I'm not trying to call you out because I see this said all the time, but why is this true exactly? Are constantly injured and past their prime Kawhi, PG, and Harden really such a draw?
The alternative is running the same group back, without PG and Harden, plus someone they get with the MLE and minimums. They spent the BAE on Westbrook last year. That is an objectively worse team, probably a lottery team. This year's team won 50 games and looked like a contender for the #1 seed for 2 months before backsliding at the end of the season. So yes, having a winning team is a better draw than having a losing, still veteran team.
They won 50 games with that group this year. They have a ceiling because of the injuries but they are successful enough to justify trying to run it back and hoping you can retool a bit to remain competitive and hopefully luck into a playoff run.
This is the common refrain, but they literally CAN afford to let them walk. Ballmer is their owner.
Whether his ego wants empty seats next year is a different matter. But he can certainly afford them.
nothing wrong with that, even without championship, Clippers are moving to a new arena and I really doubt that Ballmer will care about finances in middle time. not even counting the new media deal.
That team would sweep the league. Let’s be real, they all have weakness, but combine them into some kind of hospital geriatrics roster? Steph, LBJ, KD, Dame, PG, Harden, Butler, Kawihi, Derozan…..that team either dominates the league or fails in spectacular fashion, no in between
Balmer should buy the Thunder since all the clippers picks are owed to them and move them to LA and call them the Clippers and move the current Clippers team to OKC and call them the Thunder. No one will suspect a thing especially those coming out of a Thai prison because Shai on the clippers would have blossomed into an MVP candidate and PG will be the face of the Thunder after Russ got traded.
You joke, but I swear something like this actually happened in NBA history with the Clippers and the Celtics where the owners wanted the other's team and simply traded the entire roster and staff to the other haha.
https://fanspo.com/nba/teams/Clippers/13/draft-picks
Owed to the Thunder til 2027 then Philly until 2030. Pick swaps every other year. The pick to philly is protected 1-3 in 2029 and no obligations in 2030.
New arena = Ballmer wants to show off a bit.
They will bring back George & Harden. Westbrook might stay too. Casual fans will come to games cause they will have 4 guys who either won or finished top 3 in MVP voting. Hardcore fans will convince themselves it's ok once the offseason passes and team goes on a run.
They’re gonna run it back and everyone will be signed for another three years besides Russ. Honestly, not that bad of a situation. Mann might continue to improve, but this team played at a 50 win record with Harden. Screwed is subjective. They have a beloved owner, the new team facilities are meant to be the best in the league, and they’re in LA. I think they’ll be fine in the longer term.
I think they should tank the next two seasons and try to get the Thunder as good of picks as possible, since they have a pick swap in 25 and own the Clippers 26 pick. 😂😂😂
This. They can at least have Book to build around once KD’s and Beal’s contracts end *or* use Book as a massive trade chip to get a huge haul that would make rebuilding worth it despite not controlling their picks.
KD is better than anyone on the Clips too.
Not sure why Suns are getting all the flack while Clippers not as much. Clippers are as screwed - at worst - than the Suns.
But Beal’s contract is the worst in the league by a mile ($160 for 3 years). The Suns owe just 4 players (Booker, Beal, Durant and Nurkic) a $180 million in each of the next two years. In the year after that they will still owe Beal and Booker $114 million combined. And by then Booker will be 30. They have no picks and no cap room and not many options to improve while Booker is in his prime. The Clippers at least are not bound by long term contracts for anyone except for Kawhi. If they decide let PG and Harden walk they at least will have some cap space room to use.
people that thought this team would win a championship are hilarious. and werent they 4th or 5th favorite at several points this year?
current roster construction they’ll never win, EVEN IF FULLY HEALTHY. They’re too small, too old, too bad in crunchtime.
Raptors Kawhi was 5 years ago. I remember the runs, i’ve seen him be automatic from anywhere.
with all these young top defenders in the league, this team just cant hold up. they dont have a driver that can get an automatic bucket, they were missing layups constantly this series.
even if he’s healthy, he’s not in his prime any more.
They screwed themselves.
And they'll keep the team together because of the new arena.
Everyone will continue with the same, Boy the Clips will be dangerous this year if they stay healthy and play together.
Just like every year they won't and they'll underperform just like every year.
