Russell Westbrook is back with the Clippers.
On Friday, the Clippers made it official and announced that they have re-signed Westbrook.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it’s a two-year, $8 million deal.
“In the two months, Russ spent with the team, he was everything we hoped he would be and more,” said Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “He made a huge impact on the court, with his play, and off it, with the urgency, intensity, and professionalism he brings to the gym on a daily basis.”
Westbrook started the season with the Lakers but was traded to the Jazz in February; he was bought out by Utah and signed with the Clippers. The 34-year-old appeared in 21 games for the Clippers last season, averaging 15.8 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 48.9% from the floor.
The 14-year NBA veteran has appeared in 1,094 games and holds career averages of 22.4 points, 8.4 assists, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, and Clippers.
A Los Angeles native, Westbrook was the 2016-17 Most Valuable Player. He is a nine-time All-NBA honoree (two first-team selections), nine-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2016), two-time NBA scoring champion, 2012 Olympic gold medalist with the United States and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles (198) and ranks ninth on the all-time assists list (9,162).
Westbrook played some decent basketball last season for the Clippers and will probably be the team’s opening-day starter at point guard.
Plumlee returns
The LA Clippers have re-signed center Mason Plumlee.
According to reports, it’s a one-year, $5 million deal.
Plumlee, 33, appeared in 23 games for the Clippers after a midseason acquisition from the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 7.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists. The 7-foot center set career-highs last season in total points (857), rebounds (700) and FG% (68.0).
Originally selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Plumlee has appeared in 740 games with the Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Hornets and Clippers, averaging 8.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 59.5% from the field. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native has also appeared in 65 career playoff games and was named to the 2013-14 All-Rookie First Team.
James Harden’s time with the Philadelphia 76ers appears to be over. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden is picking up his $35.6 million option, and sides are beginning to work together in exploring trade scenarios.
The Clippers and Knicks are expected to be among the teams that’ll engage with the Sixers on a trade for Harden, according to the report.
Harden, who joined the 76ers before the trade deadline in the 2021-22 season in the deal that sent Ben Simmons to the Nets, signed a two-year, $68.6 million deal with Philadelphia last summer. The deal included a player option in the second year of the contract. He took a deal below market value, which helped Philadelphia sign P.J. Tucker and Danuel House last offseason. Harden was looking to win a title with the 76ers, and maybe he no longer feels like that can happen.
Last season, the 33-year-old averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a league-leading 10.7 assists per contest. In the playoffs, the 10-time All-Star had two 40-point games against the Celtics in the second round, but the 76ers fell short as they lost to Boston in seven games.
Harden still has some juice left and had a solid season with the 76ers. He has an excellent relationship with 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, which makes his possible decision to leave Philadelphia very interesting. There were talks that Harden could return to Houston, but that may not be the case now.
How much does the 14-year veteran have left? He clearly is not “Houston Harden” anymore, and he is getting older, so it should be interesting to see how he performs in the future.
NBA free agency begins on June 30 at 6 PM EST. The negotiation period is from July1-6, and all deals become official on July 6 at 12:01 AM EST.
Earlier on Wednesday, according to multiple reports, the Celtics, Clippers, and Wizards had a deal in place that would have sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, Marcus Morris and draft picks to Washington, and Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers.
However, that deal reportedly broke down after the Clippers had concerns about Brogdon’s injury status.
Early Thursday morning, the Celtics and Wizards finally had a deal, and instead of the Clippers, the Memphis Grizzlies were added to the agreement.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics will receive Porzingis and two first-round picks from the Grizzlies(2023, 2024). The Wizards get Tyus Jones from Memphis, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and a second-round pick from Boston(35th overall); the Grizzlies get Marcus Smart from the Celtics.
For the deal to happen, Porzingis had to opt into the final year of his contract; he is scheduled to make $36 million next season.
Porzingis averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game in 65 games with the Wizards. Washington recently dealt Bradley Beal to the Suns and now they trade Porzingis to the Celtics.
The Wizards continue to rebuild their roster.
