The Los Angeles Clippers intend to keep their corps intact for more seasons as they plan to re-sign All-Star point guard Chris Paul and power-forward Blake Griffin this summer. Despite receiving so many calls to change up the roster, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is throwing his full support to keeping his stars at all costs.
Committed owner
In an interview with Matthew Rocco of FOX Business, Ballmer talked about his commitment in keeping the Clippers in a position to win. He added that he won’t hesitate paying luxury tax as long as his ballclub remains in contention for a championship.
“If we’re in it and we’re playing for a championship, I don’t mind the tax,” said Ballmer, who bought the Clippers for $2 billion from Donald Sterling in 2014.
The Clippers are projected to go above the luxury tax threshold if they retain Paul and Griffin. Paul is entitled to a contract that pays $35M per year, while Griffin is bound for $30M per season. As for guard J.J. Reddick, he is also expected to get a decent pay hike of $18M per year. USA Today’s Sam Amick provided a preview of the Clippers’ payroll in the event Ballmer decides to re-sign all three players.
“Working projections peg the total at approximately $196 million in all, with $140 million in salaries and $56 million in luxury tax (and Redick, in that scenario, having a starting salary of approximately $18 million),” Amick stated.
Sign-and-trade deal
According to Marc Beerman of the New York Post, the general feeling right now around the association is that the Clippers will exert effort into re-signing both Paul and Griffin to max deals. However, they are not expected to make a strong push to re-sign Reddick.
Beerman said NBA executives are expecting the Clippers to make another attempt at acquiring Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks.
This team had a serious talk with the Knicks for a potential trade involving Anthony last February. Unfortunately, trade negotiation collapsed the moment Phil Jackson asked for the inclusion of more assets apart from Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford.
Beerman added that NBA executives believe that this particular trade scenario will happen if the Clippers are willing to include Reddick (sign-and-trade), Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson as part of the deal.
Paul has long been a proponent of brining in Anthony to the Clippers, believing his All-Star buddy can rejuvenate his career away from the drama of the Big Apple.
“It’s a great deal for the Knicks — they get a shooter they need [Redick], Rivers is a perfect sixth man and even Wesley is long and athletic and a great locker-room guy. It’s a solid trade for them. They haven’t been able to win with Melo,’’ an anonymous NBA executive told Beerman.
