Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Blake Griffin Discusses Trade, Pistons’ Future, More

March 20th, 2018 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Barring a miracle, the 31-39 Pistons won’t make the playoffs this season, but Blake Griffin remains optimistic about the club’s longer-term outlook. In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Griffin said that he thinks the team will be “very good” next season.

“This summer we will have a chance to really jell, figure stuff out,” Griffin said. “I think the ceiling of this team is very, very high. We have a lot of different guys who can do a lot of different things who can affect the game in a lot of different ways. Getting Reggie [Jackson] back will be huge.”

While the Pistons have struggled since acquiring Griffin, getting a full offseason with the new-look roster in place could pay off. Last season, the Pelicans were unable to make a late-season run after trading for DeMarcus Cousins at the deadline, but New Orleans – with and without Cousins – has looked much better this year. The Pistons will be looking to follow that model.

As for Griffin, he discussed a few other aspects of his midseason change of address with Spears, acknowledging that he would have approached free agency a little differently last July if he knew the Clippers would consider trading him just a few months later. Here are a few more of Griffin’s noteworthy comments from the conversation:

On the Clippers’ decision to trade him:

“You always hear guys say that, ‘Basketball is a business,’ and all that. It’s so much different when you have had a relationship with a certain amount of people for so long and been at a place for so long. Someone always promises you this is what we are doing and six months later … It shows people’s true colors. Other than that, at the end of the day, you have to realize it’s a business.”

On why it didn’t take him long to get over being traded:

“If I wasn’t happy with where I was at or excited to be here, it would take a little bit longer. But as soon as I got here to Detroit, the franchise, the way they go about taking care of the players, the way they do everything, is first-class. So, that makes the transition much easier. Stan [Van Gundy] and the whole staff has been awesome. I’m not looking back.

“I haven’t put much thought into it, to be honest. I’ve been so focused on making this transition and [adjusting] to this change that I haven’t put that much thought into it. I never want to be in a place where I’m not wanted. Coming here made me realize what a franchise looks like.”

On what advice he would give to stars entering free agency:

“You have to make the best decision for you, personally. If fans are upset, if one or two people are not super-supportive or aren’t on board with that, you have to live with it. You have to be somewhere where you enjoy it.”

Gallinari's Injury Pains Doc Rivers

March 19th, 2018 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Danilo Gallinari‘s injury-riddled season has been the Clippers’ biggest issue, coach Doc Rivers told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register and other media members. Gallinari hasn’t played since February 22nd and has only appeared in 19 games. He was acquired in a deal with the Nuggets last summer with the expectation that he’d solidify the small forward spot. “Overall, of the guys we’ve missed [most], it’s ‘Gallo,’” Rivers said. “It’s not even close.” Hand and gluteus maximus injuries have sidelined Gallinari, who has averaged 15.9 PPG when he’s been able to take the court.

Thronwell, Evans Embrace Increased Roles

March 16th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by marksuleymanov

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers was fined $15K for criticizing the officials in the team’s loss to the Rockets on Thursday, per ESPN. Rivers was critical of the referees’ lack of calls for his team.
Sindarius Thornwell and Jawun Evans were prepared for the G League this season and were not expecting significant minutes with the Clippers. A rash of injuries have given Thornwell and Evans key roles, in which they have excelled, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes.

Milos Teodosic Talks Decision To Leave Europe For NBA

March 15th, 2018 at 8:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

Milos Teodosic granted reporters, including Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register, a rare interview to discuss his decision to leave Europe and join the Clippers this past offseason. Prior to this season, Teodosic was regarded by many as the best basketball talent not signed to an NBA deal.

Injuries have slowed Teodosic this year but the 30-year-old has shown more than a few glimpses of his creative passing ability. In 37 games (30 starts), the Serbian point guard is averaging 9.3 PPG and 5.0 APG. While he wishes he came to the NBA earlier in his career, Teodosic said he would have retired with regrets if he didn’t join the Clippers.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/14/18

March 14th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

9:00 pm:

The Pacers have recalled Alex Poythress from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to the team’s website. The Kentucky product has played in seven G League games this season where he averaged 20.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

4:56 pm:

For the second consecutive day, the Jazz sent Dante Exum to the G League and then recalled him later in the day, the team announced in a press release. The former fifth overall pick is preparing for his return from a shoulder injury by practicing with the Salt Lake City Stars.
The Lakers have assigned rookie big man Thomas Bryant to the G League, according to the club (Twitter link). Bryant, who has averaged 19.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 32 G League games this season, is expected to suit up for the South Bay Lakers on Thursday night when they host the Agua Caliente Clippers.
Chris McCullough, who had been playing for the Northern Arizona Suns, was recalled today by the Wizards and then re-assigned to the Erie BayHawks, according to the team. Washington doesn’t have a G League affiliate of its own this season, so McCullough is eligible to play for other G League squads via the flexible assignment rule.

Clippers Sign Sean Kilpatrick To Second 10-Day Deal

March 14th, 2018 at 4:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:06pm: The Clippers have made their second 10-day agreement with Kilpatrick official, per the NBA’s transactions log. Kilpatrick will be under contract through next Friday, March 23.

9:38am: The Clippers will sign shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick to another 10-day contract, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The first 10-day deal for the 28-year-old expired overnight.

Kilpatrick has seen a combined 15 minutes of playing time in two games since coming to L.A. He was signed to provide backcourt depth while the Clippers ponder whether to sign one of their two-way players, Tyrone Wallace or C.J. Williams, to an NBA contract.

Kilpatrick has also played for the Nets and Bucks this season. He is averaging 4.3 points in a combined 41 games.

