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The LA Clippers have finalized agreements with most of their free agents, coming to terms on deals with Kawhi Leonard, Nicolas Batum, Reggie Jackson, and Justise Winslow. Additionally, they agreed to a two-year guaranteed rookie deal with a team option on the third year with , Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Sunday.
Boston's guaranteed deal shows a great deal of trust and confidence from the Clippers organization. It also creates a major logjam in the backcourt.
As it stands, the Clippers currently have Reggie Jackson, Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, Jason Preston, Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, and Brandon Boston Jr. all in the backcourt. That doesn't even include Paul George, who started at shooting guard all of last season, but will presumably start at the small forward position this upcoming season.
The signing of Boston feels like a move preceding a potential trade. With the stacked backcourt, a new multi-year deal for Reggie Jackson, and a number of expiring contracts as well, it wouldn't at all be surprising to see the Clippers make a move. A legitimate ball-handler and playmaker are probably the Clippers No. 1 need right now with Kawhi Leonard expected to miss a significant portion of the 2021-22 season.
Here are a few point guard options the Clippers should look to trade for this offseason:
John Wall – 30 years old
2021-22 – $44,310,840
2022-23 – $47,366,760 (Player Option)
John Wall is set to turn 31 prior to the start of the 2021-22 regular season. He's also set to play on a team that doesn't need him. Like, at all.
During last month's NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets drafted Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, and Josh Christopher. Those are four 19-year old players, two of whom play the guard position, added to a team with centerpieces at guard in Kevin Porter Jr. (21 years old) and Christian Wood (25 years old).
Simply put, there's no real fit for Wall on these Rockets, and it'd be in their best interests to try and facilitate a trade that gets them assets back in return for Wall while they still can. Getting off the $91,677,600 million Wall is owed over the next two seasons could also go a long way towards improving the team's roster.
The Clippers have a need for a superstar level point guard who can take the handling duties off the shoulders of Paul George and Reggie Jackson. John Wall only played 40 (of 72) games last season for Houston, averaging 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 40.4 percent shooting from the field. He struggled shooting, but that's to be expected from an athletic guard coming off a two-year layoff due to the severity of his injuries. The final 11 games Wall missed, however, were due to the team tanking and giving their younger players more opportunities to develop.
A deal for Wall would have to include a number of players, likely a combination of Beverley, Rondo, and Luke Kennard. That would get the Rockets a young guard in Kennard that fits their timeline, can handle the ball, and can space the floor. It would also send over two guards on expiring deals that Houston could try and flip for future assets moving forward.
RELATED: Why a John Wall-to-Clippers trade make sense for both LA and the Rockets
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Malcolm Brogdon – 28 years old
2021-22 – $21,700,000
2022-23 – $22,600,000
The Indiana Pacers have a new head coach and a couple guards added to their team this offseason. Rick Carlisle joined Indiana, and the team retained backup point guard TJ McConnell this offseason as well.
Malcolm Brogdon, who turns 29 years of age in December, is coming off a breakout season with the Pacers, averaging 21.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game on 45.3 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three.
While it's hard to see happening, Brogdon's name has been mentioned in trade rumors over the last few months. The Sixers reportedly turned down a deal that would've sent Brogdon and a first round pick to Philly in exchange for Ben Simmons.
The Sixers have already fielded offers for Ben Simmons but continue to hold a stance that they will only trade him for an all-star caliber player. They most recently turned down a deal with the Pacers that included Malcolm Brogdon and a 1st round pick.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) July 2, 2021
Doc Rivers and the Clippers front office was reportedly enamoured with Brogdon during the 2016 NBA Draft. With the 25th pick, however, the team selected UNC star Brice Johnson while Brogdon slipped to 36th, selected by the Milwaukee Bucks. It would not at all be surprising to see them pursue the guard they strongly considered drafting five years ago.
If the Pacers want to get off Brogdon's deal while not hampering their cap space next summer, a deal with the Clippers could make sense. Matching salaries, especially with those that are expiring, wouldn't be difficult at all.
A Patrick Beverley-Rajon Rondo package gets the deal done. If Carlisle is committed to running Caris LeVert at point guard more and that package isn't as enticing, replacing one of the previously named players with Luke Kennard would also make sense.
Indiana does have a lot of guards as it stands, however, with Malcolm Brogdon, TJ McConnell, Edmond Sumner, Caris LeVert, Jeremy Lamb, and recently-drafted Chris Duarte. With two featured big men in Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis as well as the return of TJ Warren, that also leaves some question marks behind the roles of Torrey Craig and Justin Holiday. That's where acquiring more guards doesn't really do much for Indiana, so the specifics of a trade could definitely need to be tinkered with.
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Goran Dragic – 35 years old (36 in May)
2021-22 – $19,440,000
Goran Dragic was recently traded to the Toronto Raptors in the deal sending Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat on a three-year, $85 million deal.
Reports have already surfaced that, should he able to secure a buyout, Dragic would like to join Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Dragic himself says he has plans bigger than playing in Toronto, which leads me to believe something else could be in the works. The Raptors have no incentive to just let Dragic walk in a buyout. They could look to secure as much in return for Dragic, whether it be draft capital or players.
https://twitter.com/Zooox/status/1424792776009453577
In 50 appearances last season, Goran Dragic averaged 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game on 43.2 percent shooting. The knock on him has always been how injury-prone he's been throughout his career. It might not be long-term injuries, but he always seems to miss a couple games here and and there, whether it be muscle tightness or a slight sprain.
Dragic would make a lot of sense with the LA Clippers, again, to take the pressure off George as well as Jackson, and if you trade for him, the plan should be to keep him beyond this final year of his deal. But Dragic is also set to turn 36 in May of 2022.
Goran Dragic shouldn't be the first or second guard the Clippers pursue, but in a year that could feature no Kawhi Leonard, Dragic would be an excellent option at point guard for LA.
