Clippers Rumors: Will L.A. sign Luol Deng in NBA free agency?

The Los Angeles Clippers reached out to Luol Deng within the first hour of NBA free agency, but will they actually be able to sign him?

The Los Angeles Clippers are set on Kevin Durant as their priority in free agency, and will pitch the idea of a Big 4 to him and everything L.A. has to offer to lure him away from Oklahoma City. However, if he stays put, which seems almost certain, the Clippers will need to look elsewhere to solidify their team with the limited cap space they have. One such plan B player who has come up on their radar now is Luol Deng of the Miami Heat.

At 31, Deng has been in the NBA for 12 seasons, establishing himself as one of the biggest workhorses in the game as he led the league in minutes per game from 2011-12 to 2012-13 (39.4 and 38.7 minutes, respectively). He earned his only two All-Star appearances in those seasons, and provided the Chicago Bulls with solid shooting and tireless hustle as a vital piece of Tom Thibodeau’s elite defenses.

It’s unsurprising that such a proven veteran who can still have an impact at both ends of the floor has caught the Clippers’ interest. They didn’t wait around either, calling Deng to reach out within the first hour of free agency on Thursday night.

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times confirmed the report from Adrian Wojnarowski, adding that Deng will only join the Clippers if they lose out on their own free agents.

This is the issue with signing Deng, as creating the cap space for him in the rising market won’t be easy.

The Clippers will need to renounce their own free agents such as Austin Rivers, Jeff Green and Jamal Crawford, which is both unlikely and unwise, given their lack of depth to prioritize a player like Deng. If he was Durant, things would be a little different. Alternatively, the Clippers could look to trade in order to clear salary, but again, this doesn’t quite seem worth it.

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Of course, the Clippers can try their luck and attempt to persuade Deng to take a pay cut. After making $10.1 million last season, though, now getting in line for a pay rise like everyone else with the increasing cap, is there really any way that the Clippers can create a reasonable amount of space or tempt Deng with the mid-level exception for around $6 million? That hardly seems likely.

Deng has earned his money and he can help a lot of teams in need of a high effort, defensive veteran.

And with Timofey Mozgov out there picking up a four-year, $64 million deal with the Lakers, he tells you pretty much all you need to know about how crazy the spending is going to be this summer.

Nevertheless, if the Clippers do persist and try to make a deal with Deng work, it will be in a few days time after Durant has made his decision.

Next: Clippers pitching a new star-studded Big 4 to Durant

As much as the Clippers would like Deng, it’s hard to see this signing happening.