The Clippers Secret Plan To Break The NBA

The Clippers Secret Plan To Break The NBA

$11 million. His deal will have a player option next summer. So, he’s slated to be one of the top free agents next off seasonason. Here’s something interesting. I’m told James Harden was a focal point in recruiting Bradley Beal. The Clippers really view Bradley Beiel as a perfect fit alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. The Los Angeles Clippers just executed the most dramatic roster overhaul in recent NBA history. One year removed from losing Paul George for nothing, the Clippers replaced him with a quartet of veterans on bargain deals while betting everything on Kawhi Leonard’s health. After losing their second star to Philadelphia’s $212 million offer a year ago, the Clippers pivoted from luxury tax nightmares to strategic flexibility, assembling a roster that could either shock the Western Conference or collapse under the weight of aging stars and injury histories. And the moves are quite interesting if you think about it. I mean, Chris Paul is returning to where Lob City died, and he’s reuniting with James Harden after their Houston breakup. Do you guys remember this clip? [Music] People thought that James Harden and Chris Paul hated each other. I mean, there’s a reason why Chris Paul was traded for Russell Westbrook. So, what’s the Clippers endgame here? Is this to build a championship contender, or is there something bigger at play? Well, there’s something that no one’s really talking about that the Clippers are trying to prepare for. So, before we get to the content, make sure you drop like, subscribe, and turn on our notifications to get the latest NBA news to your device. I’m currently still traveling for the next month, guys. So, bear with me while I create makeshift YouTube setups. And now that we get all that out of the way, cue the intro. [Music] [Music] Mic check 1212. What’s going on everybody? One year ago, we were calling the Clippers absolutely insane for not even trading Paul George. They offered him a 2-year, $60 million contract, and this was a lowball that Paul George thought was crazy considering that he and Kawhi Leonard arrived together as the faces of the franchise. So, the first initial deal was like 2 years 60. I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. 2 years 60. Hey, that’s crazy, bro. That’s crazy. That’s crazy. The Clippers would eventually increase their offer to around $45 million annually, but they never were willing to match Kawhi Leonard’s three-year, $150 million contract. The result was Paul George left for the Philadelphia 76ers, and Clipper fans were upset. This was once a franchise that was willing to spend anything in order to compete, and now they were trying to avoid the luxury tax. This was right before they were debuting their brand new arena, Inuit Dome. But Steve Balmer drew a line in the sand due to the NBA’s punitive new second apron restrictions. And what happened following that is a masterclass in creative roster construction. I mean, Bradley Beiel signed for just 2 years and $11 million. And that’s perhaps the biggest bargain in recent NBA history. This man gave up $13.9 million in his Phoenix buyout from a contract that had $110 million remaining. He accepted this cheap deal after James Harden reportedly spent over 30 minutes recruiting him by phone. Fans are going to say that Bradley Beal was washed in Phoenix and he did average 17 points on 50% shooting in Phoenix, but you have to remember this isn’t a maximum contract. This is a player that is going to earn $11 million over the next two seasons. The Clippers didn’t stop there. They traded Norman Pal for John Collins because they were probably not going to be able to afford Norman Pal moving on in the future. Now, Pal was coming off of a career year averaging 21.8 points on 48,42 and 82 shooting splits. And the Clippers got Collins, who brings athleticism and floor spacing. Collins averaged 19 points per game and shot 40% from three with Utah. And this also created future cap flexibility with his expiring 26.5 million contract. The three-team deal also sent valuable role players to Utah while also generating a massive trade exception for the Jazz. Brook Lopez also joined the Clippers on a 2-year, $18 million contract. And this was a huge need for the Clippers. They had a gaping hole at the backup center position. And Brook Lopez could not only protect the rim, but he also could space the floor. I know people are going to talk about his age, but at 37, Lopez remains an elite shot blocker and shot 37% from three. He’s also reuniting with his old coach, although in a much different role. Lawrence Frank coached Brook Lopez in New Jersey in 2008. And the very cherry on top of all of these acquisitions was Chris Paul joining the team on a one-year, $3.6 million deal, which makes the Los Angeles Clippers the oldest team in NBA history officially. But Chris Paul’s potential reunion with the Clippers carries enormous historical weight. From 2011 to 2017, Paul transformed the franchise from laughingstock to legitimate contender, leading the Lob City era that produced six straight playoff appearances and the franchise’s first division titles. His 313 regular season