LA Clippers best small forwards in franchise history: 2) Corey Maggette
Corey Maggette joined the Clippers in 2000 in the previously mentioned draft day trade after spending his first year in the NBA as a member of the Orlando Magic.
Maggette would join his former Duke teammate Elton Brand one year later when the Clippers traded for the star power forward in another draft night swap. The pair would end up leading the Clippers to their first playoff series victory since the franchise left Buffalo a few years later.
The six-foot-six inch forward spend eight seasons as a member of the Clippers, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game as a member of the team.
Maggette ranks fifth all-time in both games and minutes played for the Clippers. He’s first all-time for the franchise in both free throws attempted and made, as his style of play and attacking the basket consistently had him among the league leaders in getting to the charity stripe. He’s the fifth highest scoring player in the franchise’s history and cracks the top 10 in defensive rebounds, steals, Win Shares, and Value Over Replacement Player.
The forward would opt out of the final year of his contract with the Clippers in 2008 and signed a 5-year, $50 million contract with the Golden State Warriors. He spent two seasons in the Bay before they traded him to the Charlotte Bobcats, where he played 32 games in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. The Bobcats would trade him to the Detroit Pistons the following year where he would only play in 18 contests in what would end up being the final year of his 14-season NBA career.