NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 potential destinations for Paul Millsap
By John Buhler
Los Angeles Clippers
West, Pacific
The Los Angeles Clippers could look totally different by the start of next season. Shooting guard J.J. Redick will be an unrestricted free agent. He’s honestly too pricey for the Clippers to be able to bring him back on a second contract. Then there are the early termination options built into point guard Chris Paul and power forward Blake Griffin’s contracts. What are the Clippers going to do?
Owner Steve Ballmer will try to bring back both of his star players on long-term deals. However, if he has to choose between the pair, he’d end up re-signing Paul over Griffin because solid point guard player is more conducive to the Clippers winning 50+ games annually.
Should Griffin opt out and not return to the Clippers, expect the club to test the free agency market to find a new guy to put at the four. Guys like Ibaka, Millsap and Oklahoma City power forward Taj Gibson could be in the mix. However, Millsap would be the guy that would mostly likely ensure that Los Angeles is a 50-win team again in 2017-18.
Millsap would mesh better with Clippers center DeAndre Jordan better than all free agent power forwards. He has the ability to win on the glass and stretch the floor with his jump shooting. Griffin and Gibson could create for clunky spacing defensively. Ibaka can disappear at times on both ends of the court.
Overall, Millsap would bring a level of maturity that would help the Clippers get over themselves. Millsap has already been the best player on a team that actually reached a Conference Finals before. If he’s down with getting yelled at by head coach Doc Rivers most nights, Millsap is not a bad fit with the Clippers at all. However, we have to assume that Griffin isn’t going anywhere.