Clippers Free Agency: Should L.A. sign Marreese Speights?

With the Los Angeles Clippers in desperate need of a new backup center, should they try to sign Golden State Warriors free agent Marreese Speights?

Mo Buckets, also known by his real name Marreese Speights, is now a free agent and amidst the Golden State Warriors becoming the NBA’s latest super team by signing Kevin Durant, Speights has been forgotten in the team’s free agency so far. With his instant offense and increased range last season, he once again provided instant offense for the Warriors as a 6’10” center taking jumpers like a 6’3″ shooting guard. There should be mutual interest between Speights and the Warriors to come to a new agreement, but should the Los Angeles Clippers try to sign him if he takes other offers?

The intrigue in Speights is obvious and it’s no surprise that Clippers fans are starting to suggest him as a potential target. He’s called Mo Buckets and having some mo’ buckets in L.A. certainly couldn’t hurt for their second unit, despite the improvement they showed last season.

When looking at the Clippers’ second unit shooters, they weren’t too effective from three as a unit that often relied on their perimeter game and Jamal Crawford‘s shot creation. In fact, out of the team’s main bench players (Austin Rivers, Wesley Johnson, Pablo Prigioni and Crawford), Crawford was the best of the bunch from three-point range at a streaky 34 percent.

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Once he started using his three-point shot over the latter stages of last season, 6’10” Speights was more accurate than any of the Clippers’ backups at 38.7 percent.

That being said, the sample size was rather small as he only consistently started taking threes in late January and made 24 in the season (an impressive 18 at a 41.9 percent rate in the playoffs), so Speights isn’t exactly going to be a 6’10” J.J. Redick behind DeAndre Jordan.

Nevertheless, it’s become a reliable part of Speights’ shooting arsenal and his ability to stretch defenses would help add some improved spacing to the Clippers’ frontcourt rotations. Outside of Blake Griffin‘s mid-range game and wings forced to play at the four, there isn’t much spacing to be seen.

Inside the arc, Speight’s 45.5 percent shot from 16-22 feet became the most effective part of his offensive impact (where he took 38.6 percent of his field goal attempts last season), helping him average an exceptional 22.2 points per 36 minutes in 2015-16.

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To have that kind of quick impact and shooting from a backup center, opening up room for others outside and creating more space to cut inside, it’s clear why Speights should interest the Clippers.

The drawback with Speights comes down to his defense. He isn’t fast, he isn’t explosive, and he can’t hustle around the paint and average 3.1 blocks per 36 minutes as Cole Aldrich did last season. When drawn away from the basket, that lack of speed hurts Speights when defending the pick-and-roll and switching onto shooters.

That being said, athletic defense away from the basket wasn’t exactly Aldrich’s strong suit either, despite the way he could protect the rim. Even though defense is Speights’ obvious weakness, he’s at least a sound rebounder with 10.3 per 36 minutes last season, he can play with energy, and is a smart enough help defender to get by in limited minutes with the Clippers.

Plus, seeing as L.A.’s options are so limited, there comes a point where you have to take the bad with the good, and Speights’ shooting really helps his appeal.

Potential interest aside, though, the real question that needs to be asked is why would Speights actually be interested in the Clippers?

As Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News reported, both Speights and shooting guard Ian Clark could be staying put.

Of course, Speights has the option of re-signing with the Warriors on a veteran minimum deal. You know, those Warriors that may have lost the NBA Finals but just signed Kevin Durant to become one of the most terrifying offensive teams we’ve ever seen.

If Speights wants to win a ring, he has no better chance anywhere else and there’s certainly no way the Clippers can persuade him that L.A. is his best option now that escaping the Western Conference past Golden State looks even more impossible. He played a key role for the Warriors yet again last season, and he may be desperate to return and make a run for his second championship with the team in order to bypass a free agency decision altogether.

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The Clippers’ best hope is selling Speights on a chance to get slightly more playing time and possibly more shots than he’s used to. He played 11.6 minutes per game with the Warriors last season after playing 15.9 in 2014-15, and while Aldrich was only slightly ahead at 14.4, Speights could earn himself around 15 and a respectable amount of shots in a second unit lineup that could benefit from more options outside of ball dominant guards.

Ultimately, though, that really sounds like no more than a hopeful pitch at best. If there is anything that could tempt Speights to move, it would be significantly more playing time or a raise. The Clippers offering a few more minutes and shots (which is still no guarantee for him behind Jordan) is unlikely to be enough to lure Speights away from re-signing with a Warriors team that couldn’t look more attractive right now, providing they want him back.

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Veterans are already calling and asking for minimum contracts to join the party in Golden State, and without any more money to offer, the Clippers may not have enough to sell him on.

His offense would be greatly valued, though.

(Update: Speights has now agreed to a minimum deal with the Clippers!)