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NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Los Angeles Clippers

August 20th, 2024 at 7:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Free agent signings

James Harden: Two years, $70,000,000. Second-year player option. Includes 15% trade kicker. Re-signed using Bird rights.
Derrick Jones: Three years, $30,000,000. Includes 5% trade kicker. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Kris Dunn: Three years, $16,279,200. Third year non-guaranteed. Signed using Early Bird rights and acquired via sign-and-trade from Jazz.
Nicolas Batum: Two years, $9,569,400. Second-year player option. Includes 15% trade kicker. Signed using bi-annual exception.
Kevin Porter Jr.: Two years, minimum salary ($4,784,366). Second-year player option. Includes 15% trade kicker. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Mohamed Bamba: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Kai Jones: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Re-signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

Acquired Kris Dunn (sign-and-trade) from the Jazz in exchange for Russell Westbrook, swap rights for the Clippers’ 2030 second-round pick, the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica, and cash ($4.3MM).

Draft picks

2-46: Cam Christie
- Signed to four-year, minimum-salary contract ($7,895,796). First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year non-guaranteed team option.

Two-way signings

Trentyn Flowers

Departed/unsigned free agents

Brandon Boston (Spurs)
Moussa Diabate (Hornets)
Paul George (Sixers)
Xavier Moon (Zenit St. Petersburg)
Mason Plumlee (Suns)
Daniel Theis (Hornets)

Salary cap situation

Operating over the cap ($140.6MM), above the luxury tax line ($170.8MM), and below the first tax apron ($178.1MM).
Carrying approximately $173.3MM in salary.
Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
$3,298,190 of mid-level exception available.
One traded player exception available (worth $559,782).

The offseason so far

On the evening of June 30, before word broke that the Sixers had an agreement in place with Paul George, the Clippers put out a release confirming that the star forward wouldn’t be back in Los Angeles, citing “the new CBA” multiple times in their statement explaining why George was moving on.

While the new second tax apron likely played a part in the Clippers’ decision to draw a hard line in their negotiations with George, the fact that the team had won just three total playoff games – and no playoff series – in the past three years presumably factored into that decision too.

Doubling down on the existing core by investing in George on a four-year, maximum-salary contract probably would’ve given the Clippers a stronger roster in the short term than the one they’ll field in 2024/25. But it also would’ve come with significant risk, given George’s and Kawhi Leonard‘s age and recent injury histories, and it’s not as if the team appeared to be on the verge of a championship in recent years.

Not being on the hook for a long-term max deal for George creates more financial and roster flexibility for the Clippers going forward. It also allowed them to add to and diversify their roster this offseason while putting returning star James Harden in a better position to maximize his offensive talents.

Harden, whose scoring average dipped to 16.6 points per game last season (his lowest mark since 2010/11), re-signed with the Clippers on a two-year, $70MM deal that includes a second-year player option. The commitment to Harden comes with little long-term risk and could even be a relative bargain if the former MVP enjoys a bounce-back season with the ball in his hands more often. Still, at age 35, Harden seems unlikely to regain his prime All-NBA form.

Another former MVP in the back half of his career, Russell Westbrook, picked up his $4MM player option in June, but he and the Clippers immediately began working on a trade to get him to a new destination. It’s not really clear whether that move was instigated more by the Clippers or by Westbrook’s camp, but a change of scenery probably made sense for the longtime star, whose fit in L.A. was awkward after the club acquired Harden last fall.

George and Westbrook have 18 All-Star nods between them. The Clippers’ new incoming role players have zero. Still, Derrick Jones, Kris Dunn, and Nicolas Batum are solid, versatile defenders who should fit in nicely alongside the club’s top offensive weapons like Harden, Leonard, and Norman Powell. They were acquired via the mid-level exception, sign-and-trade, and bi-annual exception, respectively, three tools that wouldn’t have been available to the Clips if they’d re-signed George and were operating over the second apron.

The minimum-salary signing of Kevin Porter Jr. raised some eyebrows, given the domestic violence charges that torpedoed his 2023/24 season and led to his release. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank explained in July why the team was willing to give a second chance to Porter, who may face a suspension from the NBA related to that incident. Once he’s eligible to play, the Clippers’ hope is that he stays out of trouble and performs like the player who averaged 19.2 PPG and 5.7 APG for Houston in 2022/23.

The Clippers’ ceiling in 2024/25 may not be as high as it would’ve been with George still in the fold, but running it back with essentially the same roster wouldn’t have inspired much confidence, given the results in the Kawhi/PG13 era. If the new-look roster doesn’t perform up to expectations, L.A.’s front office is better positioned to pivot and change directions, given the shorter, less expensive contracts on the roster.

