5 Moves Los Angeles Clippers Could Make During Free Agency
Los Angeles Clippers: 5 Free Agent Moves the Team can Make This Offseason
With Doc Rivers appearing to be in the fold for the Los Angeles Clippers, it is time for them to start looking ahead to free agency. The Clippers only have five players currently under contract, so they will have a little bit of roster flexibility this off-season. Having Rivers on board helps, because he seems to be a coach that many players would like to play for.
The offseason for the Clippers revolves around one player, Chris Paul. He is an unrestricted free agent, so he is free to sign with any team in the NBA. It is thought that Paul wants to play for Rivers, so the Clippers bringing in their new coach should help them in their pursue of the point guard. That being said, I am sure that Paul will carefully consider all of his options before making his decision. With him being the best point guard in the league, he will surely have a ton of options.
The Clippers need players who can stretch the floor. Both of their inside players, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, struggle mightily when shooting mid range jumpers. If Los Angeles can use one of those guys to acquire a big man that can shoot, I think that they need to pull the trigger. The "Lob-City" highlight reel dunks are fun, but I think adding a guy that can shoot would help this team tremendously.
It will definitely be an interesting summer for the Clippers. It all revolves around Paul. If they can get Paul to return to Los Angeles then they can look to improve the team in other ways. If not, they must find a way to replace Paul and fill other needs that this team has. Here are five potential free-agent moves for the Clippers to make this offseason.
Daniel is a writer for www.RantSports.com. He also contributes to TotalSportsBlog.com. Follow him on Twitter @D_Schmelzer and add him to your network on Google.
Resign Chris Paul
As I said, this is the big one. I consider Paul to be the best point guard in the league. He is outstanding at setting up his teammates, but he can also score for himself. Paul runs an incredible pick-and-roll game that makes a defense decide between guarding him or his target. Rivers is surely excited about the potential opportunity to work with Paul and everybody in the Clippers' organization will be waiting on pins and needles for his answer.
Find a Replacement for Chris Paul
If Paul does decide to go elsewhere, the Clippers will have to find a replacement. Aside from Paul, the point guard options in 2013 free agency are slim pickings. Jeff Teague, Brandon Jennings and Darren Collison are all interesting names that are restricted free agents. Their teams would have the opportunity to match any offer that the Clippers would make, so these guys would surely be tough to acquire. Interesting unrestricted point guard options include Nate Robinson, Jarrett Jack, Devin Harris and C.J. Watson. The cupboard is pretty bare, the Clippers probably need Paul to sign if they wish to be competitive.
Sign a 3-Point Shooting Specialist
The Clippers would really benefit from a 3-point shooting specialist coming off of the bench. There are two names that really fit that description in free agency: Kyle Korver and J.J. Redick. Both players would fill a big need for the Clippers and would be a welcome addition to the team.
Sign Al Jefferson
If they do resign Paul, the Clippers may have to get creative to acquire Al Jefferson, but I think he would be a perfect addition to this team. Jefferson is an elite offensive post scorer, but his jump shot is underrated. He has an impressive array of low-post moves that he uses very well. I think Jefferson and his offensive flexibility would make for an amazing pick-and-roll partner for Paul.
Resign Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes is a player that the Clippers should look to bring back. He is a great defender, solid spot-up shooter and should come at a fairly cheap price. Barnes plays a key role for the Clippers and would be great coming off of the bench for them once again.
