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The Los Angeles Clippers were one of the NBA's biggest surprises this season, winning 48 games and fighting the Golden State Warriors tooth-and-nail in what ended up being a six-game first-round playoff series loss.
But there is a very good chance that the Clippers' roster will look very different a few months from now.
It is known that Los Angeles will have at least one max salary slot on its roster this offseason and can even end up with two of them if it clears some cap space.
Plus, while the Clippers may not be the Lakers, they are still in Hollywood, so they are an attractive free-agent landing spot.
So, here are three bold offseason predictions for the Clips.
3. They Will Open Up a Second Max Slot
In order for the Clippers to clear enough room for two max roster slots, they are going to have to dump some salary, and the prime candidate seems to be Danilo Gallinari, who has one year at $22.6 million remaining on his deal.
The good news for Los Angeles is that it should be able to find a taker for Gallinari who, when healthy, is one of the best floor-spacing bigs in the league and is simply a very good all-around offensive player.
The goal for the Clippers seems to be landing a pair of top-tier free agents this summer, so there is a very high probability they will look to shed Gallinari, even if he would be a really nice piece to have.
And if they have trouble unloading Gallo? They can always sweeten the pot by attaching a future draft pick to him in the deal, although they probably won't have too much difficulty re-homing him.
2. They Will Land Two of the Three of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler
The general consensus is that the Clippers will, at the very least, end up signing Kawhi Leonard this offseason.
Leonard seems to want Los Angeles, but he does not appear to be all that enthused about the prospect of playing with LeBron James. So, naturally, the Clippers will likely be his top choice (unless he decides to stay in Toronto).
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But will he bring anyone with him?
While most feel that Kevin Durant will ultimately sign with the New York Knicks, there is a possibility he could team up with Leonard in LA. Just imagine that duo for a second. My goodness.
And if the Clippers aren't able to convince Durant to come along with Kawhi? Then how about Jimmy Butler?
A tandem of Leonard and Butler would be lethal on both ends of the court.
With a roster teeming with young talent and a respected head coach in Doc Rivers, you can see why a couple of big-name free agents would be interested in joining the Clips.
1. They Will Become the Best Team in the West
Let's for a second assume that Durant ends up leaving the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers end up landing two of the three names mentioned above.
Who, then, would be better than Los Angeles in the West?
The Clippers already have a solid young nucleus with Montrezl Harrell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ivica Zubac and Jerome Robinson. Add a couple of All-Stars to the mix, and you have a pretty nasty squad on your hands.
Leonard alone is good enough to turn the Clips into a legitimate contender, and if someone like Durant or Butler comes along with him? Forget about it. The West is going to be in deep, deep trouble.