Up next

Veteran forward P.J. Tucker fell out of the Clippers’ rotation last season and didn’t seem too thrilled with his situation. He still exercised his $11.54MM player option in June because he wouldn’t have made nearly that much money if he’d declined that option to become a free agent, but he was a strong candidate to be traded or waived this summer. It now sounds like that may not happen. I wouldn’t pencil in Tucker as part of the opening-night roster quite yet though. His days in L.A. appear numbered — it’s just a matter of whether his exit happens sometime this summer or fall, or later in the season.

If Tucker remains on the roster, the Clippers’ 15-man group looks set, with just one two-way slot to fill next to Jordan Miller and Trentyn Flowers. Camp invitees like Kai Jones, Elijah Harkless, RayJ Dennis, and Kevon Harris could be in the mix for that spot (only Jones has officially signed an Exhibit 10 contract so far, but the other three have reportedly agreed to sign with the team).

The Clippers also have a handful of players eligible for extensions, including Ivica Zubac and Terance Mann, two important rotation players entering contract years. Reaching new deals with Zubac and Mann figures to be a higher priority for L.A. than locking up Powell (who has two years left on his contract) or Bones Hyland (whose playing time as a Clipper has been limited), but the team may look into what it would take to extend all four players.

Zubac and Mann could be extended anytime between now and June 30, 2025, whereas there’s an October 21 deadline for Powell and Hyland. I’d still view Zubac and Mann as the more likely candidates to get something done before opening night.

Community Shootaround: Clippers’ Offseason

August 18th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers’ brand new arena, the Intuit Dome, opened this week. They were hoping that by the time the building was ready, they’d have a title in hand or at least a championship-caliber club to entertain their fans.

Those plans haven’t panned out. The Clippers have been bounced in the opening round of the playoffs the past two seasons and lost one of their superstars in free agency this summer.

Paul George‘s departure to Philadelphia left the Clippers scrambling to piece together a contending club. The front office didn’t replace George with another star player.

Instead, they signed a younger forward in Derrick Jones Jr., who has been utilized mainly as a defensive stopper since he entered the league in 2016. Jones appeared in 76 regular-season games, including 66 starts, for Dallas last season. However, he was a relative afterthought on the offensive end, attempting only 6.5 shots per game in 23.5 minutes. His modest 8.6 PPG scoring average was still a career best, mainly due to the fact he got more playing time than in any previous season.

Kawhi Leonard‘s three-year extension kicks in this season but there are major questions regarding his long-term health. He dealt with right knee inflammation late in the regular season and missed four of the Clippers’ playoff games against Dallas. Leonard was replaced on the Team USA roster just prior to the Olympics due to lingering concerns about his knee.

The team’s other star, James Harden, was retained on a two-year deal. Harden averaged 16.6 points last season, his lowest figure since he was a sixth man with Oklahoma City early in his career. He will probably have to take a bigger scoring load to make up for the loss of George.

Los Angeles added some veteran frontcourt depth by signing Mohamed Bamba and Nicolas Batum. They also acquired Kris Dunn in a sign-and-trade to fortify the backcourt.

Their most eye-opening move was signing Kevin Porter Jr. in free agency. The talented but troubled young guard could be a facing a league suspension over a past domestic violence case. He may be the team’s most significant addition if all goes well — in his last season with Houston, he averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game.

That brings us to our topic of the day: Where you feel the Clippers rank in the Western Conference? Can they still be considered a playoff team or do you feel they might end up on the outside looking in?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Hawks, Clippers Interested In Aleksa Avramovic

August 17th, 2024 at 5:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Aleksa Avramovic, one of the stars of the Serbian Olympic team, has received interest from the Hawks and Clippers, according to BasketNews, relaying a report from Ozon Press, a Serbian newspaper.

Avramovic, who was named Best Defensive Player in the Paris Games, has an out clause in his contract with CSKA Moscow that permits him to sign with an NBA team. However, the clause will expire Tuesday, so time is limited to get a deal completed.

Avramovic has a buyout fee in his CSKA contract that an NBA team could contribute up to $850K to help cover. Neither Atlanta nor L.A. has made a formal offer so far, according to Mozzart Sport.

Avramovic is currently preparing to travel to Moscow for the start of training camp on August 26, BasketNews adds. He’s expected to continue his career in Russia if he doesn’t sign with an NBA team.

The 29-year-old point guard averaged 10.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals in six games as Serbia captured the bronze medal in Paris. He averaged 3.4 steals per 40 minutes in the tournament and had four against Germany in the third-place game.

