2014-2015
Best Move: Steve Ballmer buying the team
A couple months after the NBA Playoffs in the 2013-14 season, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer decided to buy the LA Clippers for a record-setting “$2 -Billion”.
What Ballmer has done for this franchise in the 5-6 years of running this team is truly incredible. Like any corporation, he has practically upgraded every facet of the team.
From top-to-bottom, the team on-and-off the court has some of the best front-office personal, coaching staffs and rosters.
He is not only pledging his time of the on-court product of the Clippers but he is also ensuring that kids growing up in LA have the essential tools in being successful at school each day.
He has upgraded hundreds of basketball courts around Los Angeles and has kept ticket prices affordable for families that want to go to an NBA game.
Looking at how other owners are operating their team, we should be thankful that other fan-bases are envious that Ballmer is steering this ship on the right course.
For more on what Ballmer has meant to the Clippers, check this piece out!
Honorable Mention for Best Move
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Trading for Austin Rivers
This move was shocking as it marked the first time in NBA history that a father would be coaching his son.
There was plenty of skepticism going around questioning if Austin would get the preferential treatment on the Clippers because his Dad was the Head Coach.
To get Austin (who was traded three days earlier to the Celtics), the Clippers sent Reggie Bullock to the Phoenix Suns, Chris Douglas-Roberts and a 2017 2nd-Rd Pick (Jabari Bird) to the Celtics.
Rivers may not have earned another contract in the NBA if he didn’t prove that he could play in the league. He would shut all the doubters up with his performance against the Houston Rockets in the 2015 Playoffs against the Houston Rockets (the team he is currently on).
Worst Move: Signing Spencer Hawes
The Clippers signed Hawes to a 4-yr/$23 million deal that at first made sense for both parties. Having a stretch big behind DeAndre Jordan was what the team lacked and this move was one the team needed to make.
Giving Hawes an annual salary of $5.75 million per year was solid for a stretch big until he actually stepped onto the court.
Hawes struggled to get his shot going during the whole season. From the start of Training Camp, Hawes looked out of shape, which then carried over to his poor performances in the regular season.
This signing turned out so bad that Doc opted to go with an 8-9 man rotation that even saw guard Lester Hudson get key minutes over Hawes.
He would end up getting traded along with forward Matt Barnes on the first day of Free Agency to the Charlotte Hornets for guard Lance Stephenson.
Hawes would never average over 10 points per game for the rest of his career.
Honorable Mention for Worst Move
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Drafting C.J. Wilcox
Another sharpshooter that VP Doc Rivers coveted like Reggie Bullock was guard C.J. Wilcox out of the University of Washington.
Like Bullock, Wilcox rarely ever saw the floor when he played for the Clippers. When Doc selected Wilcox he passed on the likes of Kyle Anderson, Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jerami Grant, Glenn Robinson III, Nikola Jokic, Dwight Powell and Jordan Clarkson (all are still in the NBA).
Wilcox also struggled with knee injuries that kept him out from playing and ever getting minutes in the NBA.
Two seasons later, Wilcox was traded to the Orlando Magic for guard Devyn Marble (waived) and a future 2nd-Rd Pick.
He is currently playing in the NBA G-League.