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What the Rodney McGruder signing means for the LA Clippers

By Garrett Chorpenning

MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 4: Rodney McGruder #17 of the Miami Heat looks to pass the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 4, 2019 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 4: Rodney McGruder #17 of the Miami Heat looks to pass the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 4, 2019 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The LA Clippers’ front office continues to make smart moves, this time by signing Rodney McGruder while still leaving room for Kawhi Leonard.

The LA Clippers’ front office, in short, is brilliant. All summer long, they’ve added tough player after tough player, either by signing or through trade, while still maintaining the cap space to sign superstar free agent Kawhi Leonard. The latest case, involving Rodney McGruder, is no different.

According to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, the Clippers and McGruder came to an agreement on a three-year deal worth $15 million on Tuesday night. The initial reaction from fans was panic — wouldn’t this interfere with LA’s chances of signing Leonard?

The answer to that question is no.

Because McGruder was a restricted free agent, the Clippers will be able to keep his cap hold and re-sign him once the rest of their space is used. In addition to that, the Clippers could add cap space through the deal, assuming they pull his qualifying offer.

It’s all a bit confusing, but the most important thing here is that the Clippers still have the room to bring in Leonard on a maximum contract.

McGruder is good, too, and he fits in perfectly with what the Clippers have going on — something I feel like I’ve said countless times already this free agency. He’s a tough, gritty swingman that’s capable of defending multiple positions with an on-again, off-again three-point shot. Think of him as a smaller version of Maurice Harkless, another player that the Clippers added on Monday.

McGruder joined the Clippers in April, but never got a chance to play with the team as he was waived after the March 1 cutoff date — meaning he wasn’t playoff eligible. Since then, he’s been hanging with the team and learning the ropes. Now, he’ll be fully eligible and ready to go for the seasons that follow.

The signing also adds another quality role player to the Clippers’ bench, something the team now seems to have an abundance of. In addition to Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, the Clippers have guys like Harkless, Jerome Robinson, Sindarius Thornwell and Tyrone Wallace to fill out the bench — each of whom can play and defend multiple positions.

The Clippers also managed to return Patrick Beverley to the roster, on a team-friendly three-year deal worth $40 million. By now, it should be easy to identify the kinds of players that LA is prioritizing adding to the roster.

Next. Why the LA Clippers won't regret re-signing Patrick Beverley. dark

In short: The LA Clippers added another quality role player, could add cap space, and still maintained the room for Kawhi Leonard while doing so. Hard to complain about that.

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