Boston gets a talented player in Porzingis. The 7-3 forward has a lot of ability, but he’s had difficulty staying healthy. The Celtics, who lost to the Heat in seven games in the conference finals, are looking to win a championship, and they clearly believe Porzingis can help them do that.
Regarding Smart, he added a lot to Celtics, including toughness and leadership. He’s a winning player. Boston gained picks and Porzingis, but Smart added a lot. The Grizzlies should benefit from what he brings to the table.
This is always a great time of the year in the NBA. You have the NBA Draft, which is Thursday night at Barclays Center. In addition, you have free agency, which starts on June 30, so expect many more moves.
On Wednesday, the NBA announced the complete schedule for the first round of the playoffs, which begin on Saturday.
Below is the schedule:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
|
#1 Denver vs. West 8th Seed
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
AWAY
|
HOME
|
GM
|
ET
|
TV / R
|
Sun
|
4/16
|
West 8th
|
Denver
|
1
|
10:30PM
|
TNT
|
Wed
|
4/19
|
West 8th
|
Denver
|
2
|
10:00PM
|
TNT
|
Fri
|
4/21
|
Denver
|
West 8th
|
3
|
9:30PM
|
ESPN
|
Sun
|
4/23
|
Denver
|
West 8th
|
4
|
9:30PM
|
TNT
|
Tue
|
4/25
|
West 8th
|
Denver
|
5*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Thu
|
4/27
|
Denver
|
West 8th
|
6*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Sat
|
4/29
|
West 8th
|
Denver
|
7*
|
TBD
|
TNT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2 Memphis vs. #7 L.A. Lakers
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
AWAY
|
HOME
|
GM
|
ET
|
TV / R
|
Sun
|
4/16
|
L.A. Lakers
|
Memphis
|
1
|
3:00PM
|
ABC/R
|
Wed
|
4/19
|
L.A. Lakers
|
Memphis
|
2
|
7:30PM
|
TNT/R
|
Sat
|
4/22
|
Memphis
|
L.A. Lakers
|
3
|
10:00PM
|
ESPN
|
Mon
|
4/24
|
Memphis
|
L.A. Lakers
|
4
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Wed
|
4/26
|
L.A. Lakers
|
Memphis
|
5*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Fri
|
4/28
|
Memphis
|
L.A. Lakers
|
6*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Sun
|
4/30
|
L.A. Lakers
|
Memphis
|
7*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#3 Sacramento vs. #6 Golden State
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
AWAY
|
HOME
|
GM
|
ET
|
TV / R
|
Sat
|
4/15
|
Golden State
|
Sacramento
|
1
|
8:30PM
|
ABC
|
Mon
|
4/17
|
Golden State
|
Sacramento
|
2
|
10:00PM
|
TNT
|
Thu
|
4/20
|
Sacramento
|
Golden State
|
3
|
10:00PM
|
TNT
|
Sun
|
4/23
|
Sacramento
|
Golden State
|
4
|
3:30PM
|
ABC/R
|
Wed
|
4/26
|
Golden State
|
Sacramento
|
5*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Fri
|
4/28
|
Sacramento
|
Golden State
|
6*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Sun
|
4/30
|
Golden State
|
Sacramento
|
7*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4 Phoenix vs. #5 LA Clippers
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
AWAY
|
HOME
|
GM
|
ET
|
TV / R
|
Sun
|
4/16
|
LA Clippers
|
Phoenix
|
1
|
8:00PM
|
TNT
|
Tue
|
4/18
|
LA Clippers
|
Phoenix
|
2
|
10:00PM
|
TNT
|
Thu
|
4/20
|
Phoenix
|
LA Clippers
|
3
|
10:30PM
|
NBATV
|
Sat
|
4/22
|
Phoenix
|
LA Clippers
|
4
|
3:30PM
|
TNT
|
Tue
|
4/25
|
LA Clippers
|
Phoenix
|
5*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Thu
|
4/27
|
Phoenix
|
LA Clippers
|
6*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Sat
|
4/29
|
LA Clippers
