Day one of free agency has come to a close, and the LA Clippers still have plenty of money — and their main target — available.
The first day of free agency was a blur. Moves were announced left and right, new information came out just about every minute — and through it all, the LA Clippers stayed completely silent.
Well, almost.
In one of the final deals announced of the night, we learned that Patrick Beverley would be coming back to Los Angeles on a three-year contract worth $40 million. Beverley deserved every penny, and the move came as a bit of a surprise considering he was considered to be a heavily coveted prospect. If you’re interested in seeing a breakdown of what Beverley’s new deal means for LA, click here.
Otherwise, the Clippers were as silent as can be — something we’re used to seeing from this new front office. There was the report that they had talked to Toronto Raptors sharpshooter Danny Green, which was later confirmed by one of the team’s beat writers.
It’s hard to say for sure what will come of that conversation. The Clippers could be genuinely interested in adding Green, as his personality and style of play fit in perfectly with what LA has going on, but it also could have been the beginning of their path to signing Kawhi Leonard.
No. 1: Kawhi Leonard
After all, the top target of the LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors is still available, and there’s yet to be any indication of which team he’ll be signing with this offseason. If the Clippers were interested in getting some information, or about finding out some potential links to Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green is among the best players to talk to. The two have been teammates ever since Leonard came into the league in 2011 with the San Antonio Spurs.
It’s been reported that Leonard will take a few more days to make his decision, once he’s met with all of the teams on his list. His decision to wait may end up hurting the Lakers, as depth is one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. That alone could begin to sway things in the Clippers’ favor.
As long as Board Man is available, the Clippers have no reason to panic. Yesterday was quiet, yes, but that’s the way LA would prefer it to be — as more information leaks, other teams will get a better idea of what their plans are, and they could counter them with moves of their own. So while it was tough to get almost no news yesterday, that shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a bad thing.
While Leonard goes through his process, we’ll keep you as up-to-date as possible with what we know.
No. 2: DeMarcus Cousins
Former Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins didn’t get a new deal on day one, and while that comes as a bit of a surprise, it’s not hard to understand why. He posted solid numbers in his lone season with the Dubs, but they were far off of his norm, and he looked borderline unplayable once the playoffs came around.
Despite that, Cousins is still a good player. He’s a step or two slower now that he’s had to recover from an achilles injury, but he’s still a gifted scorer and rebounder with a solid outside shot. It’ll take the right team to take a chance on him, but he could offer a big reward depending on the size and value of his contract.
No. 3: Willie Cauley-Stein
If the LA Clippers are in the market for a new starting center, Willie Cauley-Stein could be the perfect guy to take a gamble on. Statistically, he took a step back in 2018-2019, but the seven-footer could be a good value big for any team in need.
Cauley-Stein, who will turn 26 by the time the upcoming season begins, posted averages of 11.9 points and 8.4 rebounds in a little over 27 minutes per game this past season with the Sacramento Kings.
He’s got more to offer on the offensive end than the defensive, especially at the rim. He averages less than a block per game, but converted 71.4 percent of his 440 attempts at the rim last season — 182 of which came from dunks.
He doesn’t fit the Clippers’ personality, and he can’t stretch the floor beyond the midrange. But if he’s there for cheap, he might not be a bad option for LA to throw into the starting rotation every now and then.
No. 4: JaMychal Green
Surprisingly, JaMychal Green‘s name wasn’t called on the first day of free agency. With a thin market available of stretch forwards, it would have made perfect sense if his move was one of the first announced on Sunday. But now, at the start of day two, he’s still on the board.
Green was extremely effective for the LA Clippers after he came to the team via the Avery Bradley trade, posting averages of 8.7 points and 6.5 rebounds in less than 20 minutes per game. He was the perfect guy to put alongside Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, and his 41.3 percent clip from three-point range made him as big a threat as any to splash home some triples off the bench.
The New York Knicks signed almost every power forward available on Sunday, which should create more interest in Green as he’s among the best still available. If he doesn’t end up re-signing with the Clippers, he could be in high demand on day two.
No. 5: Danny Green
Danny Green remains the biggest mystery after day one. He drew interest from several teams, including the LA Clippers, and his ties to Kawhi Leonard could make him an important player of interest.
Connection to Leonard aside, Green’s game screams Clippers. He’s a significant two-way threat, as his perimeter defense ranks right up there with the best of the best, and his 45.5 percent clip from three-point range this past season should make him a significant target for any team seeking to add deep-ball shooting.
If the Clippers land him, that might signal a move from Leonard as well. Or it might not. We have no idea.
Day two of free agency is already well underway, so stay tuned as we continue to follow some of the biggest moves and keep you in the loop on all things LA Clippers.