The Hawks and Clippers currently have 15 players on standard contracts, so either team would have to part with guaranteed money before the start of the season to add Avramovic to the roster.

Pacific Notes: Curry, James, Davis, Clippers

August 17th, 2024 at 8:31am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors‘ biggest offseason priority was to bring in a high-level, established scorer next to Stephen Curry, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. That’s why Golden State targeted both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen, though the team came away with neither. While the general sentiment is that the Warriors did well for itself to bring in players like Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, Slater ponders whether the team is failing Curry.

Slater acknowledges that striking out on Markkanen may not have been management’s fault. According to Slater, Markkanen’s availability felt more like a mirage and him extending with Utah always seemed like the intended outcome.

Curry hasn’t shown any signs of unease or unrest with the roster, Slater adds. The two-time MVP is extension-eligible, and there has been no indication that either side feels less than optimistic about getting a deal done, though it won’t happen in the near future as Curry unwinds after the Paris Olympics.

While Curry could choose to sign a one-year extension by the October 21 deadline for the sake of security, it’s possible he’ll prefer to play out the season to see if the young players develop and if the new veterans fit in well. It would also be helpful to see if Draymond Green stays out of the league’s spotlight this season and if Andrew Wiggins bounces back, Slater writes. If Curry doesn’t sign an extension by Oct. 21, he’ll be eligible again next summer.

The Warriors themselves believe they improved this season, with internal team models providing a positive outlook for their veteran additions. One rival’s metric model projects the club to finish fourth in the West, Slater notes. Still, Curry’s decision on an extension before the deadline of Oct. 21 may provide a hint of his confidence level in the roster.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Paris Olympics are another major reason the Lakers should continue to be aggressive in looking for roster upgrades, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports. LeBron James and Anthony Davis played major roles in the gold medal run, with James earning Olympics MVP honors. In Buha’s view, Davis has established himself as a top-10 NBA player and James remains firmly in that conversation too, so the tandem remains more than capable of contending for championships. Two-way wings are still a need for the team, Buha writes, but they could look to get creative in optimizing their stars with the talent on board, perhaps by playing Davis alongside another big more often or using their young shooters like Dalton Knecht and Max Christie.
In a similar piece, Michael Pina of The Ringer opines that the Lakers needed to bring in more veteran talent around James this offseason. The only players currently on Los Angeles’s standard roster who weren’t on last year’s team are Knecht and Bronny James. For my money though, I’ll be curious to see how they deploy their young talent this season. While the team didn’t make major veteran moves, Knecht was widely regarded as one of the biggest draft steals and players like Christie, Maxwell Lewis or Jalen Hood-Schifino could play themselves into the rotation or show enough promise to be used to trade for vets.
The new Clippers arena, Intuit Dome, had its grand opening on Thursday, Law Murray of The Athletic relays. The arena’s features, like the halo board, have gone viral through the last year and it marks the first time since 1998 that the Clippers won’t shares Staples Center/Crypto.com Arena with their rival Lakers. The 2024/25 regular season home opener for L.A. is against Phoenix on Oct. 23.

Clippers Preparing To Retain P.J. Tucker Into Regular Season?

August 16th, 2024 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers are preparing for the possibility that veteran forward P.J. Tucker will still be on their roster when the regular season begins, league sources tell Law Murray of The Athletic.

Tucker, who had a limited role in Los Angeles last season after arriving from Philadelphia in the James Harden trade, picked up his $11.54MM player option for the 2024/25 season in June.

Murray previously reported that L.A. was expected to part ways with the 13-year NBA veteran this offseason, either by trading or waiving him. However, moving Tucker’s expiring contract in a salary-dump trade would almost certainly require the Clippers to attach more valuable assets, given his negative trade value.

There aren’t many teams around the league who are in position to take on Tucker’s $11.54MM salary and the Clippers likely don’t feel as much urgency to move off the contract at this point, given that they’ve already used their bi-annual exception and most of their mid-level exception — removing Tucker’s deal from their books wouldn’t really create much practical spending flexibility.

While Murray suggests that a deal is unlikely to happen before training camp, Tucker remains a strong candidate to be moved at some point before the February trade deadline. His expiring salary could be used for matching purposes to help accommodate a mid-season move for the Clippers.

Tucker appeared in just 28 regular season games for Los Angeles in 2023/24, averaging 1.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per contest, and he wasn’t used until Game 5 of the club’s first-round playoff series vs. Dallas.

During his best years in Houston, Tucker was a tough, switchable frontcourt defender who had the quickness to guard out to the perimeter and the strength to match up against bigger players. He was also a threat to knock down corner threes on offense. Now 39 years old, the forward is no longer as effective a three-and-D contributor and doesn’t command serious attention from opposing defenses — he averaged just 1.6 shot attempts per game in 2023/24.

