Yes, the Clippers are contestants — and aggressive ones, Lawrence Frank said — in the high-stakes NBA Supermarket Sweep episode happening post-trade deadline, a buyout market that came especially well-stocked with quality centers, big men who appear to be flying off the shelves.
LaMarcus Aldridge reportedly is primed to sign a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Nets, further beefing up the behemoth in Brooklyn. And Gorgui Dieng, waived this past week by Memphis, appears he’s headed to help fill the void left by Aldridge in San Antonio, according to the New York Times’ Marc Stein.
The Clippers, with two vacant roster spots and $2.6 million in breathing room below the hard cap after trading away Mfiondu Kabengele last week, were said to have been interested in both players.
As of Sunday morning, there wasn’t, however, a winner in the Andre Drummond sweepstakes that included Clippers, Knicks, Celtics, Hornets and Lakers — the latter of whom Drummond was expected to sign with, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
All such decisions come down to a matter of fit, and of aligned expectations, said Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations.
“Players, especially in the buyout market, they want to make sure where they go, they can definitely play,” Frank said. “So there’s certain positions of strength where people look at it and say, ‘Love it, see your situation, love the fact that you’re competing for a championship, but I don’t necessarily see a pathway to play.’
“And there are others where they say, ‘You know what? I get it. I may not be starting. I may not be the backup. But I want to be part of a roster. And I know in a deep playoff run, in any given game, (Coach) Ty (Lue) may have to dial up a different skill set, whether it’s point of attack defense, whether it’s having another big, whether it’s adding another wing.’”
For their part, the Clippers don’t need a center, with Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac performing effectively in their respective roles and Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris Sr. proving capable of filling the position situationally.
The Lakers, on the other hand, likely would offer a larger role for Drummond, the 27-year-old who who secured a buyout after Cleveland couldn’t find a trade partner for his $28.7 million salary. He was averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds before being sidelined on Feb. 12 by the Cavs, who decided to dedicate their center minutes to the younger Jarrett Allen.
There are other candidates — including some who aren’t centers — for buyouts around the league, including some whose interests might align with the Clippers.
Think of Otto Porter Jr., potentially, now a member of the Orlando Magic after Chicago traded him and his $28 million expiring salary in the Nikola Vucevic deal. Or consider Kelly Olynyk, whom Miami traded to Houston as part of the Victor Oladipo deal; the 29-year-old forward doesn’t appear to fit into Houston’s rebuilding plans and contributed to the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals last season. It’s a similar story for Avery Bradley, the former Clipper guard was involved in the same trade, going from Miami to Houston.
After trading Lou Williams to Atlanta for veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who the Clippers hope can orchestrate their deepest playoff run yet, they’re shopping, certainly, but they’re determined to be savvy consumers, Frank said.
“We’ll be aggressive filling (the open roster spots),” Frank said. “But it also has to be the right person. Because if that person isn’t in the rotation, can that person sit and be OK? Because anyone can play and be a good teammate, but if you’re not playing, we want to make sure we have really good chemistry in the locker room, and that’s a sanctuary.
“We just want to make sure that whoever we add there fits with the whole team vibe.”
BUCKS (29-16) at CLIPPERS (31-16)
When: Monday, 7 p.m.
Where: Staples Center
TV: Fox Sports Prime Ticket, NBA TV
Once Andre Drummond clears waivers at 5 PM ET, he intends to sign with the Lakers, his agent Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 28, 2021
Thank you Cleveland 🦋🤍 pic.twitter.com/r5nvfFbQAD
— Andre Drummond (@AndreDrummond) March 28, 2021
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