Report: Clippers Not Looking to Make Trades
Rarely inactive in the offseason despite their limited assets, the LA Clippers may be looking to stay put for the first time in a few years. With their own free agents to re-sign, The Athletic's Law Murray recently reported that the Clippers are not looking to make trades, but are instead prioritizing new contracts for their own free agents.
Ivica Zubac, Nicolas Batum, Isaiah Hartenstein, Amir Coffey, Jay Scrubb, Rodney Hood, and Xavier Moon can each get new contracts this summer. Zubac has a $7.5M team option, Batum has a $3.3M player option, and Coffey is a restricted free-agent, while Hartenstein, Scrubb, and Hood are each unrestricted free agents.
With the way he has played since coming to the Clippers, Nicolas Batum will likely have an opportunity to decline his player option and re-sign a longer deal with the team. The veteran forward has already indicated that he wants to finish his career with the Clippers, and will have an opportunity to sign his last contract with them this summer.
Ivica Zubac will have to wait until the Clippers make a decision on his team option before negotiating his next contract, but it seems likely that the Clippers would look to extend him for a similar annual value to what he made on his most recent deal. As for Amir Coffey, the 25-year-old wing proved last season that he not only belongs on an NBA team, but in an NBA rotation. Having played most of his career on non-guaranteed deals, Coffey will certainly receive guaranteed money this summer, and the Clippers will have an opportunity to make sure that comes from them.
With the Clippers almost certainly having no interest in bringing back Rodney Hood or Xavier Moon, that leaves Jay Scrubb as their only remaining free agent. Scrubb has appeared in just 22 games since being drafted 55th overall in 2020, but the young guard has flashed some athleticism and scoring ability in his limited NBA action, making the possibility of the Clippers keeping him around not unlikely.
If the Clippers are able to retain all of their free agents, many around the league rightfully agree that they will ascend themselves right back into contention next season. This does not eliminate the possibility of trades occurring both this offseason and at next year's trade deadline; however, according to recent reports, that is not the team's current focus.
