APHoops

@IIInfluenza Nope lol at least not within our price range spotrac.com/nba/free-agent…

@APH00PS Is there a good rebounding PF we can bring in if center is limited? (I’m sure that creates its own set of problems)

Another long tweet but I’m deadass driving myself nuts trying to fix this team lmao Every attempt at a solution creates another problem/action item. For example… Team sucks at rebounding so you use the $15.1M MLE to bring in Mitch Rob. Now you got 4 centers so you gotta ship one out. Is it Brook? Then Mitch/IJax have pretty redundant skillsets while Yanic is out. And then Yanic comes back and IJax’s $7M is just sitting on the bench? So… Is it IJax? Brook is the opposite of Mitch and would give LAC optionality but we’ve seen Brook in the backup C role and it’s awful. Does that mean Mitch would have to be the backup C to keep him next to JC and Kawhi? In that case, did we just give an injury prone C almost $50M over 3 years to come and be a backup and then take Yanic’s minutes (when he returns?) To use the MLE and the BAE you almost have to waive Bogi’s TO to stay below the first apron hardcap. Which makes big trades to improve in other areas difficult. Now instead of Bogi’s massive $16M expiring, you gotta trade guys like Beal ($5.6M), who has no value, and IJax ($7M) who has little to no value. But because their salaries are so small, even when combined together, that you can’t really upgrade to anyone significant. I mean it’s $12M… anyone that good making that little is likely not going to be on the trade market unless the Clippers are offering future 1sts (which they shouldn’t do). So do you give up the 38th pick in this draft (via Memphis) which could possibly get you Aday Mara or Alijah Arenas for a small upgrade from IJax to Goga Bitadze? Or just to dump Beal into Memphis or Chicago’s cap? Or combine IJax and Beal into Isaac Okoro? Or Malik Monk? Ew. And, if you do somehow manage a dream scenario, and convince Memphis to give you Ty Jerome for a package that includes their 2026 2nd back… what happens in the likely event that the 5th pick is used on Keaton Wagler or Kingston Flemings? Now our top-5 rookie is playing behind Garland, Mathurin, Dunn, and Jerome. A top-5 pick might be getting DNP-CDs!!! Or worse and Ty Lue brings back 3 and 4 guard lineups. In which case, now neither center (Brook or IJax) fits the vision. I haven’t run through the thought exercise yet, maybe I’ll do it tomorrow, but the way to go might be to blow this shit up and cause it’s very hard to upgrade without giving up significant draft assets

@l83936372 PF and C probably and then use the 5th pick on a guard. Problem is there aren’t any good PFs in free agency in the BAE and MLE range

@APH00PS I think this is the most likely outcome. Who do you think we should get with MLE and BAE? I think we should prioritize frontcourt depth.

@213_LFC You right just peeped NBADraftRoom is way better, except with all these centers available they got us taking a 6’4 shooting guard with no rim pressure ability 💔

@APH00PS Tankathon is ass, nbadraftroom and nba draft are way better, Second round is filled with pretty good centers that clippers could draft

@213_LFC Yeah probably they were just the first names that came to mind while I was writing this lol But there’s some real value early in the 2nd round for sure

@APH00PS Aday Mara is most likely going be first round pick and I highly doubt Arenas would be second round pick

@l83936372 Nope. We get $43.6M if we renounce Bogi, Brook, Batum, Dunn, Cam Christie, Collins’ cap hold, and Ben’s cap hold. If you renounce everyone but keep the JC/Ben cap holds (which you’ll need to do if you wanna keep them) you’re $24M over the $166M cap. Can still use the MLE/BAE tho

@APH00PS If we waive brook’s team option? Don’t we get 9 mil in cap space?

@jpnclip610 Which is why I don’t hate the idea of (if we get the 5th pick) taking a PG if Caleb Wilson doesn’t fall. But is having only two guys who can dribble/playmake enough especially if one is a rookie? Our wings suck too. It’s really only Kawhi and then 2 guards cosplaying as wings

@APH00PS It’s not just the centers — the guards are in bad shape too. Other than Garland, there’s no one who can create offense.

