State of the Franchise
Project Cap Space (before luxury tax): $20.6 million
Background: When the Clippers won the draft lottery back in 2009, they picked wisely, taking superstar PF Blake Griffin with the first overall pick. Although he sat out his entire rookie year with an injury, he has made an impact since his start. Then, in 2011, Los Angeles traded with New Orleans for one of the NBA's best PG’s, superstar Chris Paul. Recently, in 2013, they tried to make a trade with the Boston Celtics for veterans and future Hall of Famers SF Paul Pierce and PF Kevin Garnett, but were denied by the league when they wanted to acquire coach Doc Rivers as well. Doc Rivers still made his way to LA, but that was all. After a massive controversy surrounding former owner Donald Sterling’s racial remarks, Sterling was fired and the Clippers were bought by Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer for $2 billion. Now the Clippers are championship contenders with a core of Paul, Griffin, and breakout C DeAndre Jordan. "Lob City" is one of the best, most exciting young teams in the NBA.
Current Financial State: The Clippers only have $56 million committed to their players next year, about $22 million for Paul and $18 million for Griffin. Jordan has been a huge part of their championship run and they would really like to keep him. He would cost them roughly $12-13 million on something close to a 4 year/$50 million deal. This would give them $8 million left to spend until the $76.8 million luxury tax line. If they're looking to win the championship, they should address their glaring hole at SF. With not many quality SFs on the block right now and not many trading assets, the Clippers will likely look to free agency to try and fill their hole at that position.
Targets: As mentioned, the Clippers will be looking for a SF in free agency this year. One interesting target is SF Gerald Green, currently on the Phoenix Suns. This offseason, he will be an unrestricted free agent and the Clippers will likely go after him. However, they will not be the only ones interested in Green's services, as he is expected to be a highly coveted free agent this year. The Clippers will probably try to get him for something around a 3 year/$18 million deal. Green is a nice, affordable player, and that would still leave them with $2 million to spend until the luxury tax line.
The Fit: Green is quite an ideal fit for the Clippers. He is a high energy player and the Clippers could really use his ability to score in bunches. He could provide instant scoring from either the starting lineup or as a spark scorer off the bench. Although his scoring ability is really helpful, his main fit comes from his athleticism. His vertical abilities and highlight-reel dunks fit perfectly in "Lob City." Along with Griffin and Jordan, he will be receiving tons of alley-oop passes from superstar Chris Paul. His athleticism and scoring abilities could really prove to be useful for the Clippers down the stretch and in the playoffs. Green could potentially be the piece Los Angeles needs to take home their first championship in franchise history.
Project Cap Space (before luxury tax): $20.6 million
Background: When the Clippers won the draft lottery back in 2009, they picked wisely, taking superstar PF Blake Griffin with the first overall pick. Although he sat out his entire rookie year with an injury, he has made an impact since his start. Then, in 2011, Los Angeles traded with New Orleans for one of the NBA's best PG’s, superstar Chris Paul. Recently, in 2013, they tried to make a trade with the Boston Celtics for veterans and future Hall of Famers SF Paul Pierce and PF Kevin Garnett, but were denied by the league when they wanted to acquire coach Doc Rivers as well. Doc Rivers still made his way to LA, but that was all. After a massive controversy surrounding former owner Donald Sterling’s racial remarks, Sterling was fired and the Clippers were bought by Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer for $2 billion. Now the Clippers are championship contenders with a core of Paul, Griffin, and breakout C DeAndre Jordan. "Lob City" is one of the best, most exciting young teams in the NBA.
Current Financial State: The Clippers only have $56 million committed to their players next year, about $22 million for Paul and $18 million for Griffin. Jordan has been a huge part of their championship run and they would really like to keep him. He would cost them roughly $12-13 million on something close to a 4 year/$50 million deal. This would give them $8 million left to spend until the $76.8 million luxury tax line. If they're looking to win the championship, they should address their glaring hole at SF. With not many quality SFs on the block right now and not many trading assets, the Clippers will likely look to free agency to try and fill their hole at that position.
Targets: As mentioned, the Clippers will be looking for a SF in free agency this year. One interesting target is SF Gerald Green, currently on the Phoenix Suns. This offseason, he will be an unrestricted free agent and the Clippers will likely go after him. However, they will not be the only ones interested in Green's services, as he is expected to be a highly coveted free agent this year. The Clippers will probably try to get him for something around a 3 year/$18 million deal. Green is a nice, affordable player, and that would still leave them with $2 million to spend until the luxury tax line.
The Fit: Green is quite an ideal fit for the Clippers. He is a high energy player and the Clippers could really use his ability to score in bunches. He could provide instant scoring from either the starting lineup or as a spark scorer off the bench. Although his scoring ability is really helpful, his main fit comes from his athleticism. His vertical abilities and highlight-reel dunks fit perfectly in "Lob City." Along with Griffin and Jordan, he will be receiving tons of alley-oop passes from superstar Chris Paul. His athleticism and scoring abilities could really prove to be useful for the Clippers down the stretch and in the playoffs. Green could potentially be the piece Los Angeles needs to take home their first championship in franchise history.