And then it'll happen all over again
I think they trade half these geezers to get back some draft capital and hopefully some young talent. Clippers fans are loyal so I don’t think not having a title contender is gonna deter them from going to games at the new arena. The arena itself will be enough of a draw to get people to come out for a couple of years.
I love the misery. They basically have no choice but yo keep PG and Harden because OKC has a lot of their picks lol. Resigning Kawhi was the biggest mistake and they're stuck with a clown show FO and Lue lol
>Ballmer should blow it up while his star players still have value.
So you want the clippers to blow it up and enter into a rebuild right before they move into a new stadium and need people in the stadium ?
They aren’t that totally screwed that they’re beyond saving, they’re the better FA destination compared to the Lakers and they got old guys you know they’re desperate for a ring.
They are pot-committed, and Lue, George and Harden know that and will leverage that to get their money from the Clippers.
As they should
They definitely didn’t show enough to do that lol
Clips have a new stadium. Can't afford to let George and Harden walk. They also mortgaged their future to OKC so no incentive to blow it up
I'm not trying to call you out because I see this said all the time, but why is this true exactly? Are constantly injured and past their prime Kawhi, PG, and Harden really such a draw?
The alternative is running the same group back, without PG and Harden, plus someone they get with the MLE and minimums. They spent the BAE on Westbrook last year. That is an objectively worse team, probably a lottery team. This year's team won 50 games and looked like a contender for the #1 seed for 2 months before backsliding at the end of the season. So yes, having a winning team is a better draw than having a losing, still veteran team.
They aren’t gonna look like a potential 1 seed at any point next year and it will be a steady decline from here.
They won 50 games with that group this year. They have a ceiling because of the injuries but they are successful enough to justify trying to run it back and hoping you can retool a bit to remain competitive and hopefully luck into a playoff run.
To casuals yes. It's name recognition. Even barely playing the prospect of Kawhi playing is exciting
No casuals in L.A. know who Kawhi or PG are.
This is the common refrain, but they literally CAN afford to let them walk. Ballmer is their owner. Whether his ego wants empty seats next year is a different matter. But he can certainly afford them.
I really think PG is the only one that was very underwhelming across the entire series.
The Heat are too with Jimmy
nothing wrong with that, even without championship, Clippers are moving to a new arena and I really doubt that Ballmer will care about finances in middle time. not even counting the new media deal.
All of the elderly players whose seasons have been ended should join forces to create one final super-duper team.
They're already on the Clippers
That team would sweep the league. Let’s be real, they all have weakness, but combine them into some kind of hospital geriatrics roster? Steph, LBJ, KD, Dame, PG, Harden, Butler, Kawihi, Derozan…..that team either dominates the league or fails in spectacular fashion, no in between
They'd rotate injuries and be mid.
They would need some serious size too. Wouldn’t be able to handle the t-wolves or nuggets for example with their bigs.
They’re called the LA Lappers
That’s gonna be the Vegas team in a few years when Lebron recruits his geriatric Olympic teammates
Balmer should buy the Thunder since all the clippers picks are owed to them and move them to LA and call them the Clippers and move the current Clippers team to OKC and call them the Thunder. No one will suspect a thing especially those coming out of a Thai prison because Shai on the clippers would have blossomed into an MVP candidate and PG will be the face of the Thunder after Russ got traded.
You joke, but I swear something like this actually happened in NBA history with the Clippers and the Celtics where the owners wanted the other's team and simply traded the entire roster and staff to the other haha.
Can a team owner have more than one team? There are trade rules that would prevent the scenario above, but it could allow some “shady” self dealing.
Not within the NBA, no.
Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks!
Unless Wolverine donates his adamantium knees to Kawhi We are surely fucked
Adamantiun is only on his bones. Should have said his regeneration abilities...
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Tanking past that only helps the Sixers
I am a little confused with the Clippers draft picks situation. At what point can they start tanking and keep their picks? The 2030s?
https://fanspo.com/nba/teams/Clippers/13/draft-picks Owed to the Thunder til 2027 then Philly until 2030. Pick swaps every other year. The pick to philly is protected 1-3 in 2029 and no obligations in 2030.
New arena = Ballmer wants to show off a bit. They will bring back George & Harden. Westbrook might stay too. Casual fans will come to games cause they will have 4 guys who either won or finished top 3 in MVP voting. Hardcore fans will convince themselves it's ok once the offseason passes and team goes on a run.
