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Josh Redetzke
6/14/08


2008/09 Los Angeles Clippers Payroll: $53.2 million
2008/09 Estimated NBA Salary Cap: $58 million (estimate)
Roughly: $4.8 million under cap

(includes player options of Elton Brand, $16.4 million,
and Corey Maggette, $8.4 million)

 

The
Good:

After signing a hefty contract and responding with
a terrible season, Chris Kaman took advantage of the absence of
Elton Brand and posted some impressive career highs. His rebounding
average of 12.7 and his 2.8 blocks per game were both good enough
for third in the entire league. Kaman also scored a respectable
15.7 points each night. With four years and $43.4 million left to
go on his contract, those numbers are very encouraging for the Clippers.
Injuries did limit Kaman to 56 games, but he was able to gain a
lot of confidence this season which he can use next year.

Al Thornton wasn’t picked until number 14 in the NBA draft,
but that didn’t stop him from becoming a member of the All-Rookie
team. In fact, it probably contributed to his motivation. Thornton
showed a serious knack for scoring, especially when he put up 39
points in a game against Memphis. Like many rookies, he was inconsistent
at times and must learn to improve his shot selection. However,
Thornton appears to be an excellent candidate to take over the small
forward position from Corey Maggette if and when he leaves town.

The
Bad:

Tim Thomas has made a career out of coasting. He has
enough ability that he can put up marginal numbers without having
to play very hard. The stats and the occasional breakout game are
what lead to a contract that will pay Thomas $6 million this season
and $6.4 million the next. For that, you get about 12 points, 5
rebounds, too many long jumpers and absolutely no defense. Thomas
used to be an asset around the three point line, but even that is
gone after a career worst 30.6%. The Clippers won’t be able
to get rid of him fast enough.

Cuttino Mobley’s stats aren’t any better than Thomas’s,
yet he is due to make about $3 million more per year. Perhaps Tim
Thomas is more of a bargain than I thought? Mobley is a very average
shooting guard making above average money. His scoring has declined
every season with the Clips down to the current 12.8, the lowest
average since his rookie year. Mobley must step up soon in order
to earn that paycheck.

The
Future:

Excluding the player options of Elton Brand and
Corey Maggette, the Clippers only have five real players under contract
for next season. Needless to say, it will be important for L.A.
to keep these guys in town. Maggette is the most underpaid and will
likely opt-out of the $8.4 million left on his deal. All he did
this year was lead the team in scoring with 22.1 points per game
and shot a nice 38.4% from downtown. Maggette will certainly receive
more money elsewhere, which makes Brand’s decision a little
tougher.

The normally dependable forward lost his season to injury and the
Clippers plunged to just 23 wins, proving how important Brand is
to this team. It is unlikely that Brand would get more than the
$16.4 million he will get from L.A. if he decided to join another
team, but with no point guard to speak of and the Western Conference
loaded with exceptional teams, it might not be a difficult decision
to make. His time is running out to be part of a championship team,
which is why I think his days as a Clipper are numbered.

If the team can somehow convince Brand to stay, and he continues
to be his dominating self, they might be able to piece together
a respectable team in a year or two. When Maggette bolts, it will
open up a nice chunk of cap space. With Shaun Livingston’s
career a major unknown, they can use that space or the seventh pick
in the draft to solve their point guard deficiency. The Clippers
don’t have a lot of long-term contracts so they would have
money to spend if they choose to do so.

However, if Brand and Maggette both leave, this might be the worst
team in the league next season. Sure, they would have a ridiculous
amount of cap space, but there aren’t a lot of top-tier free
agents this summer that could replace those two players. The future
of the Clippers is up to just one man and it isn’t Donald
Sterling.

Free
Throw:

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of people
are pulling for Shaun Livingston to make as close to a full recovery
from his incredible knee injury as possible. The kid had a bright
future in the league and it would be a shame if it was taken away
this early. He might never be the player he could have been before
the injury, but if he can return as a contributor on the court again,
it would put a smile on a lot of faces, especially Clipper fans.

Grade: C+

Main
State of the Cap Page

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