Give up 36.3 million, Harden stays behind? Clippers role players may be sweeping, trade targets 2 stars

The finals will start on June 3rd. For the Clippers, they have already started planning for the offseason and next season. He faces two main problems. One is Harden's contract renewal. Harden, who is about to be 36, still performed efficiently this season. He was not only selected as the All-Star, but also selected as the All-Season. If the Clippers want to continue to strive for the championship, it is necessary to keep Harden. The second is the issue of lineup strengthening. The Clippers' lineup is not only old, but also has obvious absences. They can attack but cannot defend, and those who can defend but cannot attack.

Solving these two problems is the top priority in the offseason and the key to whether the Clippers can reach the championship next season. Judging from the past two seasons, the rise of a new generation of stars, such as Alexander, Edwards, Halliburton, etc. The older generation of stars gradually lost their dominance, such as James, Curry, Durant and Kat. For the Clippers, the window period for winning the championship is already very short. Give up 36.3 million, Harden stays behind? The Clippers' role player may be a big cleanup, and the trade targets 2 stars.

Give up 36.3 million, Harden stays behind?

According to ESPN salary expert Bobby Marks, Harden must decide whether to execute the player option before June 29 to fulfill his $36.3 million contract next season. But considering the Clippers' salary has great flexibility, it is the fact that a raise for Harden should be formed. Therefore, Harden will eventually give up $36.3 million and sign a two-year contract with the Clippers. Considering that Harden was 36 years old in August, the contract should not exceed two years. Previous news revealed that Harden and the Clippers will likely sign a two-year, $75 million contract.

Why didn't Harden choose to jump out of the contract and become a free agent? With his performance this season, he can definitely get a higher contract or a team with greater hope of winning the championship. When joining the Clippers, Harden once said that he would choose to live in Los Angeles. This promise may be an important reason!

Clippers role player or a team that wants to reach the championship level, in addition to stars, role players are also very important. In the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers lost to the Nuggets because of the poor performance of role players. Bogdan Bogdanovic averaged only 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 36.4% from the field and 3-point shooting percentage of only 29.2%. Derek Jones averaged 7.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game, shooting 43.8% from the field and 30% from three-point shooting. Dunn averaged 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, and his shooting percentage was only 38.6%.

These three players are all important rotations for the team, and it is really hard to compliment to play such data in the playoffs. Therefore, the Clippers' next transactions mainly revolve around these three players, and then take some draft picks in exchange for a star-level player who can influence the game. For example, Holiday of the Celtics and Ball of the Hornets.

The transaction targets two stars, according to US media reports, there are two players who have contact with the Clippers. The first place is Holiday of the Celtics. He has been selected for the All-Star twice, 3 times selected for the All-Defensive Team First Team, and 3 times selected for the All-Defensive Team Second Team. After the Bucks got him, the team successfully won the championship, and the Celtics got him quickly won the championship. Due to poor record this season, the Celtics have put Holiday on the shelves, and the Clippers are actively seeking a deal in hopes of getting the championship defender. If you can get Holiday, it will be the upgraded version of Dunn, and both offense and defense will be greatly improved.

Another one is LaMelo Ball, the Hornets' star. This season, averaging 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game, shooting percentage of 40.5% and three-point shooting percentage of 33.9%. He has been in the league for 5 years and has not yet led the Hornets into the playoffs. According to several reporters, the Hornets are interested in trading Ball, and the Clippers are actively following up.