|
Phoenix
|
7*
|
TBD
|
TNT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EASTERN CONFERENCE
|
#1 Milwaukee vs. East 8th Seed
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
AWAY
|
HOME
|
GM
|
ET
|
TV / R
|
Sun
|
4/16
|
East 8th
|
Milwaukee
|
1
|
5:30PM
|
TNT
|
Wed
|
4/19
|
East 8th
|
Milwaukee
|
2
|
9:00PM
|
NBATV
|
Sat
|
4/22
|
Milwaukee
|
East 8th
|
3
|
7:30PM
|
ESPN/R
|
Mon
|
4/24
|
Milwaukee
|
East 8th
|
4
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Wed
|
4/26
|
East 8th
|
Milwaukee
|
5*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Fri
|
4/28
|
Milwaukee
|
East 8th
|
6*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Sun
|
4/30
|
East 8th
|
Milwaukee
|
7*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2 Boston vs. #7 Atlanta
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
AWAY
|
HOME
|
GM
|
ET
|
TV / R
|
Sat
|
4/15
|
Atlanta
|
Boston
|
1
|
3:30PM
|
ESPN
|
Tue
|
4/18
|
Atlanta
|
Boston
|
2
|
7:00PM
|
NBATV
|
Fri
|
4/21
|
Boston
|
Atlanta
|
3
|
7:00PM
|
ESPN
|
Sun
|
4/23
|
Boston
|
Atlanta
|
4
|
7:00PM
|
TNT
|
Tue
|
4/25
|
Atlanta
|
Boston
|
5*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Thu
|
4/27
|
Boston
|
Atlanta
|
6*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Sat
|
4/29
|
Atlanta
|
Boston
|
7*
|
TBD
|
TNT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#3 Philadelphia vs. #6 Brooklyn
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
AWAY
|
HOME
|
GM
|
ET
|
TV / R
|
Sat
|
4/15
|
Brooklyn
|
Philadelphia
|
1
|
1:00PM
|
ESPN
|
Mon
|
4/17
|
Brooklyn
|
Philadelphia
|
2
|
7:30PM
|
TNT
|
Thu
|
4/20
|
Philadelphia
|
Brooklyn
|
3
|
7:30PM
|
TNT/R
|
Sat
|
4/22
|
Philadelphia
|
Brooklyn
|
4
|
1:00PM
|
TNT
|
Mon
|
4/24
|
Brooklyn
|
Philadelphia
|
5
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Thu
|
4/27
|
Philadelphia
|
Brooklyn
|
6
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Sat
|
4/29
|
Brooklyn
|
Philadelphia
|
7
|
TBD
|
TNT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4 Cleveland vs. #5 New York
|
DAY
|
DATE
|
AWAY
|
HOME
|
GM
|
ET
|
TV / R
|
Sat
|
4/15
|
New York
|
Cleveland
|
1
|
6:00PM
|
ESPN/R
|
Tue
|
4/18
|
New York
|
Cleveland
|
2
|
7:30PM
|
TNT
|
Fri
|
4/21
|
Cleveland
|
New York
|
3
|
8:30PM
|
ABC/R
|
Sun
|
4/23
|
Cleveland
|
New York
|
4
|
1:00PM
|
ABC
|
Wed
|
4/26
|
New York
|
Cleveland
|
5*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Fri
|
4/28
|
Cleveland
|
New York
|
6*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Sun
|
4/30
|
New York
|
Cleveland
|
7*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
When Paul George went down late in the Clippers’ 101=100 loss to the Thunder on Tuesday night, it appeared that his season could be over, and the Clippers’ chances of winning an NBA title were over.
However, the Clippers got some decent news on Wednesday. According to the team, George underwent imaging that revealed a sprained right knee. He will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks.
This season, George is averaging team-best 23.6 points to go along with 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per contest.
If the Clippers(38-35), who are currently the fifth seed in the West, continue to be one of the top six teams, the NBA playoffs would begin the weekend of April 15-16, so George could be back just in time for the playoffs; again, the Clippers got some good news on Thursday.
