Marvin Bagley III might have been a King
The rumors were hot and heavy that Marvin Bagley III was not long for the Clippers after new GM Jestor announced that the team planned to pursue a rebuilding project. The speculation only intensified further after Santi Aldama was selected with the 7th overall pick in the draft. Finally, after numerous discussions, a trade was struck: Bagley to Oklahoma City for former #1 overall pick James Wiseman and the expiring contract of 27 year-old big man Harry Giles.
"We talked to a lot of teams about Bagley," Jestor noted at the press conference announcing the trade. "There was one offer we were leaning towards but also not sure about. And the other team ultimately was looking at another direction, because one player we wanted was one they were very reluctant to give up, and they had other options that would allow them to pursue similar goals without coughing up the guy."
There are whispers that the player the Clippers desired was a point guard, and they subsequently appear to have at least partially filled that hole with the surprise free agent signing of De'Anthony Melton (more on that later). While there are still numerous perimeter positions to find bodies for, the post positions appear set for the upcoming season following the Bagley blockbuster.
James Wiseman is tongue-agog that he can't get on a winning team
Poor Wiseman. After years of neglect under slumlord GM TJ, he finally gets a ring-winning GM in commish emplep7... only to be dealt to the Clippers, that CSL purgatory. Still, the former top overall selection, who is already an excellent rebounder and defender and starting to show signs of the the efficiency that made him the first player called in his class is stepping into a situation where he'll have a fellow efficient, promising (defensive rebounder) and shotblocker in Santi Aldama - a duo that should have the Red and White's starting bigs set for at least the next decade. Wiseman is still just 21 and has significant potential in numerous areas.
The bright side? His Summer League numbers of 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, shooting 63.3% from the floor, 80% from the line, with a 1.4 A/TO ratio and +5 overall NET despite the team going 1-4 (Aldama did not play for unknown reasons). Those are promising signs that he might be poised for a breakout year.
Harry Giles has struggled to find consistency in his CSL career
Some years, Giles has looked great. Others not so much. Either way, the 27 year old has a scoring knack (14.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks with OKC, shooting 49.6% in his only extended time as a starter to date) with rebounding that outproduces his natural ability and solid shotblocking. He'll likely get a lengthy look in preseason to see if he's capable of being the starting 4 next to Wiseman, which would then shift Aldama to a 32 MPG 6th man role his rookie season. The battle will doubtless be interesting to watch.
Another scenario - Aldama/Wiseman as the starters, Marcus Derrickson/Giles as the reserve line. At 6'10, 230 pounds, Giles has the size to be able to play the 5. In either case, Julian Moore is once again punted to minimal appearances after averaging 13 minutes with 3 starts and 69 appearances last season. His removal will make the team significantly better just for the former 2nd round pick's absence, as the only thing he can do is rebound.
Few expected De'Anthony Melton to sign so early
The inking of Melton to a four year, $28 million contract of $7 million a season and a team option in the final year drew considerable controversy. Many were surprised to see the 25 year old snapped up early when presumably better point guards were on the market. It's a decision the GM defended when announcing the signing.
"He's young and an excellent ballhandler and defender. The Pacers wanted very much to bring him back and had an offer on the table De'Anthony was seriously considering. Our agent told us we needed to beat it by a considerable margin, so we did. We see him as a player who is still young enough to fit in the window and if we void out the fourth year, it dovetails with Derrickson's expiring contract. More importantly, looking at his numbers, we saw a young man who, with work on his shooting and in an offensive system that better suits his strengths, should see an uptick in efficiency. He also has the size to be a combo guard 6th man as we upgrade our backcourt."
Currently, that gives a roster situation of (lineup guesses):
PG De'Anthony Melton (25 - handling, defense, steals)
SG ?
SF ?
PF Aldama (19 - defensive rebounding, shotblocking, efficiency out to 3 point line, potential)
CE Wiseman (21 - rebounding, defense, shotblocking, steals, efficiency, potential
Backup PF Derrickson (27 - offensive rebounding, 3 point shooting, IQ)
Backup CE Giles (27 - scoring, respectable rebounding/defense/shotblocking)
Deep Bench Big Moore (25 - rebounding god, IQ)
We can see the beginnings of a team built around defense, turnover generation, and efficiency, with a likely Post or Grind focus on offense. Don't be surprised, once the Clippers' RFA targets dry up, to pursue defenders on the wings as well on short contracts and try to grind out as many wins as possible in a year they don't have their own first round pick.
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