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Los Angeles Clippers: Grading The Offseason

By Gerald Bourguet

Jul 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers players pose with jerseys at press conference at Staples Center. From left: Branden Dawson (22), DeAndre Jordan (6), Austin Rivers (25), coach Doc Rivers and Josh Smith (5), Cole Aldrich (45), Paul Pierce (34) and Wesley Johnson (33). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers players pose with jerseys at press conference at Staples Center. From left: Branden Dawson (22), DeAndre Jordan (6), Austin Rivers (25), coach Doc Rivers and Josh Smith (5), Cole Aldrich (45), Paul Pierce (34) and Wesley Johnson (33). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Clippers
Apr 7, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson (1) reacts after being called for a foul in the second half of a game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 105-100. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /

Trading Matt Barnes And Spencer Hawes For Lance Stephenson

One year from now, it’s possible we might look back on this grade and lament that it wasn’t an “A” or laugh that it wasn’t an “F.” With such a polarizing addition like Lance Stephenson, no one would be surprised to see the retrospective grade for this trade to go either way. Only time will tell what Born Ready brings to the table for a team that needs to win now.

On the one hand, there’s reason for optimism. The last time Stephenson was on a team that was competing for more than one of the last playoff spots in the lowly Eastern Conference, he led the league in triple-doubles, shot a respectable 35.2 percent from three-point range and teamed up with Paul George to give the Indiana Pacers one of the most dominant defensive wing tandems in the league.

Last season with the Charlotte Hornets, however, he was an unmitigated disaster. Stephenson was quickly demoted to bench duty, he was frequently injured, his numbers dropped dramatically across the board and he posted the worst three-point shooting percentage in NBA history among players who attempted at least 100 threes in a season (17.1 percent).

Say what you want about Matt Barnes and his temper, but Born Ready could be an even bigger head case. He also might not even catch a glimpse of the 36.2 percent Barnes shot from three-point territory last season, and for all this talk about Stephenson’s defensive skills, he’s two inches shorter than Barnes.

If Born Ready can keep his temper in check and avoid being a head case under Rivers, the Clippers might love this pickup, which bolsters the bench with some much-needed depth. Perhaps last year’s abysmal three-point shooting was just a matter of being a poor fit in Charlotte, and if he fails in Los Angeles, the Clippers can simply choose not to pick up his team option next summer.

But the Clippers need to win now, and if Stephenson takes issue with the way Chris Paul intensely micromanages his teammates, if he fails to spread the floor or if he makes a boneheaded move in the playoffs that costs his team a series — much like he did for the Pacers when he blew in LeBron James‘ ear — giving up Barnes will hurt.

Even if this trade also allowed the Clippers to ditch the remaining two years of Spencer Hawes’ contract, it’s still a risky one.

Grade: C

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