Los Angeles Clippers

Russell Westbrook is on the move, but that doesn't mean he will forget about his fans.

After the Los Angeles Clippers traded him to the Utah Jazz, who subsequently announced they waived him, Westbrook took to his Instagram page on Sunday to thank the Clippers and his teammates for embracing him.

He also thanked his supporters and said, "To ALL of MY fans! You guys don't know how much your support means to me. Y'all keep me motivated and energized. I've got the most loyal and amazing fans in sports."

This is yet another move for someone who played for just the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first 11 seasons of his career.

However, he has since suited up for the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. It seems like his next team will be the Denver Nuggets, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported after the trade that the expectation was the future Hall of Famer would join Nikola Jokić and Co. following his buyout from the Jazz.

Westbrook joined the Clippers after he was traded from the Lakers in February 2023 and helped guide them to the playoffs in each of his two seasons.

While he is no longer the same explosive playmaker who captured the 2016-17 MVP, he still provided a spark off the bench and averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game behind 45.4 percent shooting from the field this past season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQGath9eQsk

He is also from Southern California and went to school at UCLA. His comments suggested he cherished the opportunity to play in front of the fans in Los Angeles, and it would be anything but a surprise if he was greeted warmly upon his return as a visiting player in 2024-25.

There was a time when Westbrook switching teams would have been one of the major storylines of the entire offseason.

After all, his resume includes the MVP, two scoring titles, three assist titles, nine All-NBA selections, nine All-Star Game nods and a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. His speed in the open court was almost impossible to stop, and he was a threat to notch a triple-double every time he stepped on the floor.

The 35-year-old won't be that type of player for Denver, but he can stuff the stat sheet off the bench and anchor the secondary unit with his energy and style of play.

If he continues to do that throughout the 2024-25 campaign, he may even win the first championship of his career.

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said that he was upset to see star Paul George depart in free agency, but believes the team will still be able to contend for an NBA championship.

"I love Paul," Ballmer said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "Let's start with Paul as a human being. Paul is a great human being and I've really enjoyed my opportunity to get to know Paul's family. So on a personal level, I hated it. I hated it."

Ballmer said he believes the Clippers gave George a solid offer that still allowed them to build a championship roster, but it wasn't what he was looking for.

"From a basketball perspective, Paul is a fantastic player, future Hall of Famer," Ballmer said. "But we knew we needed to continue to get better. And with the new CBA, what tools, what flexibility [can be restricted], we made Paul what I consider a great offer. But it was a great offer in terms of us thinking about how to win championships. It wasn't what Paul wanted."

Ultimately, George opted for the Philadelphia 76ers, who offered him a four-year, $212 million contract.

While they will be without George, Ballmer thinks the Clippers will still be a contender in the West.

"I think we're going to be a very, very good team," Ballmer said. "We're going to contend, we'll see how far it takes us. There's a lot of good teams in the West, let alone you've got the Celtics, et cetera in the East. But there's a lot of good teams. I think we are one of them and if we stay healthy, if we play well, I think every team's got to get a little bit of luck."

Los Angeles is coming off a disappointing 51-31 season that saw it fall in the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers found little success with George, reaching the conference finals just once during his tenure, and they'll now look to right the ship after his departure.

The Los Angeles Clippers revealed the double-sided "Halo Board" that wraps around the roof of the soon-to-open Intuit Dome to reporters on Friday.

The Intuit Dome is set to open in August, ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The Athletic's Ohm Youngmisuk provided a glimpse of the halo's technological capabilities.

Steve Ballmer unveils his new Halo at Intuit Dome pic.twitter.com/SaqdwHfPqG

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 19, 2024

Here's the Halo! #ClipperNation #DakPro @IntuitDome @LAClippers pic.twitter.com/KsPBPKwt0u

— Daktronics (@Daktronics) July 19, 2024

Some Halo Board effects incorporate lights built into the seats, such as a "storm" effect that causes simulated lightning to flash in the arena.

The storm inside Intuit Dome pic.twitter.com/cajTpphcIs

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 19, 2024

The Halo Board, which was developed by video display company Daktronics, stretches almost an acre in total. The screen covers 38,375 square feet and using more than 233 million LEDs, according to the Clippers.

The team has described the scoreboard as "the largest ever double-sided halo display in an arena setting."

Youngmisuk previewed some of the player displays and fancams that can be shown on the halo board during Clippers games.

The Halo will have an option to focus on individual players, their story and even the charitable foundation they donate to pic.twitter.com/rrgayzt6dy

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 19, 2024

There will be a Steve Ballmer cam along the many options to be seen in the fan area of the Halo screen pic.twitter.com/meAShlyf9I

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 19, 2024

The Clippers originally identified the Halo Board as a method of "putting a priority on the viewing experience of upper-bowl seats."

Views aren't the only thing upper decks gain from the new board, which is additionally equipped with T-shirt cannons that can send merchandise sailing into the higher levels of the arena, Youngmisuk reported.

The Halo will even have t-shirt cannons to send t-shirts into the upper deck seats. pic.twitter.com/pEe0IoVDhz

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 19, 2024

The Intuit Dome is scheduled to open on August 15, with Bruno Mars performing at the venue's grand opening. The Clippers are set to make their debut in the new stadium in October.

