Around this time of year, seasoned veterans and their (usually) lottery-bound teams start discussing a potentially mutual break-up. Meanwhile, cash-strapped title contenders like the Clippers look for some extra short-term depth to gear up for the postseason.
The LA Clippers, like so many others, will be keeping a close eye on the buyout market in the coming weeks.
Shams Charania of The Vertical already reported that soon-to-be Dallas Mavericks free-agent Deron Williams will be joining the Cleveland Cavaliers. The news comes shortly after an angry LeBron James told reporters that the team desperately needed another “f***** playmaker”.
“Buyout season”, as it’s favorably known around the league, is always an interesting time.
Newly acquired 76er, Andrew Bogut, is also expected to join the reigning champions once his release from Philadelphia becomes official.
The pool of available “three and D” players is shallow, to say the least.
There aren’t really any big names that move the needle an enormous amount for Los Angeles.
The biggest need, as always, is wing depth. The Clippers have Luc Mbah a Moute to play in that hybrid small/power forward position. Luc has really come into his stride on the defensive end, but his lack of offensive prowess still creates some spacing issues. On the other end, Jamal Crawford is still capable of lighting up the scoreboard but it’s difficult to hide him on defense in a league stacked with lights-out scorers.
That being said, there are still a few options out there for Los Angeles to explore.