Chris Paul was all-in for Kevin Durant to join the Los Angeles Clippers. Along with head coach Doc Rivers and the team's other stars, the Clips made a strong case for why KD should come to LA.
Paul wasn't at the actual meeting, but Durant was reportedly “blown away” by the pitch. He told Rivers that Los Angeles was in his top 3, but in the end, Golden State won the bidding.
The Clippers were hampered by their limited cap space in negotiations, but after Durant walked, they still managed to bring back Wesley Johnson, Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford, and Luc Mbah A Moute, and they signed Brandon Bass, Raymond Felton, Marreese Speights, and Alan Anderson in free agency.
Paul made his feelings very clear regarding the crop of newcomers, via Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com:
“I’m excited about it,” Paul said about the new additions. “We definitely signed some veterans, some seasoned NBA guys who’ve been through a lot of different situations.”
In particular, CP3 is intrigued by Bass and Felton:
“Brandon and Raymond, who were part of my draft class, it’s pretty cool to be on the same team as them,” Paul said this week
For Felton, getting a fresh start in LA is a welcomed change as well:
“I know most of these guys,” Felton said. “I know CP, I know Jamal (Crawford) – I played with him in Portland. Just understanding and knowing I’m going to be in a comfortable situation, and then on top of that, this is L.A., what can you complain about?”
A couple years back, the Clippers' glaring flaw was the depth of their bench. They've addressed it these past two offseasons, so if they're able to stay healthy, expect the Clippers to be right in the thick of the Western Conference race once again.
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