Clippers: 5 point guards to pursue in 2016 NBA free agency

Tom West

Jan 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (1) dribbles past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Cleveland Cavaliers won 95-85. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Clippers may find themselves needing to sign a new point guard in 2016 NBA free agency, so here are five players they should consider pursuing.

The Los Angeles Clippers are stuck in an incredibly difficult situation for 2016 NBA free agency. They have the kind of superstars to pull off blockbuster trades and shake up the league if they choose to, but seeing as Doc Rivers wants his core and it would be unwise to blow up the Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan trio with no guarantee of improving, the Clippers will be left trying to fine-tune the bench in any way they can.

However, that will be far easier said than done.

Last summer, Doc was able to load the Clippers full of added depth and talent with a flurry of cheap signings and minimum contracts. From Luc Mbah a Moute and Cole Aldrich to more high-profile additions such as Lance Stephenson, Josh Smith and Paul Pierce, the Clippers were armed with a far better second unit than they’ve had at their disposal in recent years. Of course, Pierce delivered far less Truth than the team hoped for and the experiment with Stephenson and Smith failed terribly, but they all looked like promising additions at the time for little cost.

This season can’t be the same, though. Unless the Clippers wrongfully decide to trade a star, they won’t be clearing enough cap space to create any kind of significant financial flexibility, leaving them with limited options and the need to re-sign as many of their existing players as possible.

As Doc has said, he believes all his players want to return for another playoff run next season, which is exactly what they need in order to avoid players seeking more money elsewhere. The Clippers’ best case scenario and maximum amount of cap space is only $10.5 million (per Basketball Insiders), good enough for the lowest total in the NBA. So, if they want to re-sign a vital piece like their backup center Aldrich, they may be forced to use their mid level exception on him, meaning they’ll need to look to free agents with limited funds for guards.

If Austin Rivers or Pablo Prigioni leave, that will certainly be the case. So, bearing their possible departures in mind or the chance to upgrade, here’s a look at five point guard targets (and some slightly ambitious ones) that the Clippers should pursue.

Next: The scrappiest defender

Matthew Dellavedova

As they proceed in such a limited financial situation, the Clippers are essentially relying on their plea of searching for players willing to have a lower salary in order to play for a contender. That’s all they have going for them, and even if they do somehow reach that best case scenario total of $10.5 million in cap space, they’ll have lost some key free agents in the process and still won’t be in position to go after any big names.

This is where a point guard like Matthew Dellavedova could be worth some attention.

The Clippers use a lot of small lineups, meaning if Austin Rivers does stay (easily possible given his $3.3 million player option for next season), Dellavedova could be used with him to form a dangerous defensive backcourt off the bench. Even when interchanged alongside Chris Paul, the two could create constant issues by hassling their opponents.

At the same time, if Rivers does leave and search for a bigger contract elsewhere, Delly offers the same kind of defensive intensity and hustle, but offers improvement at the other end of the floor. He averaged well more than twice as many assists per 36 minutes (6.5) than Rivers this season (2.4), and can get by running an offense and taking care of the ball whenever Paul is off the floor. On top of that, Delly’s career-high 41 percent three-point shot from this season would be a significant upgrade over Rivers’ streaky mark of 33.5, adding another consistent shooter to a Clippers team that really doesn’t have many serious threats from deep.

Yet, as intriguing as Delly may be, signing him is by no means a foregone conclusion even if he wants to leave the Cavaliers; their likely trips to the Finals is certainly a welcoming bonus for him to stay put.

This season, he made $1.14 million on a one-year deal from 2015 with LeBron James‘ loaded Cavs. Delly has carved out a key role there as an improved 3-and-D backup, providing 24.6 minutes of hard work every night.

The Clippers should be able to offer him a slight increase in pay, especially if Rivers leaves to clear his $3.3 million. But will that be enough, given the rising salary cap and increased chance of making more money?

Next: Talent stranded in Philadelphia

Ish Smith

After leaving the injury-ridden and thoroughly disappointing New Orleans Pelicans for the Philadelphia 76ers, one of the only possible backward steps available, Ish Smith was good enough to make the NBA’s worst team actually win a few games. They were still dire, but Smith’s buzzing speed, energy, and playmaking made a serious impact whenever he was on the floor.

He raised the 76ers’ offensive rating by 3.4 points per 100 possessions when he was in the game. And while that may not sound like too much, it’s an awful lot for a team that’s so devoid of talent. Even with such limited support and shooters to pass to, Smith was able to average 7.7 assists per 36 minutes; just think what fun he could have whenever he gets playing time alongside the Clippers’ superior shooters and the likes of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

To go along with his playmaking, Smith racked up 16.3 points per 36 minutes of his own, using his speed to attack the rim and a combination of mid-range jumpers to find success. Even as a fairly low efficiency player, coming off 41.1 percent shooting last season, Smith should be able to add some much-needed penetration to the Clippers’ bench and create some opportunities for others.

