Pacific Division, with Clippers GM Neil Olshey bolting for Portland and the Lakers officially locking Andrew Bynum into the final year of his contract. Let's round up a few notes on the fallout of those decisions, along with the rest of the Tuesday morning updates out of the Pacific….

0 comments Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns Andrew Bynum

Kyler On Draft, Olshey, Harden, Celtics

By Luke Adams | at June 5, 2012 10:57 am

While most mock drafters simply forecast the first 30 picks, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld doesn't stop after the first round — in his latest mock, he predicts all 60 selections, from Anthony Davis at No. 1 to Kris Joseph at No. 60. He also shares a few more items of interest in his NBA AM column and via Twitter. Here are a few highlights:

1 comment 2012 NBA Draft Boston Celtics Los Angeles Clippers Portland Trail Blazers James Harden Neil Olshey

Clippers Optimistic About Extending Blake Griffin

By Luke Adams | at June 5, 2012 8:47 am

In spite of Neil Olshey's departure, the Clippers are still confident in their chances of signing Blake Griffin to a long-term contract extension. Sources tells ESPN.com's Marc Stein that the absence of Olshey, who accepted the Trail Blazers' GM job, will have "no significant impact" on negotiations with Griffin. According to Stein, the Clips continue to believe that Griffin will sign a long-term extension this offseason rather than hitting restricted free agency next summer.

2 comments Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin

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