The Los Angeles Clippers spent the 2022-23 season dealing with a lot of the same issues that have plagued the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era. Their two stars combined to play in 108 regular games, which is actually the most they’ve ever combined for in their four years together in L.A., but by the time the playoffs rolled around and they faced the Suns in the opening round, George was sidelined with knee sprain and Leonard played spectacularly in two games before suffering a torn meniscus that ended his and the Clippers’ season.
With both George and Leonard holding player options for next season, it’s possible this is the last year of the partnership in L.A., which puts additional pressure on the Clippers to try and finally make a deep run with their talented roster. The problem is, their hopes rest on their two stars doing something they haven’t through four years together, which is being and staying healthy when the playoffs begin. This summer didn’t present a lot of easy opportunities to upgrade the roster, and the Clippers have, to this point, looked to mostly run it back with one major looming exception in trade rumors that have not come to fruition just yet.
Here we’ll grade out the Clippers summer of moves from the Draft, free agency and contract extensions, and on the trade market.
Draft: B-
The Clippers, due to pick swaps, held the last pick in the first round and used the 30th pick on Kobe Brown out of Mizzou. The 6’7 wing had a breakout senior season as a shooter, going from a career 23.7 percent three-point shooter in his first three seasons to knocking down 45.5 percent of his threes as a senior. That vaulted him up draft boards and landed him on the Clippers, with our Brad Rowland giving L.A. a B- for the selection on Draft night, noting that there are questions about the sustainability of that shooting leap but if it’s for real, this could be a steal at the end of the first round.
Brown has the pieces to be a very solid role player in the NBA. He fits within the Clippers’ structure as a result, and if his shooting uptick from 2022-23 is real, Brown could be a steal with the final pick of the first round.
Free Agency/Contract Extensions: B-
To this point, the Clippers have been pretty quiet when it comes to making roster moves, as they wait patiently to see if the Sixers will actually send them James Harden. The result of being in the hunt for a star on the trade market is you don’t want to ruin that opportunity by making other moves, so L.A. has simply opted to re-sign Russell Westbrook and Mason Plumlee, as was widely expected, and for now are in a holding pattern. Westbrook’s 2-year, $8 million deal and Plumlee’s 1-year, $5 million deal are both solid value, as Westbrook enjoyed his best basketball in a few years once he joined the Clippers and Plumlee is a very solid backup big behind Ivica Zubac. However, they have otherwise not made any upgrades to the roster and lost some depth with the departure of Eric Gordon, as he was waived to save a ton in tax money and has since signed a minimum deal in Phoenix.
Trades: B-/INC
The one trade the Clippers have made thus far was pretty solid in my eyes, as they were able to bring in KJ Martin from Houston for a pair of second rounders, adding a young wing with some intriguing upside for a low cost, taking advantage of Houston’s desire to have a splashy free agency to take a swing on Martin. The problem is, they still have a glut of wings and I’m not sure what the pathway to minutes is for Martin this season if the roster holds as currently constructed. That said, their desire to make a trade to upgrade their starting point guard is well known, with James Harden as the focal point in his standoff with the Sixers. For now, they apparently don’t want to send Terance Mann in that deal, understandably, which has been the biggest holdup that led the Sixers to end negotiations for the time being.
Still, Marcus Morris and Norman Powell have been shopped around and it’s possible they’ll clear some of that wing clutter and add a lead guard to provide better roster balance. In the meantime, this is a team with a lot of the same issues as they’ve had previously that finds itself in a holding pattern until something gets sorted out with Harden. If they can’t land him, I’m not sure where they shift their attention, but one would think they’ll be attached to just about any starting caliber point guard that finds his way into rumors ahead of the deadline. Ultimately, this season comes down to what it always has in L.A. since they went all-in on George and Leonard, which is the health of their stars. If they can do what they haven’t thus far and both be on the court in April and beyond, they’re contenders. If not, they’re headed into some serious uncertainty next offseason.
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/los-angeles-clippers-offseason-report-card-trades-signings-draft/