@JibbaBones Almost $100M for 30 games where he wasn’t even that good

When LFrank gives Mathurin 20m 🤩

@IceColdKlaw LMAOOOO I deadass need him off my team but at the same time just declining his team option does nothing for us financially. So the “smart” thing to do is try to flip him for anything

@APH00PS Well if brook lopez is on my team next year I’m becoming a laker fan so take that into consideration

@damarian_smith 13-3 in February leading into some of March. That was the stretch where they had the “best defense in the league”

@APH00PS @sixringsofsteeI At this point in time last year they had lost 7/10

The Lakers have won 8 in a row including wins against MIA, DEN, HOU x2, NY, and Minny Luka is on another level right now and it looks like they’re peaking at the right time

@lebron_the5301 Doesn’t really change what I said though. Idk if mid-March is the right time to be “peaking” no matter who you are lol I would know, the Clippers did this last year 💔

@APH00PS @sixringsofsteeI Luka was not playing like this and u know it😭

@AdamenCarl97678 Brandon Boston scored 20+ points only 4 times in 4 years with the Clippers. Norm wanted $120M this Summer and not a single team other than Sacramento wanted Russ cause Russ wasn’t willing to accept a “some nights you don’t play” role.

@APH00PS Brandon, hyland, norman powell, russ, ... at least they were players who sometimes appeared but these vague games in every game

In the most literal sense: Kawhi Leonard is the Most Valuable Player in the league to his team.

What a day for basketball March Madness Wemby game winner Dillingham dropped 17 Luka near 60

@AdamenCarl97678 Those guys you’re talking about are no longer in the league and were on the roster making $16M-$24M each before the new CBA rules.

@APH00PS 1 or 2 seasons ago we had guys who could put 20 points in random game and come out with good games and we went to miller, Sander, nunm. How pathetic.

Brook Lopez with 3 missed free throws in last 3 Clippers possessions... down 3, 3 minutes to play

Literally useless against these young teams

Lead vanishes as soon as Lopez comes in lmao

@HansonClark1 I didn’t wanna get too stingy and say both lowkey that’s what he’s gotta do if he wants that $25M-$30M

@APH00PS Only correction would be shooting *40% AND playing Alex Caruso defense

Long tweet ahead, but this is the least threatening threat ever and almost every Pacer fan has told me some form of this lol In the modern NBA: Value is king. That’s why you guys possibly traded the #5 overall pick for Zubac. I’ve said this a bunch of times already but it really doesn’t matter what Mathurin wants. It’s what the market says he’s worth. There’s 3 teams with cap space (BKN, LAL, MEM) and neither one is gonna make an offer to him. BKN is gonna prioritize GOOD players that aren’t restricted and risk them missing out on all the good free agents. LAL is gonna focus on a center, wings and retaining Reaves. MEM is tanking and they’ll use their cap space to take on players for picks. Every other team has up to $15.1M to offer OR LESS which LAC would quickly match cause that’s actually decent value. I also would have no problem having him back on his $14M QO + NTC on a “prove-it” type thing tbh. Why overpay someone with no market? The production he provides of a downhill scoring guard that hustles on defense (notice I didn’t say he’s great on defense) and can’t pass, is one that can be easily replicated around the league by better players on cheaper contracts on multiple contenders (i.e. Payton Pritchard). Unless he suddenly starts shooting 37% from 3 or starts playing Alex Caruso-level defense it’s hard to justify paying him anything significant. This high volume, low efficiency 6MOTY type player was valuable in the 2010s. Not so much in the 2020s. All this to say: The LA Clippers are a nice organization so I don’t foresee them strong-arming him into accepting the QO unless he is just really unsalvagable. In which case, he’s at risk of ruining his career much like Cam Thomas and missing out on some guaranteed money like Quentin Grimes. But I think LA, if they can’t come to an agreement, will do what Golden State did with Kuminga. A balloon deal of $18M-$20M with a player option for the second year. Allows him to have a full season with the team and see how he actually fits long term. Also to see if he actually develops his game at all.