Los Angeles Clippers Close To Re-Signing Hedo Turkoglu

When the Los Angeles Clippers traded away Jared Dudley and subsequently waived Carlos Delfino and Miroslav Raduljica they created close to $4 million in breathing room. They also gave themselves the ability to fill out their roster with veteran’s minimum contracts.

In an attempt to firm up their roster before training camp, the Clippers are also expected to re-sign veteran free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu.

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The deal for Turkoglu is rumored to come with a price tag of the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million. Nothing has been made official yet.

After negotiating a contract buyout with the Orlando Magic, Turkoglu signed with the Clippers in January. In 38 games with the Clippers, Turkoglu averaged three points and 2.3 rebounds.

He sports career averages of 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds. Turkoglu shot 38.5 percent from the field–the second-worst mark of his career–and 44 percent from 3. His shooting from deep was close to the only positive contribution left on the court for the Clips.

Turkoglu will benefit from a full year with the Clippers, and the opportunity to learn head coach Doc Rivers’ offensive and defensive sets in training camp.

A 14-year veteran, Turkoglu impressed a few times during his short stretch with the Clippers last season. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound power forward primarily shot 50 percent from the field for most of the year, mostly due to playing clean up time late in the fourth quarter.

He had season highs of 12 points on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans and 10 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Turkoglu’s golden years were with the Magic, where he put up 5,968 points in five seasons (2004-09). At age 35, Turkoglu will enter his 15th season in the NBA, at this point presumably with the Clippers.

He’s a capable catch and shoot player who has the ability to stretch the floor, giving room for Blake Griffin and Chris Paul to operate.

Not to say Turkoglu doesn’t come with drawbacks. At his age and declined athleticism he’s unable to guard the wing and doesn’t have the strength to bang or rebound with power forwards.

That will make it tough for Rivers to fit him into the rotation. Turkoglu should receive close to 10 minutes a game on the year max (barring injuries), most likely inserted into the game when a quick three or good shooting is needed.

There hasn’t been word of much interest for Turkoglu’s services elsewhere in the league, which might label his re-signing a bland move for the Clippers. However, veteran leadership and a positive voice in the locker room is as important as the talent performing on the floor.

The Clippers will benefit from Turkoglu using his veteran IQ to guide the Clippers younger players. That type of presence is invaluable for crucial moments during the season where the Clippers might get high on exuberance and short on efficiency and/or intelligence.

The Clippers roster currently sits at 11 players. Turkoglu’s signing would bring their roster to 12, just one below the league minimum.

There’s rumored interest in Ray Allen, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Ekpe Udoh as well to claim their final roster spots. Turkoglu was well-received and became a team favorite in the locker room.

His re-signing will serve as another positive for solidifying the Clippers championship contending roster.

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