Veteran Reggie Jackson’s career has enjoyed a revival since joining the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019-20. Photo: Getty Images.
When the Clippers swung the double acquisition of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back in 2020 they moved instantly into championship contention.
Those aspirations went up in smoke the moment that Leonard went down with a knee injury, despite their upset victory over the Utah Jazz and conference finals appearance in last season’s playoffs.
This season, barring an unlikely late-season comeback from Kawhi, was all about developing a supporting cast and hoping that both of their tentpole stars would sign extensions.
To the organisation’s credit, it has achieved both goals. Sure, losing at the play-in stage of the season smarts, but a likely first-round exit was the best that this hamstrung version of the Clips could have hoped for.
Now, with George back and Leonard presumably available on opening night, the Clips once again turn their gaze to the Larry O’Brien trophy.
How can they help themselves this off-season to set up for a title tilt?
The roster
With or without their superstars, the Clippers possess a deep and talented roster with a good mix of youth and veteran talent.
Assuming the availability of George and Leonard, this team is legitimately two deep at every position bar centre, though given back-up centre is perhaps the easiest position to fill in the league, that’s not really a major concern for the Clips.
They possess enviable depth on the wings and at the four, where they can run with a combination from as many as nine players: Kawhi, ‘PG’, Terrance Mann, Luke Kennard, Nic Batum, Marcus Morris, talented youngster Brandon Boston and mid-season acquisitions Robert Covington and Norman Powell.
As a bonus, Mann can masquerade at the point, while Covington and Morris are able to play as small-ball centres.
This is a roster that has no discernible weaknesses, other than the ability to stay ambulatory.
Team needs
Health, obviously.
Hoping for a full season – or at least a healthy playoff run – from Kawhi and PG aside, the Clippers really have only two needs: back-ups at the point and the pivot.
Isaiah Hartenstein played career-best basketball this season as the back-up centre. He played better defence than at any point in his young career and his canny passing ability allowed him to be a useful offensive player without needing to put the ball in the basket.
Per-36-minute numbers of 16.9 points, 9.8 boards, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks show how effective he was. Alas, he’s a free agent and has clearly played his way to a longer-term deal far above the minimum salary he earned this past year.
Backing up Reggie Jackson, Clips coach Ty Lue relied on point forward Mann. Whilst he’s an effective floor general, it’s not the best use of his talents.
The team will get Jason Preston back, the Ohio product having missed his entire rookie campaign with a foot injury.
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The cap sheet
Steve Ballmer is not just an exceedingly rich man. He’s also prone to …
… fits of childlike overexuberance …
… and he’s also a willing spender on his ball club.
That’s a fortunate thing for the Clips given they have 11 players under roster (on the assumption that the team take up options on Mann and Ivica Zubac, and that Batum picks up his player option) for the grand total of $159 million for season 2022-23.
That figure goes up to $171 million – well above both the cap and luxury tax threshold – for 12 players once Covington’s reported extension is taken into account.
Given the Clippers’ depth and talent, they’re not expected to do a lot of shopping this off-season, outside of perhaps signing Hartenstein to an extension. The team’s only asset in free agency is its $6.3 million taxpayer exemption.
Instead, look for the Clips to be active on the trade market. The mid-season deal to bring in Covington and Powell added $19 million in luxury tax payments to LA’s payroll, though Ballmer isn’t scared of spending money on what he thinks could be a winning product.
As well as a batch of tradable contracts (Powell, Jackson, Morris and Kennard all make between $11 million and $17 million), the Clips also hold $8.3 million and $9.7 million trade exceptions.
The draft
The Clippers’ first-round pick is sitting somewhere down the back of Thunder GM Sam Presti’s couch as a result of the trade for George. They do hold their own second-rounder which will come in at pick 43.
With that pick, expect them to look for a point guard, should Hartenstein not return. This writer thinks the Clippers will look for a combo guard rather than a pure playmaker. Hugo Besson and JD Davidson fit the bill.
Should they look at a big man, a pair of African projects spring to mind in Senegalese Ibou Dianko Badji and Congolese Yannick Nzosa.
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