When the LA Clippers lost an NBA playoff series to the Utah Jazz back in 2017, there were plenty of calls to tear apart the roster.
The Clippers were faced with the impending free agency of Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and JJ Redick, plus a growing payroll on a team without a championship ceiling. There also wasn't a foundation of draft assets or cap flexibility in place to improve the roster.
Two years later, the Clippers exit the playoffs early under completely different circumstances. Multiple All-Star free agents, Anthony Davis trades, creative moves for long-term success -- it's all on the table.
Now eliminated from the postseason, let's look ahead to the free agency, draft and trade decisions facing LA this offseason.
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The blueprint to the summer of 2019
The Clippers have used an unorthodox approach of retooling the roster while also remaining competitive.
Instead of hitting the full rebuild button two years ago or keeping the same expensive roster intact, their front office took a big-picture approach by focusing on one question: How do we remain competitive in a strong Western Conference with the following team-building priorities:
Acquire players on short-term contracts who are not chasing that next deal in free agency
Retain tradable contracts that have value
Chris Paul was traded for Beverley, Williams, Harrell and a first-round pick
Blake Griffin was traded for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and a pick that turned into Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Harris was traded for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler and future draft compensation
Avery Bradley was traded for Garrett Temple and JaMychal Green
Build a foundation of young players with a focus on player development
Gilgeous-Alexander, Shamet, Jerome Robinson and Sindarius Thornwell
Have future draft assets to keep or use in trades
Own first-round picks starting in 2020
Lottery-protected 2020 first-rounder from the Sixers
Unprotected 2021 first-rounder from the Heat
Prioritize cap flexibility in 2019 without having to gut the roster
Can reach $45 million in room: eight players under contract, including the free-agent holds of Beverley, Ivica Zubac and Rodney McGruder
The Clippers' front office also removed the emotional element from each set of transactions. Instead of keeping long-term fixtures in Paul and Griffin, the team did what was best long-term, even if that meant taking a step back.
The free-agency sales pitch: Recruiting an All-Star (or All-Stars)
Every transaction the Clippers have made since June 2017 was done with an eye toward July 1, 2019. The Clippers have put themselves in position to target an All-NBA free agent, whether it be Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant or possibly both.
The challenge now comes with convincing Leonard, Durant or any All-Star-level free agent that the Clippers are the perfect fit. Here's what LA can sell:
Unlimited resources with owner Steve Ballmer
A front office with a proven track record of building a playoff roster
Championship head coach in Doc Rivers
Eight returning players, including three starters
Cap flexibility now and in the future to improve: minimum of $10 million in cap space remaining and the $4.7 million room midlevel available to use to sign free agents in 2019 (plus potentially $50 million in cap space in 2020)
Future draft assets: to either retain or use in a trade
The Los Angeles market
The Clippers also have enough space to pitch that any star can pick his free-agent running mate. Expect the Clippers to have a trade partner lined up to move Danilo Gallinari and his $22.1 million contract if needed. Trading him would leave the Clippers with $41 million in room, good enough to sign another max player.
Take the temperature on Anthony Davis
There will certainly be a phone call between the Clippers and Pelicans as it pertains to Davis.
The Clippers, one of four teams on AD's preferred list of teams at the trade deadline, have the right mix of young players, expiring contracts and draft assets to put together a compelling offer.
In fact, the Clippers' best potential package is more appealing than what their neighbor, the Lakers, can put together:
An expiring contract: Danilo Gallinari
Prized rookies: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (though he's close to untouchable), Landry Shamet and Jerome Robinson
Sixth Man of the Year candidates: Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell
Draft assets: future first-rounders from Philadelphia and Miami
Putting together a package of Gallinari, Harrell, Shamet and both first-round picks for Davis would leave the Clippers with $54 million in room, good enough to add Kawhi Leonard and still have $25 million in room available in free agency. And LA could still top that trade offer, if needed, by including Gilgeous-Alexander.
So the Clippers might be able to walk into their free-agent presentations on July 1 with something other teams cannot sell -- a franchise player in Anthony Davis.
