Veteran Duke Basketball Pro Turns Down Bigger Offers, Stays in LA

Mason Plumlee, one of the NBA's top remaining unrestricted free agents entering the day, isn't going anywhere. On Monday afternoon, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the 33-year-old Duke basketball product — the oldest among active Blue Devils in the league — has agreed to a deal to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers.

It's only a one-year contract, though, worth $5 million. Nevertheless, it means that Plumlee, who went No. 22 overall at the 2013 NBA Draft following four seasons at Duke and has never averaged more than 12 points in a season as a journeyman pro, will become at least an 11-year league veteran.

That in itself is impressive.

And according to Wojnarowski's report, Plumlee decided to return to Los Angeles "despite larger financial offers elsewhere."

Free agent C Mason Plumlee has agreed on a one-year, $5 million deal to return to the LA Clippers, agent Mark Bartelstein of @Prioritysports tells ESPN. Plumlee landed with Clippers at deadline and decides to stay with LA despite bigger financial offers elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/YrYpYUAGLm
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2023

In February, after producing at a career-high rate as the Charlotte Hornets' starting center, Mason Plumlee landed in Los Angeles via trade. The move was partly due to fellow former Duke basketball big man Mark Williams' emergence for Charlotte at that point in the season.

Then Plumlee averaged 7.5 points and 6.9 rebounds in only 19.9 minutes per game off the bench for the Clippers.

As their 2023-24 roster currently stands, the former consensus All-American as a senior at Duke figures to again serve as the primary backup to 26-year-old Ivica Zubac, the franchise's durable starting center for much of the past five seasons. However, talk of potential trades for Zubac abounds.

Plumlee is the only NBA Blue Devil on contract with the Clippers, who finished 44-38 last season and No. 5 in the Western Conference standings before falling to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.

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