There’s simply no means round it; the L.A. Clippers are a multitude of epic proportions. They’re at the moment simply 6-19, do not personal their decide this 12 months or subsequent 12 months, and their greatest participant, Kawhi Leonard, solely performs part-time.
That’s not to say that each he and the Clippers are being investigated by the NBA over wage cap circumvention. The opposite shoe will drop in some unspecified time in the future, however the Clippers are in a foul spot proper now.
Paradoxically, evidently they at the very least made one proper name, opting to not re-sign Paul George. Bear in mind, the Clippers are on this mess as a result of Leonard pushed them to commerce for George, with the outcomes being disastrous.
Fortuitously, they at the very least knew when to chop their losses. They let him depart for nothing in free company, and he signed a 4-year, $212 million take care of the Philadelphia 76ers. That transfer has regarded terrible so far, with him averaging simply 15.9 factors per recreation since becoming a member of the Sixers whereas making greater than $50 million per season.
Had the Clippers held onto George, as Leonard had wished, they’d be caught with one other ugly contract. That will have been particularly devastating in mild of current occasions.
The Clippers are vindicated for refusing Kawhi Leonard’s want
The NBA’s looming investigation might presumably consequence within the league taking all the Clippers’ remaining first-round picks, leaving them with no first till 2031. The one means for them to get out of that mess is to filter out cap house and rebuild by way of free company starting in 2027.
Had they held onto George, that doubtless would not even be an choice. Even so, the preliminary George commerce, which was pushed for by Leonard, set the Clippers again at the very least a decade, they usually will not dwell that commerce down for years to return.
Clippers followers have Leonard to thank for that, and with the franchise spiraling and him out and in of the lineup, he doubtless hasn’t earned himself any new followers. L.A. will doubtless surrender a excessive lottery decide to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, who’ve an opportunity to win at the very least 70 video games this season.
Often, it is the small-market groups getting taken benefit of by big-market groups. Nonetheless, the Clippers are the clear exception, with them having been bamboozled by each Leonard and the Thunder.
Fortuitously, at the very least L.A. did not chase a disastrous determination with one other by re-signing George, giving them at the very least a glimmer of hope to ultimately construct a greater roster.
