The Los Angeles Clippers now find themselves in arguably one of the worst situations in this free agency due to the possibility of their main core splitting up. It was reported that both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will not pick up their player options for next season and as a result, both will be unrestricted free agents this Saturday, the date of the free agency period.
Clippers fans……. Don’t be alarmed though. The Clippers still have the best chance retain both of these All-Stars due to the fact that they can offer “supermax” deals.
In Paul’s case, he can be eligible for a five-year deal worth an estimated $205 million. It will be interesting to see if Paul takes this deal with the Clippers. That is the most money that Paul could potentially get, however, the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets have been on his radar.
The Spurs could offer Paul a four-year contract worth just over $152 million, just north of $50 million less than that of the Clippers.
The reason why I see a fit with the Spurs is due to the possibility of Paul contending for a championship. In Paul’s career, he has never been to the conference finals once, and all this could change with the support system of Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and head coach Gregg Popovich.
The Spurs also really need a point guard at the moment. Future NBA Hall of Famer Tony Parker is on his last legs after playing only 63 games this past season. As much as Popovich loves Parker, he needs to be replaced almost immediately if the Spurs want to challenge the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.
If the Spurs, however, pull it off, then Paul would be in the best situation of his career to win a title.
For the Clippers, it just hasn’t worked out for them, especially in the postseason. In the past six seasons, the Clippers have not been to the Western Conference Finals at all, and more than likely this trend will continue due to the rise of the Warriors and continued dominance of the Spurs. A major reason for the Clippers’ postseason woes is Blake Griffin and his injuries.
It actually makes sense for Griffin to go out and find new options, but again, he will be giving up roughly $40 million if he signs with any team other than the Clippers.
Griffin just finished his 7th season in the league, and at one point, had a surreal argument for “best power forward” in the NBA. The guy was most famously known for his sick dunks and his ridiculous leaping ability. With that being said, Griffin has fallen off big time, but I believe in the right system, he can add significant value to a certain team. One of which is the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Call it a homecoming reunion, but I feel like this is his best option outside of the Clippers, contingent on the Thunder clearing cap space for him. Victor Oladipo has not contributed as expected to this franchise. In the 67 games in which he played this season, Oladipo averaged 16 points per game on 44 percent shooting from the field.
If I am Sam Presti, Thunder General Manager, I would be making calls and seeing what I could potentially get in return. A Russell Westbrook-Blake Griffin pair will be unbelievable is Griffin manages to stay healthy. Also, Presti needs to get significant outside shooting to surround Westbrook and potentially Griffin.
These are the scenarios the Clippers are now forced to deal with it. Do you think Chris Paul or Blake Griffin will end up staying with the Clippers? Let us know on Twitter @NBALEAD
