2 Players Clipper Should Prioritize Keeping Around (And One They Should Let Walk)

Significant changes are expected from the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason. Besides Ty Lue sticking around as the head coach, there isn't a ton of certainty with the team. Between two key free agents, five team option decisions, and the uncertainty around Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers' roster could look very different next season.

Regardless of what happens elsewhere on the roster, the Clippers need to prioritize keeping two of their glue guys. Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn can fit on any iteration of this team and should stay in LA for at least another season. The same, however, can't be said for everyone else.

Keep: Kris Dunn & Derrick Jones Jr.

Dunn's contract becomes guaranteed on June 30. At $5.6 million, the 32-year-old guard is on a bargain deal. If Darius Garland is the point guard of the future in LA, then Kris Dunn is a seamless fit next to him.

As a prototypical three-and-D guard, Dunn is as bulletproof as they come, playing in 156 games in two seasons for the Clippers. He can defend the opponent's best guard without taking much off the table offensively.

Jones Jr. is entering the final season of his contract and will make $10.4 million. There could be some interest in using his salary as a trade chip, but the Clippers would be wise to hold onto him.

The 29-year-old forward is one of the few high-level wing defenders on the team, and those players are hard to find. There are some shooting concerns with Jones Jr. as he only takes threes when left wide open, but has made enough (35.8%) over the last two years as a Clipper. He may be overstretched as a starter, and the Clippers would be wise to look for upgrades there, but as a bench forward who can close games when needed, Jones Jr. is worth every penny.

Let Go: Brook Lopez

The 38-year-old center stumbled out of the gate in his first season with the Clippers, but eventually played himself into shape. At the end of the season, Lopez was the only healthy center on the roster and had to play more minutes than he realistically should have. After the All-Star break, Lopez averaged over 27 minutes per game. He hit 37.8% from downtown and was a good rim deterrent on the other end of the floor.

Yet, the Clippers should be fine with moving on from him this summer. The Clippers have a $9.1 million team option on Lopez for next season. While Lopez could be useful as a backup center, he is not worth that salary at this stage of his career. Finding a quality backup center on a veteran minimum contract is not too difficult in the NBA, and the Clippers already have Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Isaiah Jackson on the roster.

LA needs an upgrade at center, and that should come at the expense of Lopez. Jackson and Konan Niederhauser should be fine as backup centers. The Clippers should either pick up Lopez's option and use him as a trade chip or let him hit unrestricted free agency entirely.

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