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Los Angeles Clippers: Complete 2017 offseason grades

By Nicholas Agar-Johnson

(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images /

The departure of a franchise icon, solid value for a superstar

Chris Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the 2011-12 season and promptly revolutionized the franchise. He departs for the Houston Rockets six years later as the greatest player in franchise history and the clear shining beacon that turned the team around.

The Clippers went 32-50 the year before Paul joined the team. They won 40 of 66 games in the lockout shortened season and won more than 50 games and made the playoffs in all six seasons. Before 2011-12, the Clippers made the playoffs seven times in 41 years.

Chris Paul, despite the constant and misguided complaints about his playoff record, played brilliantly in the playoffs this season as he did throughout his career in Los Angeles. Paul averaged 25.3 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in the playoffs this season, all while remaining incredibly efficient with .496/.368/.879 shooting splits and only 2.7 turnovers per game. He flagged in the final Game 7, but only after putting up a heroic effort in the first six games.

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    • When the Clippers get their own stadium, Chris Paul should be the first statue in front of the building. He turned the team into a perennial playoff contender. Paul also played great playoff basketball barring his part in the team’s meltdown in the 2014-15 playoffs.

    Chris Paul may have decided to leave the Clippers after six seasons, but he dished out one last assist by agreeing to opt into his contract as part of a sign-and-trade with the Rockets. Despite the difficulty of getting good value for a player in that situation, the return for Chris Paul also least softened the blow of his departure from Los Angeles.

    While losing CP3 hurts, the haul that the team got in return certainly helps to make up for it. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, and a first round pick (hold that thought) in return for a superstar would be a pretty decent trade. Getting that return for a superstar who could have opted out and become an unrestricted free agent is staggering.

    The Clippers will not be able to replace Paul’s production with a single player. However, they got his fellow First Team All-Defense guard in Beverley. Beverley is one of the league’s most dogged defenders. He can switch capably on that end of the floor and shut his man out of the game. Beverley, a career 37.5 percent shooter from deep, is a prototypical 3-and-D guard with two years and only $10 million left on his incredibly cheap contract.

    On top of adding Beverley and the first round pick, the Clippers acquired two solid rotation players in Dekker and Harrell. Dekker will be valuable as a combo forward behind the two frontcourt starters coming later on this list. Montrezl Harrell brings elite athleticism despite small size at center. He could be a solid backup to DeAndre Jordan.

    Those three players combined, in addition to the player the team got with the first round pick mentioned above, might be able to approach replacing CP3’s production.

    Grade: B+

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