The last week of June will dictate the LA Clippers' offseason.
Besides its two lottery picks, LA will be faced with important decisions after DeAndre Jordan either decides to opt into the last year of his contract or hit free agency.
After LA agreed to an extension with head coach Doc Rivers, let's look ahead to the free agency, draft and trade decisions facing the Clippers this offseason.
More summer focus: Click here for every team so far
Getting value out of the lottery
There will be no shortage of contingency plans when it comes to the Clippers and the draft.
From now until June 21, the front office will evaluate a number of prospects while examining a few different draft day options:
Retaining the two late-lottery picks (Nos. 12 and 13)
Is there a possibility of moving into the top eight to land an impact player?
Does trading either pick to move back in the draft and acquire a future first-round pick make sense?
Can they package both picks to acquire an All-Star-level player and accelerate the rebuild?
The future of DeAndre Jordan
Since the trade deadline, Jordan's agent, Jeff Schwartz, has been gathering information about the free-agent market this summer in case the center does opt out of his $24.1 million contract for 2018-19.
That process includes teams with room as well as potential trade partners for a team over the cap if Jordan opts in to his deal (similar to what occurred last June when Chris Paul agreed to join the Rockets).
It's unlikely Jordan will opt out if there isn't a strong offer waiting for him in July. However, cap space will be sacred this summer, and there's no guarantee any team will be willing to match the annual value of his player option over multiple seasons.
Still only 29, Jordan is considered one the league's most durable players (just 11 missed games since 2011-12) and an elite rebounder. There's a reason LA was not just going to give Jordan away for nothing at February's trade deadline, even if it meant the risk of losing him in free agency for nothing.
The Clippers have two advantages with Jordan.
They can negotiate a new contract with him up until June 29 because he is still under contract, given his player option. And they are unlikely to face a multiteam bidding war, with only non-playoff teams Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix and Sacramento with room, and the Lakers and Sixers most likely taking a conservative approach if they miss out on their top-tier free-agency targets.
Signing Jordan to a three-year, $72 million contract that starts high ($26 million) and decreases in the next two seasons ($24 million and $22 million) would still give the Clippers flexibility in 2019. Only Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and their two lottery picks in June will have guaranteed contracts going forward.
Retain Jordan, and there is still room ($42 million) to continue reshaping the roster.
Health at point guard
The front office will need to look at the landscape of the draft and free agency to determine if there is a better option at point guard than Milos Teodosic and Patrick Beverley.
Beverley (seven months removed from microfracture surgery) and Teodosic (who dealt with plantar fasciitis for most of the season) combine to earn $11 million with only $2 million guaranteed (Teodosic).
Even with the injuries, the two are expected to be healthy when training camp begins and would serve as a one-year stopgap to 2019, when the Clippers could have significant room.
Releasing both players and not retaining Jordan would create flexibility but only $17 million in room for 2018.
Summer cap breakdown
Consider the 2018-19 season a bridge year for LA. There is no clear path for the Clippers to be active in free agency this summer unless they are willing to tear down their roster.
Jordan aside, LA would need Austin Rivers to opt out of his contract to begin to create room. Rivers' option is for $12.7 million, and he will not have suitors in free agency that could come close to that figure for 2018-19.
The Clippers could move Rivers and Wesley Johnson but would likely to need to attach a draft asset or player to do so.
LA will likely have the $8.6 million midlevel and $3.4 million bi-annual exceptions even if Jordan does opt out of his contract. The Clippers also have $7.2, $1.6, $1.5 and $1.3 million trade exceptions available to use.
Dates to watch
Jordan's June 29 deadline to exercise his player option will dictate the shape of the Clippers' roster for next season.
Teodosic has a unique structure to his contract. The point guard has a June 30 player option but could be waived with $2 million guaranteed if he elected to opt in. The contract essentially gave Teodosic $8 million in guaranteed money (2017-18 salary and $2 million in 2018-19) for one year. The Clippers have until July 15 to waive the point guard, an unlikely scenario unless they need to create room for another move.
One player acquired in the Chris Paul trade who has gone under the radar is restricted free agent Montrezl Harrell. The power forward/center has given the Clippers something they have lacked off the bench in the past -- energy, toughness and scoring. Expect the Clippers to give Harrell a $1.8 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.
Restrictions
Jordan and Teodosic have trade bonuses, but only if they opt into their contracts. The bonus for Jordan is $3.6 million, and $945K for Teodosic.
The Clippers can take the same approach as last year when it comes to buying picks in the draft. Because the Clippers have only $487K in cash available, any draft night trade to acquire a second-rounder will have to occur after July 6, when the new calendar year begins.
Extension-eligible candidates
Before undergoing right microfracture surgery, Beverley was the logical candidate for a possible contract extension. After signing a four-year, $23 million contract with the Rockets, Beverley had outperformed his deal. Now in the last year with a $5 million non-guaranteed cap hit, LA will likely table talks of a possible new contract.
The Clippers also have Jordan (if he opts in), Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Rivers (if he opts in), Wesley Johnson (if he opts in) and Sam Dekker extension eligible.
The draft assets
The Clippers control the back end of the lottery with their pick at No. 12 and the Pistons' first (No. 13) acquired in the Blake Griffin trade.
What LA does in the draft could impact its first-rounder in 2019.
If the Clippers return to the playoffs next year, their first will head to the Celtics.
The pick is lottery-protected in the next two years and will convert to a second in 2022 if not conveyed.
Here's how ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have LA picking in the 2018 draft:
No. 12 (from Detroit): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | PG/SG | Kentucky
No. 13 (own): Lonnie Walker | SG | Miami