The last time the Cavs played a depleted team at home, they lost to the Golden State Warriors, who sat four of their five starters.
On Sunday night, they had another depleted squad coming to town, the Los Angeles Clippers, who had defeated the Hawks in Atlanta the night before.
Los Angeles(28-25) was without Kawhi Leonard(injury management), Paul George(right knee soreness), and Reggie Jackson(Achilles soreness), and this time, the Cavs took advantage of it.
Cleveland(31-21), who had five players in double figures, led from start to finish and by as many as 40 points, and they defeated the Clippers 122-99 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Clippers.
The Great:
Cedi Osman had a career-high 29 points(11/13 FG, 7/7 3-PT FG) off the bench. Sixteen of his 29 points came in the fourth when the game was well in hand, but still, an excellent performance from Osman. Ironically, Osman, who played for the Turkish national team, did all this on “Turkish Heritage Night” at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Darius Garland had 16 points and 10 assists. This is Garland’s second straight double-double.
Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds, and he made this list because he hit his first three-pointer of the season and the first since November 2021.
First Half: This game was over at halftime. Cleveland led 64-34 at the half. In that first half, the Cavs shot 57% from the field and 53% from deep. The Cavs led by as many as 35 in the first half and cruised from there.
Not So Great:
You lead by as many as 40 and win by 23. Life is all great!
Bottom Line:
Cleveland handled their business. Nothing more, nothing less. Sidenote: It has to be frustrating for fans to pay a bunch of money for tickets and not see their favorite NBA stars. Cavs fans have not seen Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard this season, essentially due to rest. That’s unfair to the fans, and something should be done.
What’s Next:
The Cavs continue their three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Heat.
Best of the Rest:
-The Clippers had six players in double figures as Brandon Boston Jr led the way with 24 points off the bench.
-Donovan Mitchell, who returned after missing two games with a groin injury, scored 11 points for the Cavs.
-Back to Osman, According to Cavs Notes, Osman is just the third player in team history to finish a game a perfect 7-7 or better from three(Kyrie Irving (7-7, 3/12/15) and Mo Williams (7-7, 11/28/09).
In addition, on Sunday, Osmam moved up to number six in threes made in team history.
-Kevin Love(back) missed his third straight game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(8-2) appeared to be on their way to its ninth straight victory on Monday night, but the Clippers(6-5) had other ideas.
Cleveland led the Clippers 111-98 with five minutes left in the fourth. However, the Clippers would outscore the Cavs 21-6 the rest of the way as a Paul George layup plus the foul with 37.2 seconds to go gave the Clippers the lead for good, and they would go on and defeat the Cavs 119-117 at Crypto.com Arena.
With the loss, the Cavs’ nine-game winning streak is over.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Clippers’ win over the Cavs.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell continues to score the ball at a high level for the Cavs. Mitchell scored 30 points(10/15 FG), including eight threes(8/11). Mitchell made eight threes in a game for the second time this season.
Jarrett Allen was an absolute monster on Monday night. Allen got his second straight double-double as he had 10 points, a season-high 20 rebounds, and two blocks. It’s clear, the All-Star is playing like one after 10 games.
Darius Garland had a great night of swishing and dishing, with 19 points and a season-high 12 assists. This was Garland’s second double-double this season.
Evan Mobley and Garland connected many times on the alley-oops, and the second-year forward had a season-high 26 points and eight rebounds.
First Quarter: Cleveland came out firing in this one. The Cavs shot 67%(16/24) from the field, including 5/9 from deep. Mitchell made four of his eight threes in the first as he and Mobley combined for 26 of the team’s 37 first-quarter points. In addition, the 37 points tied a season-high for points in the quarter for Cleveland this season.
Not So Great:
Defense: Look, this game was a shootout, and both teams did not defend very well. Cleveland, who is a great defensive team, is third in points allowed and sixth in opponents’ field goal percentage. However, they allowed the Clippers to have three 30-plus point quarters and Los Angeles to shoot 51% from the field. The 119 points are the most the Cavs have given up in regulation this season.
