After another disappointing season, the LA Clippers will be entering a new era. Donning brand new uniforms and moving out of Crypto.com Arena in favor of the newly-christened Intuit Dome, the Clippers will have a fresh look as they try to get back to their winning ways.
To do that, they will have multiple difficult decisions to make. With Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook all becoming free agents in just a few short weeks, the team's roster could look very different by the start of the season in October.
The Clippers will of course be looking into the available free agents this summer and determining which could be best fit to help them level up next season. If one or more of George and Harden leave, they will likely be pursuing another starter-level player.
But even if all their top-level talent stays, LA will need to upgrade their bench with higher-level role players as well. These are a few potential free agent targets for the Clippers, ordered by their career three-point percentages.
5. DeMar DeRozan - 29.6%
This past season, one interesting dynamic of the Clippers' roster was that their top four players were all native to Southern California. Of course, location does not always translate to winning basketball, but it was something that brought the fanbase together even more.
If the Clippers were to land DeMar DeRozan in free agency this summer, they would gain yet another player hailing from in or around the 213 area code. DeMar's addition to LA's roster would likely mean one of two things: Either James Harden or Paul George moved on, or DeRozan was willing to accept a bench role.
If Harden and George both remain in town, they will presumably both continue to start, which would leave DeRozan's only option as coming off the bench. It would seem unlikely he would accept this kind of role, given the caliber of scorer he still is. But if the Clippers were to land DeMar, his capability in certain lineups would be limited due to his certifiably poor three-point shooting percentage.
4. Derrick Jones Jr. - 31.6%
This past season, the Clippers' bench was noticeably thin. Each time multiple starters were forced to sit for LA, there was a noticeable drop-off in talent level. Thanks to some strong individual performances and excellent coaching by Tyronn Lue, the Clippers were still able to maximize what they had to work with, but they will want to get better further down the bench.
In doing so, they can become more well-rounded and give themselves a better chance against whatever playoff opponents they match up with next year. We saw how the Mavericks did this in adding Dereck Lively, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. to their 2022-23 roster. Collectively, those role players are one of the main reasons Dallas is in the Finals right now.
The Clippers may even be able to snag one of those players in Derrick Jones. Signing with the Mavs on a one-year deal last summer, Derrick massively upped his value by putting up a career year playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. He averaged a career-high in points and three-point shooting percentage. LA will not be able to get him for as cheap as he was acquired last summer, but it is not hard to envision Jones putting up similar production alongside an excellent distributor like James Harden.
3. Pascal Siakam - 33.0%
If the Clippers are interested in moving one of their current stars in favor of getting just a little bit younger in the starting front court, Pascal Siakam would have to be considered a dream option. It is safe to say that Kawhi Leonard is still the team's top offensive option, despite his injury concerns. He has already been inked to an extension with the Clippers, so the expectation is that if a star-level player will be moved, Kawhi is all but off the table.
So if Leonard is indeed still the face of this team, why not knock out two birds with one stone? The Clippers could get a high-level two-way performer to put next to Kawhi, while also giving him one of his former teammates with already-established chemistry. For those that do not remember, Leonard and Siakam played together with the Raptors when they brought Toronto its only NBA championship back in 2019.
Reuniting this duo would be an extremely exciting development for Clippers fans. Pascal was arguably the second-best player on that 2019 title squad, and LA would be able to expedite their integration of him into their schemes much more quickly than other stars that would need more time to develop chemistry with Leonard.
2. Kyle Anderson - 33.8%
Looking back at worthwhile bench pieces, the Clippers may want to take a hard look at Kyle Anderson. Other players on this list have a bit more star power or are considered a bigger name because they score more points or make flashier plays. But Anderson could be every bit as good a fit as any other name here, just for different reasons.
If Slo-Mo ended up a Clipper, he would unquestionably be coming off the bench, barring injuries. Anderson would essentially be the polar opposite of Bones Hyland. Whereas Bones comes in off the bench and brings the ball up the floor with the ability to hit killer dribble moves and drive to the hoop, Kyle's approach is a bit... slower.
Anderson is one of the top offensive connectors and cerebral role players in the NBA when he is at his best. During the 2024 playoffs, clips circulated of him essentially playing the role of a player-coach, directing his teammates where to go during a crucial play late in a game. He unfortunately had to undergo eye surgery last offseason, which left him to recover during the 2023-24 NBA season.
But now that he is more fully healed, his lower-than-expected numbers from this past season should not scare the Clippers off from giving him a chance.
1. Caleb Martin - 35.7%
At the end of the day, the Clippers can take a big step forward in the 2024-25 season if they improve their bench unit. They will likely have far more success taking that route over looking to completely change the roster up. If there is one thing that the past few years in the NBA have taught us, it is that consistency matters.
The Nuggets took seven seasons to let their pairing of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray mesh before they finally made it to an NBA Finals. Injury troubles hampered their path for multiple seasons before the duo ultimately reached the mountaintop. Similarly, the Celtics' stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have now been playing together since 2017, and they are just two wins removed from an NBA championship of their own.
The point being, it may still be too early to give up on believing that a Kawhi Leonard-Paul George led team can win a title. They need better supporting pieces around them, and what better than a role player from one of the most respected organizations in the league? Caleb Martin has proven his worth as a three-and-D playmaker for the Heat, averaging a career-high in points and assists this past season. His solid three-point shooting would make him a great fixture on the Clippers' bench.