And-Ones: Marquee Matchups, Cap Room, Spending, Most Improved Teams

August 16th, 2024 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA revealed its full schedule for the 2024/25 regular season on Thursday, and while there generally aren’t any surprises on that schedule (it’s not like the NFL, where a team plays fewer than half of the league’s other clubs), it’s still worth circling specific dates and marquee matchups.

Zach Harper of The Athletic, Chris Mannix of SI.com, and ESPN did just that, with Harper highlighting 35 games he’s looking forward to, Mannix naming 10 games to watch, and ESPN identifying 23 games not to miss.

Unsurprisingly, the Knicks/Celtics regular season opener (October 22), Paul George‘s return to Los Angeles with the Sixers (November 6), and Klay Thompson‘s return to Golden State with the Mavericks (Nov. 12) made all three lists.

The other two matchups that showed up on all three lists? Wizards at Hawks on Oct. 28 in the first regular season matchup between this year’s top two draft picks (Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr) and Spurs at Thunder on Oct. 30 in this season’s first Victor Wembanyama/Chet Holmgren showdown.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

A total of seven NBA teams operated under the cap and used room to make moves this offseason. As Keith Smith of Spotrac writes, those clubs used their cap space in very different ways, with some – like the Sixers and Thunder – making splashes in free agency, some (such as the Hornets) focusing on taking in salary in trades, and one (the Jazz) using most of its room to renegotiate a star player’s contract.
Which NBA teams have been the “cheapest” in recent years and which have been most willing to spend? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores that questions, ranking each team by its spending from 2017-24 and considering whether clubs should have been willing to invest more on those rosters. The Warriors, Clippers, and Bucks have been the biggest spenders over the last seven years, while the Bulls, Pistons, and Hornets are at the other end of the list.
In a three-part series for The Athletic, David Aldridge ranks all 30 NBA clubs based on how much they improved their rosters with their offseason moves. Aldridge’s list, which is sorted by which teams improved most in the short term rather than which clubs made the “best” moves, features the Thunder, Sixers, and Magic at the top. Not coincidentally, those clubs made three of the summer’s biggest free agent signings, adding Isaiah Hartenstein, Paul George, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, respectively.

Clippers, Kevon Harris Agree To Camp Deal

August 15th, 2024 at 6:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Kevon Harris has agreed to sign a training camp contract with the Clippers, agent Daniel Hazan tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Harris will get the opportunity to compete for a regular season roster spot in Los Angeles. However, that could be an uphill battle unless the Clippers trade or waive one of the players projected to be on their 15-man roster. The club is currently carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Kai Jones on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Harris, 27, appeared in 34 games for the Magic in 2022/23 while on a two-way contract with the team. That deal covered the ’23/24 season as well, though he saw action in just two NBA contests this past year after missing the first half of the season due to a knee issue.

In 27 regular season outings for the Osceola Magic in the G League in ’23/24, Harris averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 28.8 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .492/.381/.746. The 6’5″ shooting guard was selected to play in the NBAGL’s Up Next game at All-Star weekend.

The Clippers currently have 18 players officially signed to their offseason roster and have also reportedly reached agreements on training camp deals with Elijah Harkless, RayJ Dennis, and now Harris.

And-Ones: K. Smith, Schedule, C. Brown, Burton, Duke & Rutgers

August 14th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warner Bros. Discovery is suing the NBA after being excluded from the new broadcast rights package, but Kenny Smith isn’t worried about how that might affect what will likely be the final year of “Inside the NBA,” writes Greg Rajan of The Houston Chronicle. Smith, who has been with the network since his playing career ended in 1998, insists that nothing will change inside the studio.

“No, because we do our jobs,” he said. “Our job is to talk (about) the game and give insight and also give you insight about what’s going on behind the scenes with TNT. Like, ‘Hey, we’re not happy.’ That’s part of what makes us different. I don’t think any other network would allow or want their talent to talk about things like that. We’re going to do it, no matter what happens.

“But again, we’ve had a great run. If it continues, it’ll be great. But also, there are massive opportunities for the four of us — again, to create ownership opportunities to make sure our directors, producers, makeup, stats and audio people are still part of one of the greatest shows in sports TV history.”

