The Los Angeles Clippers could easily have lost Chris Paul for nothing in free agency. Instead, they got a haul of rotation players to soften the blow.
The Lob City era came to a close on June 28, 2017. After six years of unprecedented regular season successes and disappointing playoff failures, Chris Paul let the management of the Los Angeles Clippers know that he would not be returning for the 2017-18 season.
Instead of simply leaving in free agency, however, Paul gave Clippers fans one final gift.
Call it a parting lob.
CP3 agreed to opt into his contract for next year as part of a trade to the Houston Rockets. In that deal, the Clippers got a solid haul that far outstripped expectations:
Source: Terms of Clippers-Rockets deal: For @CP3, Houston sends Williams, Beverley, Dekker, Liggins, Hilliard, Harrell, Wiltjer, FRP + $661K
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2017
Although some of the players involved in this deal are unlikely to play for the Clippers, Los Angeles got some solid contributors in return for what amounts to Paul’s Bird Rights. The two biggest name players in this deal will join an already loaded guard rotation. The two younger frontcourt players have shown promise during their brief careers and both could be primed for breakouts in Los Angeles.
Losing Chris Paul is undoubtedly a blow for the franchise. However, the Clippers arguably got a relatively better haul for CP3 than what the Chicago Bulls got for Jimmy Butler. While Paul’s departure does lower the ceiling of this Clippers team, their return was far better than anyone could have expected.
Patrick Beverley, future fan favorite
While Lou Williams is probably a bigger-name player, the true steal of this deal is Patrick Beverley. Beverley has two years remaining on his contract for just $10.5 million total, which is indisputably one of the best contracts in the league.
Beverley is far more than just a good contract, however. The winner of the first Hustle Award at the 2017 NBA Awards Show, Beverley calls himself Mr. 94 Feet on Twitter. Any fans who have watched him over the years can easily see why.
The Clippers lost a First-Team All-Defense guard in Chris Paul. Luckily, they got the other one back in this trade. Beverley is a high-effort grinder who has the strength to keep up with bulkier off-guards if necessary. Furthermore, he is a 37.5 percent career three-point shooter that opposing defenders will have to stick to on the perimeter.
Beverley is a prototypical 3-and-D player and a perfect complementary point guard. He is a below-average creator, but he will not need to create much with Lou Williams, Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford in the fold.
Beverley should be the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers on opening night. He might not start, however, because Doc Rivers will probably throw the keys to the offense to his son Austin. That being said, a Beverley-Rivers backcourt could be intriguing. Pairing the two of them fits well with both of their skills-sets. Hopefully Doc opts to play them together.
A New Sixth Man In Town
Jamal Crawford declined last year in troubling fashion, and the beloved guard might not have lasted much longer as a sixth man. The Clippers solved that problem quite effectively by bringing Lou Williams back to Los Angeles.
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Williams was remarkably effective during the first half of the season while with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was nearly unstoppable on offense, with a .444/.385/.884 slash line. Those shooting numbers look even more impressive in light of his 60.9 percent True Shooting mark in a Lakers uniform.
Lou Will did struggle during his brief stint with the Rockets, but he also was the third option at his own position behind James Harden and Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon. With J.J. Redick likely to leave in free agency, Williams will have more touches with the Clippers than he did in Houston.
Assuming that Beverley and Austin Rivers are the starting guards, Williams will once again be the primary scoring option off the bench. He could bring the Sixth Man of the Year trophy to the Los Angeles Clippers for the third time in the last five years while learning from one of the best sixth men ever in the process.
The Young Guns: Dekker, Harrell, and the rest
DeAndre Liggins and Darrun Hilliard are almost certainly salary throw-ins for this deal. The Dallas Mavericks were set to decline Liggins’ option before Houston offered to buy his rights to make this deal work. Both of them have non-guaranteed contracts for next year, along with Kyle Wiltjer, who probably has a slightly higher chance of playing for the Los Angeles Clippers next season.
However, the Clippers did manage to add a couple of young players with rotation bonafides and possibly starter potential. The bigger name in that regard is Sam Dekker, who might be the team’s best small forward if Luc Mbah a Moute departs in free agency.
Dekker is an athletic combo forward with good upside. He missed all but three games of his rookie year with a leg injury but came back strong in year two. Dekker is a solid finisher around the rim, converting on 63.1 percent of his attempts from less than five feet from the basket, per NBA.com. He also has the potential to provide floor spacing; his 32.1 percent mark last year belies his solid touch, and even average shooting from deep would be a boon for the Clippers.
Montrezl Harrell fell out of the rotation in Houston last year. However, that not due to his own play but due to incredible seasons from Clint Capela and Nene. Harrell is a rim-running big with a ridiculous 65.1 percent career field goal percentage. He is a DeAndre Jordan clone as a backup center who can also play power forward.
On defense, Harrell’s 6’8″ frame is not exactly center-sized. However, he makes up for that to some degree with a gargantuan 7’4″ wingspan. Harrell works hard on both ends of the floor, and at 23 he still has room to improve on the defensive end.
Future Outlook: What’s Next?
On the surface, it might seem as if Chris Paul’s departure signals a rebuild for the Los Angeles Clippers. However, that might not be the case:
The Clippers now believe this clear the way for team to sign Blake Griffin, per source
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 28, 2017
If the Clippers front office had any hesitation before today about offering Blake the max, that should now have evaporated. Griffin was the anchor for the Clippers before CP3 arrived, and will hopefully be the anchor long after Paul leaves.
Griffin might decide to leave the Clippers as well after Paul’s exit. However, the two never really got along all that well either on or off the floor. Additionally, the Clippers can offer Blake more money than any other team in the league. Without Paul’s contract in the picture and with Redick off the books, there is no reason why the Clippers should not open the checkbook for Blake.
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat loom as free agent destinations. However, Boston seems to be firmly committed to trying to snag a Gordon Hayward–Paul George tandem. Furthermore, Miami does not have as much talent as the Clippers — even after this trade. Some may see Paul’s departure as the start of open season on Blake, but the trade may have actually increased his odds of remaining with the Los Angeles Clippers for 2017-18 and beyond.
Blake Griffin, point forward
With Chris Paul out of the picture, Blake Griffin will get more of an opportunity to show off his playmaking skills. Blake has averaged 5.1 assists per game during the last three years despite Paul orchestrating most of the offense. In the 11-game stretch in January and February when Griffin played without Paul, he averaged nearly six assists per game.
For at least the last three seasons, Blake’s best games have often been without Chris Paul in the lineup. Griffin has one of the best handles of any big men in the league. He also has the best passing vision of anyone not named Nikola Jokic.
The departure of Chris Paul may be a blow to the Clippers franchise, but it may be a boon for Blake Griffin. He will have plenty of chances to run the show with Patrick Beverley in CP3’s place.
Blake Griffin may decide to leave for greener pastures in the coming days. However, the Clippers added some pieces in return for Paul that will complement Blake’s game. Furthermore, they can offer him a bigger spotlight than any contending team with a chance to run the offense.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
Paul’s departure certainly stings, but the Clippers’ solid trade haul and the prospect of a Blake Griffin-led offense will soften the blow.