The Final Five Minutes of the Game: Cleveland had their largest lead of the game at 111-98 with five minutes left in the game. At that point, the Clippers exploded, and the Cavs went cold. Los Angeles went on a 17-1 to take the lead for good at 115-112. Cleveland did not have a field goal during the final five minutes until Mobley’s dunk with 29.2 seconds to go.
Bottom Line:
This was a bad loss for the Cavs. They were in complete control, but they could not close the deal. In an 82-game regular season, stuff like this happens, but Cleveland had a terrific opportunity to win against the Clippers, who were missing Kawhi Leonard and John Wall. However, things happen, but if the Cavs want to be the team that many believe they could be, these are the games they have to win.
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their five-game road trip on Wednesday in Sacramento against the Kings.
Best of the Rest:
Kevin Love had 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists off the bench.
The Clippers had six players in double figures, including their starting five. Paul George led the way with 26 points, and Marcus Morris Sr. had 20 points.
The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to a contract extension with center Ivica Zubac, the team announced Tuesday.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it’s a three-year, $33 million extension; the Clippers declined his $7.5M team option for 2022-2023, clearing the way for Zubac’s new deal.
Last season, the 25-year-old Zubac started 76 games for the Clippers and averaged career-highs in points (10.3), rebounds (8.5), assists (1.6), and blocked shots (1.0). The 7-foot center also set a career-high with 25 double-doubles, the most for a Clipper since 2017-18.
“For four seasons, Zu has been a pillar of our team, durable and dependable,” said Clippers president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank. “He does whatever is needed: setting screens, rolling to the rim, anchoring the interior of the defense. He is a reliable teammate and a consistent pro, just entering the prime of his career. We are excited to continue growing with him.”
Zubac has appeared in 360 games and owns career averages of 8.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.0 minutes during his six-year NBA career with the Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. Selected 32nd overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, Zubac ranks fourth in the NBA in total games played (220) over the past three seasons.
Update: According to Klutch Sports(Wall’s agent), it’s a two-year, $13.2 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Expect to see John Wall on the court next season.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Wall, who opted into the final year of his contract, and the Rockets reached a buyout agreement, shaving $6.5 million off of his $47.4 million salary.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Wall is planning to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers once he clears waivers.
Last season, Wall, who the Wizards traded to the Rockets in 2020, and Houston agreed that he would be shut down for the 2021-22 season.
Over the past few seasons, the 31-year-old Wall, who signed a four-year supermax contract at $170 million with the Wizards, battled injuries. In the 2018-19 season, he missed most of the season after a left heel injury. While recovering from the heel injury, the five-time All-Star ruptured his left Achilles tendon at his home. The 12-year veteran missed all of the 2019-20 season.
It should be interesting to see what role he will have with the Clippers, who are looking to contend for a championship next season. When healthy, Wall can still play at a decent level. The last time we saw him on the court was in 2021, Wall averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, so fortunately for him, he gets his money and an opportunity to compete for a championship.
The LA Clippers have agreed to a contract extension with Robert Covington, the team announced Saturday.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it’s a two-year, $24 million contract extension.
In February, Covington, along with Norman Powell, was acquired by the Clippers from the Blazers.
According to Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, Covington is a great fit for the team.
“When we acquired Cov in February, we thought he would be a great fit for our team, and the past few months confirmed our belief,” said Frank. “He is an active, intelligent defender, and an excellent shooter who flourished in our system. We wanted to extend our relationship with Cov and are thrilled he wanted the same.”
Covington, 31, appeared in 71 games (42 starts) for the Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers last season, averaging 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocked shots.
The 6-foot-7 forward was the only player in the NBA this season to post at least 90 steals and 90 blocks. On April 1 against Milwaukee, Covington made 11 three-pointers, a Clippers franchise record, and became the only player in NBA history to finish a game with at least 43 points, 11 threes, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Covington holds career averages of 11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.5 assists in 537 appearances across nine NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Trail Blazers and Clippers.