Unfortunately, as the Clippers will find with many players they talk to in free agency, Smith isn’t necessarily going to leap towards Doc at the first chance he gets.

After an impressive showing as a starter this season, he may want a similar role, minute load, and pay rise somewhere else. Without that kind of position to offer, though, the Clippers will be left proposing a small increase from his current $1.1 million salary and the opportunity to play for a top contender — something that couldn’t have seemed much further from Smith’s reach after playing in New Orleans and Philly.

Perhaps, if they clear a few million in cap space and play the contender card well enough, the Clippers can make an offer. Otherwise, Smith may be looking for more money than Doc has to give.

Next: A little Linsanity?

Jeremy Lin

It’s easy to overlook Jeremy Lin. Besides his wild hair style rotation and sporadic highlight moments, people quickly forget his ability due to the inevitable decline after the brief spell of Linsanity in 2012. He was never going to live up to such short-lived hype for seasons to come, and while he still has his flaws and remained somewhat inefficient from range this season, he’s still an energetic player who could help provide a spark off the bench in L.A. as a combo guard.

For the Hornets, Lin has been one of their many players who have impressed at times. Again, the highs have come inconsistently at times for Lin, but when he drives aggressively and is able to kick the ball to teammates, he can make an impact. Plus, as a 34.6 percent three-point shooter for his career, he could benefit from playing off the ball in lineups with guys like Paul and Griffin.

And while Lin isn’t as quite impressive on defense as Austin Rivers, he can definitely hold his own, contesting well on drives and forcing opponents to shoot 2.8 percent worse than normal on all two-point field goal attempts this season (per NBA.com). In fact, opposing teams scored three fewer points per 100 possessions with Lin in the game (per Basketball Reference), further highlighting his quickness and efforts.

Similarly to Ish Smith, though, Lin may be searching for more money if he opts out of his $2.2 million player option for 2016-17, and should be keen to stay with the Hornets; he certainly has plenty of reason to be after their surprising success.

Nevertheless, the Clippers showing their interest is easily worth their time.

Next: Mo' Buckets

Mo Williams

No, not the Marreese Speights who has rightfully been entitled “Mo’ Buckets”, but the other Mo, who’s been somewhat forgotten at the back of the Cavaliers’ talented point guard rotation.

Mo Williams, playing behind another Clippers’ target Matthew Dellavedova, is still fully able to make a difference for a contending team. He may not quite have the same sneakiness as Prigioni to come up with steals or the athleticism and defense of Rivers, but Williams can set up an offense for 10-15 minutes a night and provide the 35.3 percent three-point shooting he did this season.

Also, at the start of this season when Williams had a chance to start 15 games in the early absence of Kyrie Irving, he fully displayed his talents as an experienced 33-year-old. In those games, he averaged 14.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three, illustrating his ability to find his own shot at an efficient rate during his heaviest workload of the year.

Just look at this bounce pass off Mike Muscala‘s head from Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks, to not only create a three-pointer in unlikely fashion, but create the basket that tied the NBA’s record for the most threes in a game.

D.J. Augustin

The first four names on this list, especially Ish Smith and Matthew Dellavedova in particular, are a little more ambitious for the salary cap strapped Clippers. So, in order to finish with a player who will be easier to sign on a low contract, someone such as D.J. Augustin seems appropriate.

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After leaving the prolific, star-driven offense of the Oklahoma City Thunder before the February trade deadline, Augustin found a larger role and more success with the young Denver Nuggets.

As a capable ball handler, a 40.5 percent three-point shooter this season, and a patient player who should be able to keep the ball moving well for the Clippers’ second unit, Augustin is the kind of solid veteran who can help matters if more high-profile names are out of Doc’s low price range. With 17.8 points and 7.2 assists per 36 minutes in Denver, possessing a reliable mid-range game and raising the team’s offensive rating by five points when on the floor, Augustin proved he’s well worth a small contract for the right team.

And if Prigioni leaves and the Clippers look to add a guard to partner with Rivers, Augustin could be the ideal ball handler to complete such a duo.

Next: Everything you need to know about the Clippers' free agency

Augustin is by no means someone the Clippers should desperately pursue and he obviously won’t be the addition to take them to a new level as contenders. That being said, if other options prove to be too expensive for Doc, Augustin should be someone more interested in playing for a contender on a minimum contact.

Tom West

Graduate of English Language from the University of Winchester and co-expert of Nugg Love.