Avery Bradley Undergoes Surgery, Out For Season

March 13th, 2018 at 5:24pm CST by Austin Kent

The Clippers will be without midseason acquisition Avery Bradley for the remainder of the season Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The guard has undergone surgery to repair muscles related to the sports hernia that has plagued him for much of the season.

Bradley had the procedure to repair adductor and rectus abdominis muscles on Tuesday and will take six to eight weeks to recover. That timetable could put the 27-year-old back on the court in late April, should the Clippers make the playoffs, but there’s no indication that he’ll be looking to suit up for the squad before the end of the campaign.

Bradley wasn’t all that effective in six games with the Clippers after heading over from the Pistons in the Blake Griffin trade and will now get the opportunity to address an issue that Pistons.com editor Keith Langlois writes has troubled him since his half-season stint in Detroit.

Bradley will hit the market this summer as an unrestricted free agent and was expected to draw significant interest prior to his down year in 2017/18.

Harrell A Revelation

March 11th, 2018 at 4:54pm CST by clarkcrum

The Clippers are 11-4 since the beginning of February, have moved into the eight place spot in the Western Conference, and are only 2.0 games back of fourth place New Orleans and a first-round home playoff series. Part of the improved play for the Clippers has been the emergence of pleasant surprise Montrezl Harrell, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

“You just learn more and more about him as you coach him,” Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said. “You never know a guy until you coach a guy. When we got him, we looked at him as an energy guy, a guy that can play defense. That’s what he did everywhere he’s been. And then every practice he gets in, he keeps scoring. And scoring. And then we started thinking, ‘Maybe he can score a little bit.’ He’s been better than that. He’s been great.”

Harrell is averaging a career-high 10.3 points and shooting 63.1% from the field for the Clippers while only playing 16.2 minutes per game, and has improved upon those numbers lately, averaging 17.8 PPG in his last five games.

L.A. Notes: LeBron, Lakers, Gallinari, Thornwell

March 11th, 2018 at 11:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers fans may be dreaming about signing LeBron James this summer, but the franchise isn’t in position to give him a chance to win championships, writes Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register. That will be James’ main criteria when he enters free agency, Heisler adds, as he hopes to match Michael Jordan‘s total of six titles before he retires.

James’ recent purchase of a house in the Los Angeles area won’t affect his decision, Heisler claims, and neither will the chance to play with a young core made up of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle and Lonzo Ball. Unless the Lakers can convince James that his presence would make them an instant contender, they’ll be a long shot to bring him to L.A.

There’s more NBA news out of Los Angeles:

With the playoffs slipping out of reach, the Lakers will spend the rest of this season deciding which free agents they want to keep, states Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. With only five players under contract for 2018/19, Brook Lopez, Isaiah Thomas and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be among those auditioning for jobs, as will Channing Frye if he returns after an appendectomy.
Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari will have his right hand examined next week to determine if he needs surgery, tweets Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points. Gallinari added that swelling and discoloration in the hand have subsided since he suffered a non-displaced fracture late last month. Gallinari is averaging 15.9 points per night, but has been limited to 19 games by a variety of injuries.
Rookie Clippers guard Sindarius Thornwell made his first start in nearly three months Friday and responded with a career-high 14 points in a win over the Cavaliers, notes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Thornwell’s playing time had slipped as the team tried out two-way guards C.J. Williams and Tyrone Wallace, but he was ready when coach Doc Rivers called on him to match up with James. “I guess it’s just Doc’s way of seeing if I’m ready to play,” Thornwell said. “He just wants to see if I’m focused and locked in. But my starts are always on somebody tough.”

Latest On LeBron James

March 9th, 2018 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Cavaliers in Los Angeles this weekend to play the Clippers on Friday and the Lakers on Sunday, it seems like as good a time as any to check in on LeBron James‘ upcoming free agency. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer jump-started that discussion on Thursday when he reported that he has “consistently heard from multiple league sources” that James’ list of potential destinations currently only includes four teams: the Cavs, Lakers, Rockets, and Sixers.

Asked today about his potential free agency, James dismissed the idea that he has put together any sort of list yet, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. While the star forward also called recruiting billboards posted in L.A. “flattering,” he said he’s not thinking about his free agency at this point — though he did acknowledge he understands the constant Lakers speculation.

“I understand that the conversation happens here because first of all [the Lakers] have cap space,” James said, per Vardon. “And this league is much better when the Lakers, the Knicks, and the Celtics are all good at the same time. That’s just how it is. So, that’s what also creates the frenzy.”

Let’s round up a few more items on James and his 2018 free agency…

Within an article about James’ potential fit with the Lakers, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN cites league sources who believe it’s “still a long shot” that LeBron chooses the Lakers.
One source close to the situation had this to say to Shelburne: “If someone is pretending they know what LeBron is thinking, they’re guessing. How could anyone know when he doesn’t even know?”
Sources close to LeBron can see him playing until he’s 40 years old, Shelburne notes. That would mean seven more seasons after this one for James, which suggests that even a long-term deal this offseason wouldn’t be his last NBA contract.
Elsewhere at ESPN.com, in an Insider-only piece, Kevin Pelton examines how James might fit with either the Lakers or the Clippers. A series of salary cap machinations would be required for the Clips to have a shot at LeBron; even then, it’s not clear if he’d seriously consider them, so the Lakers are a much more viable landing spot, in Pelton’s view.
As we noted on Thursday, Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reached a similar conclusion when they ranked six hypothetical destinations for James — the Clippers ranked last in that group. However, the Rockets, Sixers, and Cavaliers all ranked ahead of the Lakers in terms of LeBron’s best options, per the USA Today duo.
James remains in the No. 1 spot in the latest edition of our 2018 Free Agent Power Rankings, published on Thursday.