Smith views the possible end of the network’s affiliation with the NBA as an opportunity for the show to reach out into other areas. He compares it to what Adam Sandler or Peyton and Eli Manning are doing with their companies, providing a chance to create a new brand in sports television.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

More details on the 2024/25 NBA schedule continue to leak out ahead of the official announcement at 3:00 pm ET on Thursday. The Nuggets will host the Thunder on October 24 in the season opener for both teams, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It will be a matchup of the top two seeds in the West last season. After facing the Clippers October 23 in the first game at the new Inuit Dome, the Suns will stay in Los Angeles to take on the Lakers October 25 before hosting the Mavericks in their home opener a night later, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The Kings will have two six-game road trips during the season, sources tell James Ham of Kings Beat (Twitter link). One in January will have them face the Nuggets, Knicks, Nets, Sixers, Thunder and Timberwolves, and another from March 29 to April 7 will feature games against the Magic, Pacers, Wizards, Hornets, Cavaliers and Pistons.
Former NBA players Charlie Brown Jr. and Deonte Burton will be among the players representing the G League United in a pair of September exhibition games, the league announced (Twitter links).
Duke and Rutgers will be the top destinations for NBA scouts when the college basketball season begins, observes Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. The Blue Devils have the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, Cooper Flagg, along with Khaman Maluach, a probable lottery selection who played for South Sudan in the Olympics. The Scarlet Knights’ Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are also in contention for the top spot in next year’s draft.

Knicks/Celtics, Wolves/Lakers To Play On Opening Night

August 12th, 2024 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s opening night schedule will feature home games for the league’s two most accomplished franchises, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the Celtics will host the Knicks in the early game, while the Lakers will host the Timberwolves in the late game.

The Celtics, who won their record 18th NBA title in June, will receive their championship rings on opening night, which will take place on Tuesday, October 22. That game will be the first for the new-look Knicks, featuring Mikal Bridges.

The game between the Lakers and Timberwolves will feature several stars who participated in Saturday’s gold medal game in Paris, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers and Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert of the Wolves.

Both games will air on TNT Sports, which will be distributing NBA games for one final year in 2024/25, assuming their lawsuit against the league doesn’t result in a new broadcast rights deal that begins in ’25/26.

The full regular schedule for the 2024/25 NBA season is expected to be released later this week, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. In the meantime, here are a few more notable matchups, courtesy of Charania:

The new-look Sixers, led by former MVP Joel Embiid, reigning Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey, and free agent addition Paul George, will host the Bucks on October 23 to open their regular season (Twitter link).
The first regular season game at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood will be played on October 23, when the Clippers host the Suns (Twitter link).
Klay Thompson and the Mavericks will visit the Warriors on November 12 in Thompson’s first trip back to the Bay Area (Twitter link). That will also be the first game of the in-season tournament (NBA Cup) for both Dallas and Golden State (Twitter link).
The NBA Finals rematches between the Celtics and Mavericks will take place on January 25 in Dallas and February 6 in Boston (Twitter link).
In case you missed it, 2024’s Christmas Day matchups were reported last week.

Sixers Notes: Jackson, Free Agent Options, Morey, George

July 31st, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reggie Jackson officially signed a one-year contract with the Sixers on Tuesday. The veteran point guard passed through waivers after Denver traded him to Charlotte and the Hornets bought out his contract. Jackson is thrilled to join another contender and reunite with former Pistons teammate Andre Drummond and Clippers teammate Paul George.

“It’s definitely great to play with Andre again and PG. But I think everybody knows in the basketball world, I think the deck looks pretty full,” he said, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “So that was a big part of my choice and just an opportunity to try and do something special.”

We have more on the Sixers:

The team has 13 players on standard contracts and plans to carry 14 on opening night. That leaves one spot open and the Inquirer’s Gina Mizell looks at five free agent forwards who might fill that opening, including Marcus Morris, Jae Crowder, Cedi Osman, Gordon Hayward and Lonnie Walker IV.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey said that prior to free agency his staff listened intently to Paul George’s Podcast P for clues as to where he might be leaning. Morey disclosed on the ‘Rights To Ricky Sanchez: The Sixers Podcast’ (YouTube link). Morey believed the Clippers would drop their hard line and give George a four-year, maximum-salary contract but that never happened, which he found somewhat surprising. The Clippers eventually offered George a three-year max deal but wouldn’t include a no-trade clause, leading George to look elsewhere.
Morey told The Ringer’s Howard Beck that there numerous contingency plans if George chose to stay in Los Angeles but he wasn’t particularly thrilled with any of them. “We thought that the best path was a Paul George–type path,” Morey said. “The other paths we thought were OK, they just weren’t as good. … We also felt like in the scenarios where we don’t convince Paul that this is the right team, we felt like we had a plan that was [workable]. We probably spent 85 percent of our time on the alternate plan, because that was way more complex.”