Tag: Los Angeles Clippers

Could the Nets be in the running for Paul George?

While it is early in the summer for the Brooklyn Nets, there is a possibility of Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George being available.

The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of an offseason that could be crucial to their near future since they are coming off a disappointing 2023-24 season. As Brooklyn moves through this summer, they have some options to get better, but are limited by lack of draft picks and possibly, lack of available money.

While the Nets have most of their roster under contract for next season, the big free-agent for them is center Nic Claxton. It seems likely that Claxton is re-signing with Brooklyn at some point this summer as long as his price isn’t too high for him and the Nets to agree to a new contract that works for both sides.

Whether or not Brooklyn is able to re-sign Claxton or not, there is a player who could be a free-agent this offseason and that’s Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George. The Clippers were bounced in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs and despite the fact that the team wants to run things back, they may not be able to do so while bringing back all of their stars.

George, 34, has a player option for next season worth $48.7 million, a figure that Los Angeles would either have to fit into their cap by losing some of their depth that got them to the playoffs the past couple of years or by trading George in the hopes of recouping some assets.

Either way, it’s possible that the Clippers could have a trade partner in the Nets if George picks up his player option given that Brooklyn could be looking for a star-level player as soon as this offseason.

Much has been made about the Nets given that they are stuck in the middle because of their lack of control over their own draft picks for the next few years due to the James Harden trade combined with the fact that Brooklyn is clearly not good enough to make the postseason.

To be clear, there have been no reports or rumors that the Clippers and the Nets have discussed George in anyway. However, if things don’t go as planned for Los Angeles this offseason, Brooklyn could be a team that swoops in to take George of their hands.

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Tyronn Lue comments on being a candidate for Lakers’ head coaching job

It doesn’t sound like the Lakers’ interest in Tyronn Lue is mutual.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ search for a new head coach began on Friday when they fired Darvin Ham and his entire staff. Several candidates have emerged. However, there isn’t a Phil Jackson-caliber coach available, so the Lakers will likely take their time before making a decision.

It seems their preferred candidate may be Tyronn Lue. It makes sense. Lue coached LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA championship in 2016. Lue also won two more rings as a player with the Lakers in the early 2000s.

The problem is Lue is under contract with the Los Angeles Clippers through next season. After the Clippers were knocked out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, he was asked about being a candidate for the Lakers’ head coaching job, and he said he wants to remain with the Clippers.

In fact, it looks like the Clippers will not even allow the Lakers to interview Lue (h/t Ahn Fire Digital).

Via The Athletic:

“The Clippers know they can’t upgrade on Lue,” wrote Sam Amick and Law Murray. “They didn’t extend him last offseason, though they guaranteed the last year of the five-year contract he signed in 2020 to succeed Doc Rivers as head coach. Other teams were blocked from talking to Lue. According to team sources, that would be the case again if teams attempt to pry him away this offseason. Lue has already been tied to the Lakers’ vacancy, and his stellar reputation as a title-winning coach means he’d likely be in the running for any job that becomes open.”

Lue has been the Clippers’ head coach since the 2020-21 season. It has been a frustrating tenure for them, as they have reached the Western Conference Finals just once and haven’t won a playoff series since his first year in that capacity despite boasting one of the league’s most talented rosters.

NBA Twitter reacts to Mavs blowing out Clippers in Game 5: ‘Just a vintage Clippers playoff performance’

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Dallas Mavericks blowing out the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5.

The Dallas Mavericks blew out the Los Angeles Clippers 123-93 in a pivotal Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.

Luka Doncic led the way for the Mavs with 35 points, seven rebounds, and ten assists, while James Harden had his worst game of the series with seven points.

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Mavs’ 30-point win.

FX drops star-studded trailer for ‘Clipped’ about Donald Sterling’s Clippers scandal

The new limited series about Donald Sterling’s Clippers scandal has premiered a new trailer.

A new trailer has premiered for Clipped, a limited series dramatization of the Donald Sterling scandal that led the NBA to oust him from Los Angeles Clippers ownership in 2014.

The new series stars sitcom veteran Ed O’Neill as Sterling, Laurence Fishburne as then-Clippers coach Doc Rivers, Jackie Weaver as Shelly Sterling and Cleopatra Coleman as V. Stiviano, Sterling’s personal assistant.

The trailer promises an in-depth look at how Sterling’s racist comments derailed his ownership of one of the most lucrative franchises in the NBA.

Castle Rock and Feud: Bette and Joan producer Gina Welch created the series, which is based on ESPN’s 30 For 30 podcast series The Sterling Affairs from Ramona Shelburne.

The six-episode series is slated to premiere on June 4.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Mavs-Clippers Game 2 thriller: ‘Luka won the game defensively’

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Mavericks tying up the series against the Clippers.

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have tied the series 1-1 against the Los Angeles Clippers after their Game 2 96-93 win in a tight battle.

Doncic led the way for the Mavs with 32 points and nine assists, while Kyrie Irving also added 23.

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to Dallas tying the series and Doncic’s dagger in the final minutes.

