Latest news with #BrookLopez
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers may be deep, but could age be their downfall?
Yahoo Sports contributing NBA writer Tom Haberstron and NBA writer Dan Devine break down L.A.'s series of offseason signings - what has pushed the team's average age to a historic level. Hear the full conversation on 'The Big Number' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript This week's big number is 33.2. That's the average age: 33 years old of the Los Angeles Clippers roster if the players log as many minutes as they did last season. OK, so. That's really old, OK. The oldest team in NBA history, if this happens as it did last year. Wow. I looked this up. The oldest team on record, according to basketball reference age tracking is the 200, 2001 Utah Jazz with John Stockton, Brian Russell, Karl Malone. That team had an average age of 32. This Clippers team is at 33.2, Dan. So, like, way beyond what we've seen from any of the oldest teams, all the gray beards, all the old heads of your. This Clippers team is older than any of those. They got a pretty full roster now that they've added, uh, Brook Lopez and John Collins and Bradley Beal, and then Chris Paul is sort of like the finishing, although I, I think they still do have one roster spot available, so I don't know. The, the interesting thing to me is in a league, and we've talked about this, we'll probably talk about it some more moving forward. Like, it feels like we're moving younger, right? Like we just had the conversation about the Oklahoma City Thunder, we had the conversations about the Indiana Pacers, about the age of those rosters, the depth of those rosters, the style of play, all those sorts of things. And Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations with the Clippers, was like, listen, we're just trying to get the best players. We need to get the best players possible and who are available to us. And at this point, you know, based on who we could get, you know, we didn't think that Brook Lopez was going to be available. We didn't think we're gonna be able to get John Collins. We didn't had no idea Bradley Beal was gonna, uh, you know, reach the open market on a buyout. We had no idea Chris Paul was gonna be available in the 3rd week of free agency, the end of July. And so we're going to get the best players we can that fit with our style. They've put themselves in that position where it's really interesting. This might be the deepest roster in the league right now. But also, as you say, pretty comfortably the oldest, and those two things don't necessarily seem like they go together. Close
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bradley Beal signing with Clippers draws hyped responses from Tyronn Lue, Lawrence Frank
The post Bradley Beal signing with Clippers draws hyped responses from Tyronn Lue, Lawrence Frank appeared first on ClutchPoints. After clearing waivers on Friday afternoon, Bradley Beal officially signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. The team announced the signing via a press release with comments from President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank and head coach Tyronn Lue. The former three-time NBA All-Star now brings his talents to Los Angeles looking to jumpstart his career after a couple of rough seasons with the Phoenix Suns. Bradley Beal signing draws strong response from Lawrence Frank Bradley Beal officially cleared waivers on Friday and signed a deal with the LA Clippers. The contract is reportedly a two-year, $10.9 million deal worth the remainder of the Clippers midlevel exception after signing Brook Lopez to a two-year, $18 million deal. 'Brad is one of the most talented shooting guards in the NBA,' Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank said in a press release Friday. 'He is a two-way player and an accomplished three-level scorer who brings additional shooting, ball-handling and creation to the team. 'Brad had a lot of options this summer, for good reason, and we're honored he chose the Clippers. We look forward to providing him with all the support he needs to reach the high standards he's set throughout his decorated career.' Beal is a 13-year NBA veteran and former third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. The 32-year-old guard has career averages of 21.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals in 801 regular-season appearances. Bradley Beal struggled in his last two seasons after being traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2023. His boxscore numbers look solid with averages of 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from three, and 80.8 percent from the free-throw line. But the three-time All-Star played just 106 of a possible 164 regular-season games was one of the poorest individual defenders in the league and was on a roster that was simply not fit to capitalize on his strengths while hiding his weaknesses. The Clippers, on the other hand, have all the tools necessary to help Bradley Beal on both ends of the floor. LA finished with the third best defensive rating in the NBA last season at 109.4 points per 100 possessions and the fifth best net rating in the league at +4.9 points per 100 possessions. With James Harden at the point-guard position, a fully healthy Kawhi Leonard expected to start training camp for the first time since he joined the Clippers, and the rise of star center Ivica Zubac, Bradley Beal should be a seamless fit into what the Clippers want to build in Los Angeles. That's not even factoring in some of the newest additions in John Collins and Brook Lopez in addition to some of the versatile role players on the team like Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn, and Derrick Jones Jr. 'Players of this caliber are very rare, and they're hard to come by,' said head coach Tyronn Lue. 'Brad has been an All-Star. He's been in a race for the scoring title. He's been the best player on his team. You can put him in so many different spots, and he'll find ways to score: out of pick-and-roll, coming off screens, catch-and-shoot. 'He can create his own or he can play off the ball. He's a great cutter. He's also a great playmaker who is going to make everybody else better. I'm excited he's with us.' The Clippers have everything necessary to rejuvenate Bradley Beal's career following a couple of rough seasons in Phoenix. Even his agent, Mark Bartelstein, recently said in an interview that Beal is hoping to sign a long-term deal with the Clippers in the summer of 2026. 'The hope is everything goes well with the Clippers, and the Clippers are a team that's going to have a lot of cap room this summer, and the goal is to sign a long-term deal with the Clippers this summer,' Mark Bartelstein said in an interview with Front Office Sports. 'That's the goal, but that player option is just there as a security blanket, a 'God-forbid' type of thing. And that's the purpose of it. 