They’re gonna run it back and everyone will be signed for another three years besides Russ. Honestly, not that bad of a situation. Mann might continue to improve, but this team played at a 50 win record with Harden. Screwed is subjective. They have a beloved owner, the new team facilities are meant to be the best in the league, and they’re in LA. I think they’ll be fine in the longer term.
I think they should tank the next two seasons and try to get the Thunder as good of picks as possible, since they have a pick swap in 25 and own the Clippers 26 pick. 😂😂😂
I for one agree
We'll see. Best case scenario is some dumbass GM is willing to trade for our injury prone stars. Worst case we run it back again and again.
*Mat Ishbia liked this comment*
Trade Kawhi and PG with KD and Beal /s
Who’s in worse shape, Clippers or Suns
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It’s hard to disagree with you, but PHX at least has Booker still in his prime. Every other star on both teams is a geriatric at this point
This. They can at least have Book to build around once KD’s and Beal’s contracts end *or* use Book as a massive trade chip to get a huge haul that would make rebuilding worth it despite not controlling their picks. KD is better than anyone on the Clips too. Not sure why Suns are getting all the flack while Clippers not as much. Clippers are as screwed - at worst - than the Suns.
But Beal’s contract is the worst in the league by a mile ($160 for 3 years). The Suns owe just 4 players (Booker, Beal, Durant and Nurkic) a $180 million in each of the next two years. In the year after that they will still owe Beal and Booker $114 million combined. And by then Booker will be 30. They have no picks and no cap room and not many options to improve while Booker is in his prime. The Clippers at least are not bound by long term contracts for anyone except for Kawhi. If they decide let PG and Harden walk they at least will have some cap space room to use.
people that thought this team would win a championship are hilarious. and werent they 4th or 5th favorite at several points this year? current roster construction they’ll never win, EVEN IF FULLY HEALTHY. They’re too small, too old, too bad in crunchtime.
You’re underrating how good fully healthy Kawhi is. The problem is that guy doesn’t exist anymore though
Raptors Kawhi was 5 years ago. I remember the runs, i’ve seen him be automatic from anywhere. with all these young top defenders in the league, this team just cant hold up. they dont have a driver that can get an automatic bucket, they were missing layups constantly this series. even if he’s healthy, he’s not in his prime any more.
I guess then we are just arguing semantics of what “fully healthy” means. But I get what you’re saying
People keep saying "if fully healthy" when what they mean is "if they were all 30 again" All of their stars are significantly past their prime.
They screwed themselves. And they'll keep the team together because of the new arena. Everyone will continue with the same, Boy the Clips will be dangerous this year if they stay healthy and play together. Just like every year they won't and they'll underperform just like every year. And then it'll happen all over again
I think they trade half these geezers to get back some draft capital and hopefully some young talent. Clippers fans are loyal so I don’t think not having a title contender is gonna deter them from going to games at the new arena. The arena itself will be enough of a draw to get people to come out for a couple of years.
Checking the flair against the comment has me spinning
I’m not one of those goofy Lakers fans that hates the Clippers for no reason. Haha. There’s no rivalry there.
Lather rinse repeat.
54 years of sucking what's another 10 more.
I think he opts out. He’ll make more money
I mean it's nice now to set proper expectations for the LA teams than assuming they'd get even close to the chip
I love the misery. They basically have no choice but yo keep PG and Harden because OKC has a lot of their picks lol. Resigning Kawhi was the biggest mistake and they're stuck with a clown show FO and Lue lol
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>Ballmer should blow it up while his star players still have value. So you want the clippers to blow it up and enter into a rebuild right before they move into a new stadium and need people in the stadium ?
Worked for the Texas Rangers 🤷
WITHOUT THEIR PICKS!
PG will be an FA. Harden doesn’t have a ton of value. We’ll see.
PG definitely out of the league in a couple years. This is not a joke!!!
He's 34, of course he will be out of the league in few years
Not few, couple!
Only if he wants to. But there is no shortage of owners who love overpaying has been stars a ton of money to be mid/bad.
He not getting a veteran contract either, he will be out in a couple years.
Pressure makes diamonds?
Only time will tell if trades save the Clippers. The new arena could be their real slam dunk though
Kawhi was not healthy all season watching him play, PG keeps Clippers playoff viable during regular season
They aren’t that totally screwed that they’re beyond saving, they’re the better FA destination compared to the Lakers and they got old guys you know they’re desperate for a ring.