So the Clippers might be an interesting team to watch. Similar to the Lakers, the Clippers are asset-poor, old, and desperate to win. Unlike the Lakers, they are in absolute cap hell next season. They are paying nearly $200 million this season in salaries and about $142 million in additional luxury tax penalties. Next season they will be in the repeater tax as well, and they are paying nearly $30 million next year to players that might not be in the playoff rotation (Morris and RoCo, though Batum is also a shell of his former self). They will also need to sign some players with the likely departure of Plumlee and Westbrook (they won't have any PGs).
They could just terminate Eric Gordon's contract early, but he's playing really well for them. If they don't, I could see them looking for a way to dump some dead weight.
Enter the Jazz. I don't think they'd have leverage to ask for an unprotected 1st from the Clippers, but maybe they could approach LAC with the Numberica special: 2nds and swaps. They'll have three future 2nds they can trade ('26, '29, '30) and more than enough swappable 1sts than we could ask for.
The parameters of the deal could range from a straight salary dump to the Jazz returning some players.
They could just terminate Eric Gordon's contract early, but he's playing really well for them. If they don't, I could see them looking for a way to dump some dead weight.
Enter the Jazz. I don't think they'd have leverage to ask for an unprotected 1st from the Clippers, but maybe they could approach LAC with the Numberica special: 2nds and swaps. They'll have three future 2nds they can trade ('26, '29, '30) and more than enough swappable 1sts than we could ask for.
The parameters of the deal could range from a straight salary dump to the Jazz returning some players.
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