The Los Angeles Clippers came up short once again and now it is time to look forward.
After being booted out of the NBA playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, the Clippers now try to evaluate and see who will be in and who will be out by next season. After that, they are expected to explore the upcoming rookies and the much awaited free agent market.
Ironically, center DeAndre Jordan could be in that mix of free agents, something that coach Doc Rivers will surely have to consider as well. With rumors flying that Jordan and Chris Paul do not see eye to eye, Jordan may just jump ship. And if that happens, the Clippers will have a big hole in the middle and a severely crippled frontline.
All that remains to be seen so for the sake of argument, what kind of player do the Clippers need?
The small forward position seems to be a concern for the Clippers so that could be a position that coach Rivers will want to fill up. And a player that has caught the eye of the Clippers is Wesley Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers.
It is no secret that Johnson has been mentioned as among the names who may likely be left out in the cold so the Clippers could come knocking.
Johnson had a superb 2013-14 season but his numbers plummeted in 2014-15. Johnson was hardly a factor and now he may be someone the Lakers may not re-sign.
If the Clippers are serious about getting Johnson, then he won't need to travel far.
But the thing is, how much are the Clippers willing to shell out for Johnson? Would he be amenable to the minimum?
The answer to that may be seeing Johnson exploring the offers and should he ask more than the minimum contract, the Clippers are likely better off exploring other forwards to add to their fold.
Given his performance last year, Johnson may likely find it hard to find teams which will give him more than the minimum salary since he will have to prove once again first that he deserves better pay in the NBA.
