Which players should the LA Clippers consider re-signing this summer?
Garrett Temple
2018-2019 salary: $8,000,000
I’ll be the first to admit how much I enjoyed seeing Garrett Temple play in an LA Clippers uniform. He seemed to fit right in with the rest of the guys, and he was always one to give his all on the court. His play was easy to appreciate, if that simplifies what I’m going for here.
Temple also failed to live up to his potential a bit on offense, connecting on less than 30 percent of his three-point attempts and scoring in double figures just four times. But given his role, none of that negatively impacted the team that much. You’d like to see those numbers improve, but you can live with your ninth or tenth best player having more off games offensively than on.
As I mentioned earlier, Temple is an above average defender, and in a lot of ways, I consider him to be what Avery Bradley was supposed to be during his time with the Clippers: Someone who can lock down players on the perimeter and provide quick buckets in transition. His defense was particularly helpful in the playoffs — Temple defended Stephen Curry for a large chunk of his playoff minutes, and he was about as successful as one can be when they’re matched up with one of the greatest shooters of all time.
There’s some room for improvement, and his contract might not be doable for LA since he won’t take priority over Patrick Beverley or JaMychal Green, but the Clippers should absolutely look to bring him back if they’re able.