wins with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan marked the most successful period in Clippers history, even if they never advanced past the second round. To this day, Chris Paul leads the franchise in assists with 4,023 and 2.2 steals per game. But this reunion is also pretty interesting cuz it’s not just the Clippers that Chris Paul’s reuniting with. Following his Clippers tenure, he got traded to the Houston Rockets and formed one of the most unique backcourt tandemss with James Harden. And their partnership began gloriously with a franchise record 65 wins and a near upset of the Golden State Warriors dynasty. Paul’s game five heroics against Golden State, including him mocking the celebration over Steph Curry, represents the peak of their collaboration before his tragic hamstring injury. By their second season together, the relationship had deteriorated into what sources called unsalvageable. The breaking point came during game six against the Warriors in 2019 when Paul and Harden engaged in heated verbal exchanges about offensive philosophy. Chris Paul demanding more ball movement while James Harden preferring isolation plays. And this is significant because the way Mike Danton used James Harden and Chris Paul is one of the most unique offenses we’ve ever seen. Chris Paul would primarily run the pick and roll and James Harden would primarily run isolation. These two would clash at the end of it and the aftermath was ugly. Reports indicated that they went nearly two months without speaking during the 2018-19 season with one source claiming that there was no respect at all between them. When Harden allegedly issued a him or me ultimatum, the Rockets chose their MVP, trading CP3 to OKC for Russell Westbrook. And as recently as 2020, Chris Paul admitted to TNT that we don’t talk, communicate, or anything like that. Now at the age of 40 and in a reduced role, Chris Paul returns to chase the championship that eluded both his Clippers and Rockets tenures, testing whether time has healed old wounds. But there’s a huge problem, and we got to address the elephant in the room here. The Clippers are not only the oldest roster in NBA history, but they have one of the most undependable rosters that I think we’ve ever seen. Throughout his career, Kawhi Leonard has played just 733 out of 1,112 possible regular season games. That’s 66% throughout his career, missing significant time with quadricep issues, a partial ACL tear that cost him the entire 2021 to 2022 season, and recurring knee problems that limited him to 37 games last year. His withdrawal from the Olympics due to knee inflammation and pattern of careful load management suggests that the Clippers will need to navigate another season of strategic rest. And Kawhi Leonard isn’t the only person with injury issues. Bradley Beal has durability concerns as well. He’s only played in 106 out of 164 possible games over his last two seasons in Phoenix. Last year, he had a 3-week absence due to hamstring issues. And he also has a career pattern of wrist fractures, stress reactions, and soft tissue injuries. At 32 years old, Bradley Beiel faces the challenge of staying healthy in what could be his final elite years. The age factor also adds to these concerns. I mean, Chris Paul is 40, Brook Lopez is 37. Even their core players, Kawhi Leonard is 34, and James Harden is 35. This is typically where players decline. And this creates a narrow and fragile championship window. While CP3 did play in all 82 games last year in San Antonio, which was also the first time in his career that he did that, it’s not crazy to suggest that a 40-year-old point guard is going to have some durability concerns. So, the Clippers projected starting lineup features three players with extensive injury histories, and the other two are in their mid30s, making health management crucial to any playoff success. Okay. Well, I don’t think Brook Lopez is actually going to be starting for this team. So, this bodess the question, what are the Clippers projected to achieve this season? If you take a look at the Western Conference, it is literally the Wild West, pun intended. You have the defending champion, OKC Thunder, who has their entire rotation returning after a historic 68-14 season. They have the defending MVP, Sha Gilis Alexander, leading the league’s youngest core. They have plus 140 odds to repeat as Western Conference champions, which reflects their status as the team to beat. And last year alone, they had a 39 and13 record against the Western Conference. They are one of the greatest teams in NBA history. Without a doubt, a top three team in NBA history, but then you have the Houston Rockets who just traded for Kevin Durant. They were a number two seed last year and now they have Kevin Durant to depend on in those clutch situations. And on top of that, they have Fred Van Vleet, Alparan Chengun, Amond Thompson, and promising rookies that address their biggest weaknesses. They have elite half court shooting, and they have plus 450 odds to win the West. And currently, the Rockets project as the Thunder’s primary challenger. Then you have the other Los Angeles team, the Lakers, who have completely transformed themselves since the Luca Donuch trade. The LeBron and Luca partnership gives the Lakers elite offensive firepower and renewed championship aspirations at plus 900 odds. They also beat the Clippers three out of four times this past year. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are navigating coaching instability after firing Michael Malone, but they still have Nola Joic. They brought back Bruce Brown. They traded Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson. While Minnesota’s young core led by Anthony Edwards continues to get better. They surprised everyone last year. Against this competition, most experts are projecting the Clippers to finish between fifth and seventh place in the conference. And that is nothing against the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s more of a testament to how deep the West is. ESPN describes them as dangerous in a first round matchup, but questions their ability to advance any further. Vegas championship odds of plus 1,800 to plus 2500 reflects skepticism about their health and depth compared to younger and more stable contenders. And the consensus views them as a team that’s capable of a firstround upset if they’re fully healthy, but they’re unlikely to compete for a championship without everything breaking perfectly. So, why would the Los Angeles Clippers do this? Well, their goal isn’t necessarily to win a championship this year, although they still are competitive this year if everyone is fully healthy. Behind all the veteran signings and championship talk lies a more calculated long-term strategy. The Clippers aren’t just building for the 2025 to 26 season. They’re positioning for what could be the most star-studded free agency period in NBA history. The summer of 2027 features a potential free agent class that reads like an all-star roster. Nicole Joic, Luca Donuch, Jiannis Anetta Kmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis, Trey Young, Steph Curry, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Carl Anthony Towns, Kyrie Irving, and Zack Lavine are all free agents that year. Teams across the league are already making strategic moves to preserve cap flexibility for this historic summer. The Lakers have explicitly prioritized long-term financial flexibility over immediate additions. And you would think the entire Lakers roster would be very excited about this, but LeBron James hates the fact that they’re doing this. Dave McMenan reported that they exercise disciplined in negotiations to preserve cap space for 2027 when the team expects to have space to sign a max salary free agent. And the Clippers approach mirrors this strategy with Lawrence Frank emphasizing financial flexibility while avoiding the second apron. And the math behind this is crazy. I mean, most of the Clippers current veteran additions expire before 2027, creating massive cap space just as multiple MVPs potentially hit the market. Nola Joic’s player option represents the crown jewel. A threetime MVP entering his age 32 season who could dramatically reshape the Western Conference landscape. Giannis’ potential availability could completely alter the NBA. And then you have younger stars like Luca Donuch and Donovan Mitchell who could be the face of your franchise for a decade plus. The risk of course lies in banking everything on free agents who might not reach the market. Luca is supposed to sign a contract extension in a week from now. Trey Young might sign a contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks. We consistently are excited about these free agent classes, but a lot of times you only see a fraction of these players reach the open market. Do you really think Nicole Joic is going to leave the Denver Nuggets? Who could offer him the most money out of each and every team so he could join the Los Angeles Lakers or the Clippers where he’s constantly going to be in the spotlight? I mean, take a look at his reaction when he won the NBA finals. So, I’m curious what you are feeling and if you’re looking forward to a parade coming up in Denver. Men’s parade. Men’s parade. Thursday. No, I need to go home. Uh, does this look like a guy that wants to be in a large market where the media is constantly annoying him? At the end of the day, I think what the Los Angeles Clippers are doing is brilliant. They’re competitive now and they’re also going to have cap space in 2027. And nothing in the NBA is necessarily guaranteed. I mean, the Dallas Mavericks made it to the 2024 NBA Finals on the back of Luca Donuch, and literally eight months later, they decided to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers. But in the meantime, I have to admit what the Clippers did is absolutely impressive. So, let me know in the comment section down below. What do you guys think about the Los Angeles Clippers offseason overhaul? Are they the better Los Angeles team? I’d like to hear what you have to say. Aside from that, I don’t know if you guys heard. WNBA stars have lost their damn minds. No, I’m not even kidding. We made a completely separate video that you guys have to check out. I’m going to leave it in the end screen. I’m going to meet you guys there. I’m your boy Mike and I’m dropping our mic until our next upload.

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