2017 NBA free agency grades: Clippers agree to sign Milos Teodosic

The Los Angeles Clippers agreed to sign European star point guard Milos Teodosic to a two-year, $12.3 million deal. Teodosic is expected to be their starting point guard.

The Los Angeles Clippers lost one of the league’s best playmakers and best guard defenders in Chris Paul this offseason. Paul is impossible to replace, but the Clippers replaced his defense by acquiring this year’s other First Team All-Defensive guard in Patrick Beverley. With their latest signing, the Clippers can replace Paul’s playmaking prowess.

According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, Milos Teodosic will sign with the Clippers on a two-year contract, with the second year being a player option.

The Teodosic signing completes a Clippers backcourt that opted to build in an interesting way. Instead of overpaying for two elite players in Chris Paul and J.J. Redick, the Clippers have filled their niches on both ends of the floor with a four-guard rotation.

Teodosic fills the remaining holes left by Paul and Redick’s departures. He is one of the best passing point guards in the world and has a solid jump shot to boot. Teodosic will clearly struggle on the defensive end, but he will have Beverley to back him up.

The Clippers cannot expect to fully replace the production from Paul and Redick. However, their backcourt of Rivers, Beverley, Teodosic and Lou Williams will come as close as anyone could have reasonably expected. Instead of being a major weakness on a team with a killer frontcourt, the Clippers’ new backcourt will help to keep them in playoff contention.

Offense: Playmaking Wizard

Milos Teodosic comes to the United States as one of the most accomplished players in European basketball. Milos won the 2009-10 Euroleague MVP and led Serbia to a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He has a solid shooting touch, with a career 38.5 percent mark from three-point range.

However, Teodosic is most known for his passing wizardry. His teammate Patrick Beverley — who played with him in Greece — declared that Milos “might be the best passer in the NBA right now.” With plays like this on his highlight reel, it is not hard to see why:

Teodosic’s combination of passing brilliance and shooting touch made him one of Europe’s most effective offensive guards since the start of his career. He created 55.1 points per 48 minutes through either his playmaking or his scoring last season, per Synergy Sports.

Blake Griffin will still have plenty of chances to run the Clippers’ offense as the team’s star player. Teodosic is a good enough shooter that he can occasionally play off the ball and let Blake run the show.

However, the Clippers were bereft of secondary creators — especially if Blake does not return in time for the start of the season. With Teodosic in the fold, the Clippers will be able to give Blake touches while keeping the offense alive when Griffin does not have the ball.

Defense: Leave it to Bever(ley)

The knock on Milos Teodosic’s NBA potential has always been his defense. Teodosic is a lead-footed defender, even by the less athletic standards of Euroleague play. He will be a major liability on the defensive end from day one in the NBA.

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However, the Clippers are used to dealing with poor guard defenders. New Atlanta Hawk Jamal Crawford was an all-offense, no-defense player during his stint with the Clippers. In spite of that, Jamal won two Sixth Man of the Year awards in Los Angeles.

Teodosic is almost the exact opposite of Crawford on the offensive end. However, his defensive issues should be just as easy to cover.

More importantly, Teodosic’s fellow newcomer at point guard is a stellar defender. Patrick Beverley is a top-tier point guard on that end of the floor. Furthermore, Beverley has the strength and unbeatable effort level to cover bigger guards when necessary. The Clippers will struggle defensively with Milos Teodosic on the floor. However, Beverley (and DeAndre Jordan) have the tools to make up for Milos’ shortcomings.

Future Outlook: Low-Risk, High-Reward

Milos Teodosic would have stayed in Europe if he was not going to get a major role. However, all signs point to that not being the case:

The player option on this deal is almost as important as the promise of the starting job. According to Nate Duncan, Teodosic will become a restricted free agent if he opts out of the contract.

The nature of this deal makes it a win-win for the Clippers and Teodosic. If his defensive struggles are too large to overcome, Milos can return to Europe. Since Euroleague salaries are after-tax and include housing, money will likely not be the issue if Milos opts to go back to Europe.

However, if Teodosic shines at the NBA level the Clippers can easily retain him. Teodosic can opt into his deal, whereupon the Clippers would get a starting point guard for just over $6 million a year. Alternatively, the Clippers could also match any offer for Milos as long as they pay slightly more to tender him a qualifying offer.

The Clippers have insurance against nearly any outcome for Milos’ NBA debut. If his offensive brilliance makes him a quality starting point guard, he will be easy to retain. If he fails miserably, he can return to Europe after one season. Signing Milos Teodosic comes with little to no risk. However, the upside of his generational passing talent is hard to ignore. Either way, Milos will be a delight to watch.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Grade: A-