The Plan B
This will not be considered a lost summer if the Clippers walk away empty-handed in free agency. Even without signing an All-Star in July, LA is positioned to have sustainable success with a mix of youth, short-term contracts, draft assets and future flexibility.
Here are the Clippers' options if they miss out on a max player:
1. Focus on their own free agents
Last summer we saw Avery Bradley sign a two-year, $25 million contract, but with only $2 million guaranteed in 2019-20. The Clippers can take that same approach with Patrick Beverley and JaMychal Green.
2. One-year contracts
The Clippers have built a culture in which the risk of signing or trading for players on one-year deals is somewhat mitigated. LA could have $53 million in room to divide among free agents such as Bojan Bogdanovic, Al-Farouq Aminu, Trevor Ariza, Thaddeus Young, Nikola Mirotic and Marcus Morris.
3. Play role of facilitator in taking back contracts
In a move usually reserved for rebuilding teams, the Clippers could still sign free agents and have enough money in late July to take back contracts along with draft assets.
Any of these three options would maintain $80 million in room for the Clippers in 2020-21.
Summer cap breakdown
The Clippers are positioned to sign at least one max player and keep the roster intact. Leaving the holds for Patrick Beverley ($9.5 million), Ivica Zubac ($1.9 million) and Rodney McGruder ($3.0 million) on the books gets LA to $43 million in room. To create a double max slot, Gallinari would need to be traded.
The Clippers will have the $4.7 million room midlevel exception available to use once cap space is used. The three trade exceptions of $9.8 million, $2.8 million and $849,000 will be lost once the Clippers operate as a team with room.
Resources available to build the roster
Cash to buy a draft pick
Cap space
Own free agents
Room midlevel exception
Dates to watch
• The Clippers have flexibility when it comes to guaranteeing the $1.6 million contract of Sindarius Thornwell. The former second-round pick has a July 20 guarantee date, giving LA a three-week window to evaluate whether cap space is needed. After averaging 15.8 MPG last season, Thornwell saw his minutes decrease to 4.7 MPG. Still, the shooting guard is a good investment at a low cost.
• LA has until June 29 to extend one-year qualifying offers to Ivica Zubac and Rodney McGruder. Zubac is eligible for a one-year, $1.9 million offer. Despite LA prioritizing cap space, expect the 22-year-old to receive the offer, making him a restricted free agent.
McGruder was claimed at the end of the season from the Heat and is eligible for a $3 million offer. That contract is slightly higher based on the forward reaching the starter criteria. If the Clippers elect not to extend the offer, McGruder will have a $1.6 million cap hold but retain early Bird rights. The same holds true with Zubac if declined, but the center will have full Bird rights and a slightly higher cap hold of $1.9 million.
Restrictions
• Tyrone Wallace has veto power on any trade until Sept. 5. The Pelicans cannot acquire Wallace until the September restriction is lifted. However, the $1.6 million contract of Wallace is non-guaranteed and LA can simply waive the guard if cap space is needed.
• If the Clippers are looking to trade a future first-round pick before July 1, it would have to be the 2020 pick acquired from the 76ers. Because the Stepien rule restricts teams from trading first-round picks of consecutive years, LA cannot deal its own 2020 first-round pick until after July 1.
Extension candidates
Danilo Gallinari is the lone player on the roster who can be extended. On the last year of his contract, the forward can be extended for an additional four seasons with a 120 percent increase on his $22.6 million salary.
It is unlikely Gallinari will receive a new deal.
The draft assets
The playoff appearance means the Clippers owe their protected first-rounder to Boston. That draft compensation was part of a previous trade with Memphis to acquire Jeff Green.
Here's how ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have the Clippers selecting in June:
No. 48 (own): Deividas Sirvydis | SF | Lietuvos Rytas
No. 56 (via Portland): Zylan Cheatham | PF | Arizona State
As part of the Tobias Harris trade at the deadline, the Clippers picked up two future draft assets: an unprotected 2021 Miami first-rounder and a lottery-protected 2020 Philly first-rounder. The pick from the 76ers is lottery-protected through 2022, and it will turn into second-rounders in 2023 and 2024 if not conveyed.