Your Clippers Free Agency Guide
Best of the Best
Kawhi Leonard
Five-star free agent
Kevin Durant
title contenders
Jimmy Butler
Al Horford
next level
Patrick Beverley
Brook Lopez
Marcus Morris
Nikola Mirotic
JaMychal Green
Best of the Best
Kawhi Leonard
Raptors · 28 yrs · 6-7 · 230 lbs
Last Contract 5 yrs · $94.2M
pts
26.6
reb
7.3
ast
3.3
blk
0.4
stl
1.8
A do-it-all wing
The best two-way player in the NBA probably qualifies him as, simply, the best player in the NBA. Leonard is the top prize in free agency, the player with the most power to change the way the league looks next season. Looks like a two-team race between Toronto and the Clippers with the Raptors’ title very fresh in his mind.
Five-star free agent
Kevin Durant
Warriors · 30 yrs · 6-9 · 240 lbs
Last Contract 2 yrs · $61.5M
pts
26.0
reb
6.4
ast
5.9
blk
1.1
stl
0.7
A generational scorer
Much more of a long shot than Leonard, Durant has kept the Clippers in the back of his mind. Some rival team executives think it could happen, but a move to the Eastern Conference and New York (either the Knicks or Nets) is the conventional wisdom. Whoever signs him will have to wait a year until his Achilles tendon heals.
title contenders
Jimmy Butler
76ers · 29 yrs · 6-8 · 232 lbs
Last Contract 5 yrs · $92.3M
pts
18.7
reb
5.3
ast
4.0
blk
0.5
stl
1.8
Tough-as-nails wing
Jimmy Butler isn’t perfect. He’s left teams on bad terms. He’s played a ton of minutes. He doesn’t shoot as well as you’d want a wing to. But how many players in the NBA can credibly go chest-to-chest with the best in the league on both ends? He’s one of a handful. The Clippers' interest in him during the season was muted, but that’s subject to change.
title contenders
Al Horford
Celtics · 33 yrs · 6-10 · 245 lbs
Last Contract 4 yrs · $113.3M
pts
13.6
reb
6.7
ast
4.2
blk
0.9
stl
1.3
Defensive captain
To borrow a phrase from Draymond Green – there are 82-game players and 16-game players. Al Horford, while a pretty good regular season big man, is a 16-game center. He has the ability to hit shots, but it’s his supreme basketball smarts and instincts that make him such a valuable addition to any team interested in contending now.
next level
Patrick Beverley
Clippers · 30 yrs · 6-1 · 185 lbs
Last Contract 4 yrs · $23M
pts
7.6
reb
5.0
ast
3.8
blk
0.6
stl
0.9
A pest
Beverley instantly becomes the heart of whatever team he signs with because of his toughness and defensive energy. He’s an underrated shooter too. After being a bargain for the last three seasons, money will be a huge factor in where he signs.
next level
Brook Lopez
bucks · 31 yrs · 7-0 · 270 lbs
Last Contract 1 yr · $3.4M
pts
12.5
reb
4.9
ast
1.2
blk
2.2
stl
0.6
The stretchiest 5
The smart money is on a Lopez return to Milwaukee, but the Clippers have a need at center and a longtime fascination with finding a big man who can stretch defenses beyond the three-point line (Byron Mullens, Spencer Hawes, etc.). No big center is better at this in today’s NBA than Lopez, who became the best rim-protecting, three-point shooting big man with a late-career pivot.
Next level
Marcus Morris
Celtics · 33 yrs · 6-10 · 245 lbs
Last Contract 4 yr · $20M
pts
13.9
reb
6.1
ast
1.5
blk
0.3
stl
0.6
Gritty combo forward
A criminally underrated part of Boston’s success, he’s due for a nice raise from whichever team signs him. A combo forward who can defend on the perimeter or on the inside, Morris should be in high demand from teams looking for a veteran who brings toughness, defense and shooting.
next level
Nikola Mirotic
bucks · 31 yrs · 7-0 · 270 lbs
Last Contract 1 yr · $3.4M
pts
15.2
reb
7.4
ast
1.2
blk
0.6
stl
0.7
Skilled shooting 4
Another deep-shooting big man, Mirotic is also a tough rebounder. Injury concerns and an exceptionally rough Eastern Conference finals (19.4% on 6.2 three-point attempts per game) could cool the market on him. Still, with shooting at a premium in this league, there will be demand for someone with Mirotic’s skills.
Next level
JaMychal Green
Clippers · 29 yrs · 6-9 · 227 lbs
Last Contract 2 yr · $16.2M
pts
9.4
reb
6.3
ast
0.8
blk
0.3
stl
0.5
Swiss-army big man
A sneaky good addition for the Clippers at the trade deadline, Green became a pivotal part of their playoff run with his ability to hit three-point shots while playing some center in small-ball lineups. The Clippers would love to have him back but if the team lands a big fish, he might get too costly.