LA Clippers 2017-2018 season preview

The LA Clippers underwent a major retooling in the offseason, resulting in only five players from last year’s roster returning. Here’s what you need to know about the LA Clippers going into the 2017-2018 NBA season:

The Roster

The Guards: Patrick Beverley, Austin Rivers, Milos Teodosic, Lou Williams, Jawun Evans

The Wings: Danilo Gallinari, Wesley Johnson, Sam Dekker, Sindarius Thornwell

The Bigs: Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Willie Reed, Montrezl Harrell, Brice Johnson

Two-Way Players: Jamil Wilson, C.J. Williams

Key Losses

• Chris Paul: Traded to Houston Rockets before free agency
• Luc Mbah a Moute: Signed one year, minimum deal with Houston Rockets
• J.J. Redick: Signed one year, $23 million deal with Philadelphia 76ers
• Jamal Crawford: Traded to Atlanta Hawks in three-team sign and trade for Gallinari
• Marreese Speights: Signed one year, minimum deal with Orlando Magic
• Raymond Felton: Signed one year, minimum deal with Oklahoma City Thunder

Key Additions

• Re-signed Blake Griffin to five year, $173 million contract
• Danilo Gallinari: Acquired via sign-and-trade with Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks
• Patrick Beverley: Acquired from Houston Rockets in Chris Paul trade
• Lou Williams: Acquired from Houston Rockets in Chris Paul trade
• Milos Teodosic: Signed two year, $12.3 million contract in free agency
• Willie Reed: Signed one year, $1.5 million contract in free agency

Off-season summary:

Before free agency had even started, the LA Clippers were told by Chris Paul that the point guard planned on leaving the team and signing with the Houston Rockets in free agency. In order to make the signing easier, the Rockets and Clippers worked out a trade before free agency, sending Paul down to Houston to pair alongside James Harden in the Rocket’s backcourt and netting the Clippers some valuable young players and assets in return. The Clippers were able to acquire seven players (four of which made the team’s regular-season roster) and a first-round draft pick in exchange for Paul. This included All-Defensive First Team point guard Patrick Beverley and perennial Sixth Man of the Year contender Lou Williams. The Clippers then turned towards re-signing their franchise cornerstone, Blake Griffin, and were informed by the power forward that he would be canceling his free agency meetings with other teams and would be re-signing with LA.

The Clippers then coordinated a three-team sign-and-trade deal with the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks that send out Jamal Crawford and Diamond Stone in exchange for Italian small forward Danilo Gallinari. Soon after, Euroleague legend Milos Teodosic spurned the Chicago Bulls and a hefty contract offer to sign with the LA Clippers and play alongside his former Euroleague teammate Patrick Beverley. The Clippers also signed the two players that they had purchased the rights to in the 2017 NBA Draft, Sindarius Thornwell and Jawun Evans, to multiyear contracts and signed Summer League standout Jamil Wilson to the team’s first two-way contract. Soon after, the Clippers rounded out their roster by signing free agent big man Willie Reed out of Miami and then signed a few miscellaneous players to fill out the roster for training camp.