The LA Clippers have officially matched the offer sheet restricted free agent Tyrone Wallace signed with the New Orleans Pelicans a few days ago after being expected by most to decline and allow him to walk.
The Clippers released a statement on the move.
“We identified Tyrone as a versatile, competitive and tough-minded player who adds to the organizational culture,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “Ty worked hard with our staff at Agua Caliente and Los Angeles, and his growth has been a reflection of his commitment to getting better. Together with our team’s player development program, Ty demonstrated impressive improvement and contributed meaningfully to our team last season. We are excited to welcome Ty back to the Clippers.”
In his time with the Agua Client Clippers, the Clippers' G-League affiliate, Wallace averaged 22.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. Wallace signed a two-way deal with LA midway through the season and averaged 9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 28.4 minutes across 30 games.
The move to match the offer sheet and retain a 23-year old Wallace on a very team-friendly, two-year deal at the minimum was the move many wanted the Clippers to make, but not many expected them to actually match. The reason for that being their overloaded roster. As of the addition of Wallace, the Clippers are back to 17 roster spots which they'll have to trim down to 15 by opening night.
Keeping Wallace was the smart move, but now they'll have to cut or trade at least two players, and while it may be tough, Milos Teodosic, Wesley Johnson, and Jawun Evans are the players most likely to not be on the roster by opening night.
Milos Teodosic is going to be entering his second season in the NBA at 31 years of age and is playing a position that is already crowded for the Clippers. He was good for LA when healthy, but that was only for a little over half the season at 45 games. He is set to earn $6.3 million for the 2018-19 season, and if they do decide he's the one they ultimately need to need to deal, he could be on the move to a team in need of point guard depth.
With so many star guards in the league, it's tough to see where Teodosic could go to be a backup. However, one team that has recently struck out on trading for star point guards is the Phoenix Suns. With free agency and some cap space coming next summer, trading for Teodosic, who has one year left on his deal, could be mutually beneficial for the pacific division teams.
Wesley Johnson is entering the final year of a three-year, $18 million deal. He is set to earn $6.1 million in the 2018-19 season, and is another trade candidate for the Clippers. It's unclear how much he could actually help a team like a playoff contender, however, so his trade ‘value' is a bit up in the air at the moment. The Clippers could waive him, but they'd like to not have to pay his remaining salary.
Jawun Evans is probably the guy the Clippers most want to keep of the trio, but might eventually have to let go if they can't find suitors for Teodosic and Johnson. Evans is only 22 years old and could still have a solid NBA career as a role player, but a horrendous Summer League didn't help his case at a roster spot at all. He'll be making close to $1.4 million during the 2018-19 season and has a team option worth $1.6 million for the 2019-20 season.
Other players on the roster could be potential candidates as well, such as Patrick Beverley, who could seriously help a playoff contending team.
Finding a way to trim this roster down will not be easy, but the Clippers will have to do it one way or another.
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