Pacers’ Oscar Tshiebwe headlines 2023-24 G League All-Rookie Team

Tshiebwe was named the G League Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists with the Indiana Mad Ants.

Indiana Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe and Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller were among the players named to the 2023-24 G League All-Rookie Team, which was released on Thursday.

Tshiebwe was named the G League Rookie of the Year on April 2 after averaging 15.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 57.3% shooting from the field in 34 games with the Indiana Mad Ants. He led the G League in rebounding and was second in double-doubles (28).

He was also named to the All-G League first team.

Miller was runner-up for G League Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, two assists and 1.2 steals with the Ontario Clippers. He ranked fourth in total points (814) among first-year players and 24th in total rebounds (245).

Tshiebwe and Miller are joined by Chicago Bulls center Adama Sanogo, Philadelphia 76ers guard Terquavion Smith and Santa Cruz Warriors guard Kendric Davis, the only player not signed to a two-way contract. Sanogo was also named to the All-G League third team.

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Sooners legend Blake Griffin officially announces retirement

Blake Griffin, a generational athlete and former Oklahoma Sooner announced his retirement after a 14-year NBA career.

An Oklahoma basketball legend called it a career on Tuesday. Sooners basketball legend Blake Griffin announced his retirement in a post he shared via social media on Tuesday morning.

Griffin ended his NBA career after 14 years. The bulk of his career came as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers after he was drafted in 2009 as the first overall pick. He also spent time with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics.

Griffin retired as a six-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA Second Team, two-time All-NBA Third Team, and the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009.

 

As a high schooler from Oklahoma City, Griffin won multiple state championships. He signed with the Sooners and went on to earn selections on the Big 12 All-Rookie Team and to the first-team All-Big 12 after posting 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds and ranking ninth in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and third in field goal percentage in the Big 12 Conference.

Instead of bolting for the impending NBA Draft, he stayed for one more year. He cemented his status as an Oklahoma basketball legend. During his sophomore season, he became the first player in Big 12 history to record back-to-back games of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He dropped 40 points and 23 rebounds against Texas Tech, becoming the only player in Big 12 history and the third player in the history of the University of Oklahoma men’s basketball program to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game, joining [autotag]Wayman Tisdale[/autotag] and [autotag]Alvan Adams[/autotag].

He led Oklahoma to a regional final that saw them lose to eventual national champion UNC. That year, Griffin averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season and earned All-American first team honors. He also swept every major player of the year award. He’s the only Sooner to win the Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Adolph Rupp Trophy, John Wooden Award, and the Associated Press Player of the Year in the same season.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe named G League Rookie of the Year

Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe led the G League in rebounding and finished second in double-doubles (28).

Indiana Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe on Tuesday was named the G League Rookie of the Year for his play with the Indiana Mad Ants, the league announced.

Tshiebwe, who is signed to a two-way contract, averaged 15.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 57.3% shooting from the field in 34 games with the Mad Ants, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday.

The undrafted center from Kentucky led the G League in rebounding and finished second in double-doubles (28). He registered six games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds and was one of seven players to reach that mark in a game.

Tshiebwe set the franchise single-game rebounding record with 28 on Nov. 22 in a win over the Motor City Cruise. He also set the single-season record for rebounds by recording 26 points and 26 rebounds in a win over the Long Island Nets on March 21.

The 24-year-old became the second Mad Ants player to win the award, joining Tony Mitchell (2012-13). He edged Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ricky Council IV in the voting by head coaches and general managers.

Tshiebwe established himself as a dominant player in the paint in college, and continued to show that ability and more this year with the Mad Ants after winning G League Rookie of the Year.

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Russell Westbrook argued with a heckler who was bizarrely wearing a balloon hat on his head

This was so intense you might not have noticed the balloon hat.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook had a heated interaction with a fan at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

Westbrook, who recently returned from an extended absence due to a left hand injury, approached someone who had attended the game between the Clippers and Hornets.

According to reporter Jeremy Grandison, who captured a video of the exchange, the person at the game was heckling Westbrook during the first half of the game. As a result, the former MVP decided to talk to the fan. It was so intense that you may not notice the fan was wearing a balloon hat.

WARNING: Some language in the video might not be safe for work.

Unfortunately, this happens all too frequently with Westbrook.

We have seen that he gets especially upset when anyone shows disrespect for his name or his family.

But this is the first time that we have seen Westbrook have such a heated back and forth with someone who was wearing a balloon hat on his head.

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James Harden explains why he bizarrely contested teammate Kawhi Leonard’s 3-point attempt

James Harden contested his own teammate’s shot. Why? He has a reason.

James Harden … what are you doing?!

We’ve seen some weird contesting of shots in the NBA as of late. There was Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla trying to block Royce O’Neale after a whistle, and now we’ve got Harden running out to contest the shot of … his Los Angeles Clippers teammate, Kawhi Leonard.

Seriously! Watch the video below from Wednesday night a few times and tell me you’re not cackling at that.

Why did he do it? He told reporters he was trying to “bring some excitement to this team” and that the Clips were going through a “fog” lately and wanted to give Los Angeles something to laugh about:

Well, I guess it worked? Weird, though.