'What happens with player options is sometimes we deal with a salary cap in the NBA that is stringent at times It puts a lot of restrictions on what teams can do, and so if the team is getting a player for a below-market value deal because that's tone of the tools they have to pay that player. 'The player option will often come in place as an insurance policy to give the player something to fall back on if things don't go well, but the intention is certainly to opt out and get back into the market to reclaim your value, and that's what's going to happen with Brad. 'Brad doesn't like change. It's one of the reasons he stayed in Washington so long. The goal of this is to go to LA, have an awesome season, and then re-sign a long-term deal with the Clippers this summer.' This offseason, the Clippers have seen the departures of Norman Powell, Amir Coffey, Ben Simmons, Drew Eubanks, and Patty Mills. The additions to this team have been Brook Lopez, John Collins, and Bradley Beal, with league sources telling ClutchPoints that free-agent point guard Chris Paul is expected to be the next signing for the Clippers. Related: Where LA Clippers rank in Western Conference after Bradley Beal deal Related: Bradley Beal's plans for 2026 free agency after signing with Clippers
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers' Brook Lopez breaks silence on leaving Bucks for LA
The post Clippers' Brook Lopez breaks silence on leaving Bucks for LA appeared first on ClutchPoints. Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez has finally opened up about his decision to leave the Milwaukee Bucks amid NBA Free Agency. The 2021 NBA Champion agreed to a two-year, $18 million deal with the Clippers. He joins a loaded roster featuring Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and head coach Tyronn Lue. For Lopez, the move to LA isn't just a career shift, it's a meaningful homecoming. The 37-year-old center spoke at Summer League in Las Vegas, sharing his excitement about joining a franchise on the rise. 'It's crazy to see, but it's very cool,' Lopez said. 'Seeing the climb, the ascent. I'm a Cali boy. I grew up in the Valley, in North Hollywood.' He added, 'I'm glad to be a part of it, and hopefully, I can help take them even further up.' For Brook Lopez, the move is not just about basketball, it's about returning to Southern California and reuniting with Clippers executive Lawrence Frank, who coached him early in his career with the Nets. After seven successful seasons in Milwaukee, highlighted by a 2021 NBA championship, Lopez shifts to a new role in LA. While Ivica Zubac remains the starting center, the Clippers expect Lopez to play a key supporting role off the bench. 'I think we complement each other extremely well. Obviously, we'll be very big. I think we'll be great defensively, just dominating the paint, sealing the paint off,' he explained. Lopez emphasized that the depth and experience of the Clippers' roster played a major role in his decision. He noted that the team has been successful for quite some time, with future Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and a strong culture, exactly the kind of environment he wants to be part of. His decision also signals that the Bucks shifted direction, as roster changes and cap constraints prevented them from keeping the core intact. Still, Lopez brings no regrets to LA and carries a clear mission. He said the money is nice, but that's not what drives him. 'I love playing, I love winning, and these guys are all about that. So, it's a perfect fit.' For Lopez, it's not just a new chapter, it's a homecoming with championship goals. Amid a high-stakes NBA Free Agency period, the Clippers have built a deep, veteran-loaded roster that just might have the pieces to finally bring home their first NBA title Related: NBA rumors: How LeBron James' situation drove Brook Lopez from Lakers to Clippers Related: Siegel's Scoop: Why Bradley Beal, Jonathan Kuminga headline NBA Summer League intel
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Chris Paul reportedly agrees to one-year deal with LA Clippers at age of 40
Twelve-time All-Star Chris Paul is returning to the Los Angeles Clippers on a one-year deal for his 21st NBA season, multiple outlets reported Monday. The deal is reportedly worth $3.6m. Paul, 40, joined Los Angeles leading up to the 2011-12 season, ultimately guiding the Clippers to at least 51 wins in five of his six seasons there. As a franchise, Los Angeles have won 50 or more games just seven times. An All-Star in five of his six seasons there, Paul ranks first in franchise history with 4,023 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Paul joins a Clippers team who have recently signed Bradley Beal to a two-year deal and also added John Collins and Brook Lopez in free agency. Paul has been named All-NBA 11 times, including four times as a first-team selection – three while with the Clippers. He has averaged 17.0 points and 9.2 assists throughout his Hall of Fame career, which has spanned seven teams, most recently with the San Antonio Spurs this past season. His 2,717 career steals are second only to John Stockton with 3,265. Paul was drafted No 4 overall by the then-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets in the 2005 draft. He won Rookie of the Year for the 2005-06 season.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Los Angeles Clippers Signing 3x All-Star Scorer
While they've largely flown under the radar, the Los Angeles Clippers have made a few potentially significant additions to their roster. In addition to re-signing Nic Batum and James Harden, the LA Clippers signed Brook Lopez to a two-year contract and also added John Collins via trade. But that's not all. Now, according to ESPN's NBA expert Shams Charania, the Clippers are signing Bradley Beal to a two-year, $11 million contract. Beal has finally been bought out from his contract with the Phoenix Suns, and he quickly latched on with the Clippers. While Beal's new deal has the potential to span two seasons, the second year is actually a player option. This contract structure allows Beal to re-test the open market if he enjoys a big, bounce-back season as a member of the Clippers. Considering the Clippers have reached the NBA Playoffs for three seasons in a row, if Beal can emerge as a significant contributor on a winning squad, his value just might trend in a positive direction, despite turning a year older. Either way, now that he's set to play on a much more affordable rate, Beal can play without nearly as much pressure as he's dealt with really ever since signing his five-year, $251 million contract in 2022. Related: Related Headlines Kansas City Chiefs' Rashee Rice Gets Jail Sentence, NFL Suspension Likely Fantasy Football Owners Get Extremely Positive Update on Stefon Diggs Injury Micah Parsons: Blame Dallas Cowboys for Lack of Contract Progress Detroit Tigers linked to Cy Young caliber closer from Cleveland
