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It’s a pivotal offseason for Los Angeles. After all, they are so close to reaching the NBA Finals last season. The Clippers free agency rumors feature intriguing pieces that can propel them to their first-ever finals appearance.
Clippers free agency rumors 2021
Despite injuries, the Clippers had an impressive playoff run. They will be looking to run it back next season, but an improvement in their roster can make them more dangerous.
Here are some of the Clippers offseason targets in the upcoming free agency…
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard suffered from a partially torn ACL that sidelined him for the rest of the playoffs. It’s scary to think what Los Angeles could have achieved last season with a healthy Leonard and Ibaka in the roster.
It was recently reported that Leonard declined his $36 million player option for next season to become an unrestricted free agent. Declining his player option made him the center of the Clippers free agency rumors. However, it’s expected that he will re-negotiate and sign a new contract with the Clippers for the long term.
Signing him for the long term makes sense since he will be missing a significant time to rehab his knee. A three or four-year contract makes them competitive for the next couple of years. After all, Leonard is still 30 years old and has a lot left in his tank.
On another note, it was also reported that Leonard will listen to other teams in free agency. This means that there’s a chance that he finds a new home in the offseason despite the expectation that he’s staying in Los Angeles.
Re-signing Leonard should be a priority in the Clippers offseason.
DeMar DeRozan
We heard rumors that DeMar DeRozan is interested in joining the Lakers to play for his hometown. However, it was quickly extinguished with the trade for Russell Westbrook. There’s still one LA team that is interested in signing DeRozan—and that’s the Clippers.
It was reported that the Clippers are interested in signing DeRozan in free agency. Clearly, they don’t have enough cap space to sign him. If he doesn’t take a significant pay cut, then we might see a sign-and-trade scenario with the Spurs.
DeRozan fits as the potential second-option should Leonard miss a significant period of time. Despite his lack of three-point ability, his elite midrange game and playmaking prove to be valuable for the Clippers. Last season, he averaged 21.6 points and a career-best 6.9 assists per game on 50% shooting.
He and Paul George can thrive together and run the offense. Both of them may be enough to reach the playoffs.
Lonzo Ball
The Clippers are amongst the teams that expressed their interest in Lonzo Ball.
Ball made some significant improvements last season wherein he averaged a career-best 14.6 points and 3.1 three-pointers while shooting 41% on the floor and 78% on the freethrow line. His shooting, playmaking, and defense are valuable for championship-contending teams.
As you can see, Ball can do everything on both ends of the floor. He’s a great third piece for Leonard and George. To land him, a sign and trade deal must happen.
Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson was almost out of the league after 6 seasons in Detroit. Injuries and inconsistent performances nosedived his value. Still, the Clippers believed in his talent and acquired him for a minimum deal.
Jackson’s inconsistencies were still present last season. However, he showed up big time in the postseason without Kawhi wherein he averaged 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. Apparently, this saved his career.
His stellar performance in the playoffs may garner some interest from other teams in the league, but he should remain as one of the Clippers offseason targets. Jackson may not be an improvement at the guard spot but he clearly deserved it.
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