Perhaps no team is under more pressure this NBA free agency period than the Los Angeles Clippers, who are currently holding their breath after Paul George declined his player option earlier this weekend and is now set to hit unrestricted free agency. George has been the less impactful but more reliable of the pairing between himself and Kawhi Leonard that was formed in 2019, and that Clippers duo is now at risk of disbanding without much to show for it if George chooses to take his talents elsewhere.
Another storyline emerged for the Clippers earlier this offseason when it was revealed that guard Russell Westbrook had accepted his $4 million player option. However, that didn't mean that Los Angeles was still interested in retaining his services, with ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly confirming that the Clippers are working to find a trade. Azarly had reported over the weekend that Westbrook wasn't expected to be in a Clippers uniform next season.
With a Westbrook trade on the horizon, where could he go? Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer noted earlier Sunday that the Denver Nuggets were interested in adding Westbrook as a free agent and suggested this could still be a trade option after The Athletic's Tony Jones reported the guard's interest in teaming up with Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets just lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic and will be looking to make some additions to help with depth, especially at guard.
With Westbrook on his way out, Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry could be potential Clippers backup point guard options. Paul was just waived by the Golden State Warriors and is an unrestricted free agent, as is Lowry.
What should the Clippers do?
Neither Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry, nor Chris Paul are currently anywhere close to the players they were during their respective prime years. However, all are still capable of at least contributing in spurts to winning basketball. After all, it was just one season ago that Lowry played a pretty decently sized role in the Miami Heat's run all the way to the NBA Finals.
As for Westbrook, the former NBA MVP still brings a lot of hustle and energy to the table, and can occasionally explode to the basket and get by defenders, but the 35 year-old has continued to see his shooting numbers plummet and is still disregarded by opposing defenses as a threat from beyond the arc, something that played out in real time during the Clippers' loss to the Dallas Mavericks in this year's postseason.
The fit with Westbrook alongside Leonard, George, and James Harden was always going to be awkward, but the severe limitations in Westbrook's game made it a near impossibility for head coach Ty Lue to play the four together despite how much pressure they are each capable of putting on opposing defenses on an individual level.
In any case, a lot more dominoes will fall into place after Paul George makes his decision. The star can begin taking meetings on Sunday night and is sure to have interest from plenty of suitors around the league. Meanwhile, the Clippers will continue working on a Russell Westbrook trade after also agreeing to a deal with Kevin Porter Jr., per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
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