Clippers: What’s new, season prediction & 2024 free agents

The Clippers are healthy as they open training camp, but the league’s oldest team last season got older. As usual, the season’s outlook and LA’s chance to slip through its championship window depends on stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

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What’s new?

• The offseason mentality might linger right into the regular season for the Clippers, who still would like to upgrade their roster with one of the veterans still said to be in play, perhaps James Harden or Buddy Hield.
• Nearing 35, Russell Westbrook was brought back on a two-year deal, based on his welcome production in 21 games with the Clippers last season (15.8 ppg, 7.6 apg, career-best 35.6% on 3s).
• Most of this team’s other summer activity was at the fringes, from re-signing backup center Mason Plumlee to trading for Kenyon Martin Jr. and drafting Missouri forward Kobe Brown at No. 30.

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How far can the Clippers go?

On paper, the Clippers have stars, a mix of experience and youth and lots of talent worthy of a conference finals run. But it continues to be frustrating trying to get and keep all that on the floor together. And that mix isn’t really a blend, as the young players are in secondary roles to the aging vets — with center Ivica Zubac a refreshing exception.

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1 player who must take a leap

Kawhi Leonard. Look, we’re not talking a traditional “leap,” as in a breakout season in production, or a literal leap in which he might hurt himself again. Leonard needs to make a leap in durability and thus availability, and needed to do so before the NBA instituted its new player participation rules. He has missed 147 of a possible 308 games since joining the Clippers and the team is 96-46 when he and Paul George both play in their four seasons as teammates vs. 86-80 when one or both are out.

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In-Season Tournament

The Clippers are in West Group B. Here’s a refresher on how the In-Season Tournament works.

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Upcoming free agents

The Clippers have 11 players who will be free agents in 2024:

• Nicolas Batum
• Marcus Morris
• Mason Plumlee
• Robert Covington
• Kenyon Martin Jr.
• Brandon Boston Jr. (restricted)
• Russell Westbrook (player)
• Moussa Diabate (two-way player)
• Joshua Primo (two-way player)
• Brodric Thomas (restricted)
• Bryson Williams (restricted)

The names above represent about $50 million coming off LA’s payroll, if all were to leave. But the ones to watch will be Leonard and George, both of whom have player-options next summer worth a combined $96.5 million. This season will play a huge role in what their value and longevity will be heading into owner Steve Ballmer’s Intuit Dome in Inglewood for 2024-25.

The LA Clippers’ full roster can be found here.

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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