The Los Angeles Clippers agreed to trade Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz as part of a sign-and-trade agreement to acquire Kris Dunn on Thursday.

Chris Haynes of TNT Sports reported Dunn is signing a three-year, $17 million contract as part of the deal. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Westbrook is expected to reach a buyout agreement with the Jazz, paving the way for him to join the Denver Nuggets as a free agent.

Because the Clippers are acquiring a player in a sign-and-trade agreement and used their full midlevel exception, they will be hard-capped at the first tax apron next season. LA had an estimated $6 million in space under the first apron before agreeing to the deal, which will make a negligible hit on their cap for 2024-25.

Updated Capsheets to reflect the Russell Westbrook-Kris Dunn trade.

🏀Jazz still project with $35 million in cap space post-Westbrook buyout (Drew Eubanks + Johnny Juzang signings still not official)

🏀 Clippers $4.6 million below 178.1 million first apron with full 15 man…

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 18, 2024

Westbrook was due a $4 million base salary for next season. Year-to-year details of Dunn's contract are still not available, but he'll likely come in at slightly over the $4 million mark for next season. The Clippers less than $2 million over the tax at the moment and will almost certainly make a move before February's trade deadline to get under that number.

Here is a look at how the Clippers' roster is shaking out:

PG: James Harden

SG: Terance Mann

SF: Derrick Jones Jr.

PF: Kawhi Leonard

C: Ivica Zubac

Bench: Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr., Bones Hyland, Norman Powell, Cam Christie, Amir Coffey, Nicolas Batum, P.J. Tucker, Mo Bamba, Kai Jones

---

The Clippers have been a fixture in the luxury tax in recent seasons, putting them in repeater tax territory. The departure of Paul George for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason was rooted in the front office's desire to stay below the prohibitive second tax apron.

"Once we got James [Harden], without anyone asking for anything more, for both Kawhi and PG, the offers—both of them went significantly higher," president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters. "Still, managing max cap space in '26-27 and being out of the second apron in 25-26. The goal was to get you as much money as possible, but we still have to add to the team."

Westbrook's departure is one rooted in financial wiggle room as well, though it's fair to wonder if it's a prudent move from a basketball perspective. At just $4 million, Westbrook is making a salary significantly below his production—even at a diminished state from his prime.

At the very least, Westbrook is a high-level role player who can conduct an offense coming off the bench. Those are contracts that regularly stretch into the $15-20 million range. Westbrook's salary is arguably a reflection of an unfair comparison to his former self, rather than an indication of his actual worth.

That said, Frank and the Clippers front office felt Dunn was a better fit for that salary slot and moved on. LA's loss should be the Nuggets' gain, as they'll likely ink Westbrook to a deal at the NBA veteran's minimum.

Russell Westbrook is reportedly leaving the Los Angeles Clippers after one-and-a-half seasons with the team.

Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz after picking up his $4 million player option for the 2024-25 season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi. Utah will also receive a second-round pick swap in the deal, while the Clippers will land veteran guard Kris Dunn.

Per Wojnarowski, Westbrook is expected to agree to a contract buyout with the Jazz and ultimately wind up with the Denver Nuggets.

Westbrook is expected to agree on a contract buyout with the Jazz, clearing the way for him to eventually join the Denver Nuggets after clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/ld4gsMPUhl

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2024

Wojnarowski added that the Clippers are also sending the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica, the right to swap 2030 second-round picks with Utah and $4.3 million in the Westbrook-Dunn sign-and-trade deal.

Clippers sending draft rights to Balsa Koprivica, the 57th pick in 2021 NBA Draft, the right to swap 2030 second-round picks with Utah and $4.3 million in the Westbrook-Dunn sign-and-trade, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/TUe75NgpSd

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 19, 2024

Chris Haynes of TNT Sports reported Dunn will sign a three-year, $17 million contract with the Clippers.

Wojnarowski previously reported June 29 that Westbrook had picked up his player option to return to the Clippers.

However, The Athletic's Law Murray said the same day that it remained "undetermined" whether Westbrook would be on the Clippers' 2024-25 roster.

By July 5, the Clippers were "openly exploring their trade options with Westbrook," according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Westbrook averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists mostly as the Clippers' sixth man in 2023-24.

The 2017 MVP shot 45.4 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from three during the regular season, his lowest success rate from behind the arc as a Clipper.

Westbrook's three-point shooting fell off further as he contributed 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds through six playoff games before the Clippers were eliminated from the first round by the Dallas Mavericks.

The Clippers re-signed James Harden and also signed Kris Dunn and Kevin Porter Jr., effectively pushing Westbrook out of the team's depth chart.

The veteran guard signed with the Clippers following his trade from the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2023. He will depart from the Clippers having averaged 12.2 points and 5.0 rebounds through 89 regular-season games and 32 starts.

Westbrook isn't the scorer he once was with the Oklahoma City Thunder (leading the league with 31.6 points per game in 2016-17), but he will provide veteran ball-handling off the bench as the team hopes for his shooting to bounce back during his age-36 season.

A ball-dominant player like Westbrook might not be a good fit on the court with Nikola Jokić, but Jokić may want Westbrook as an option to lead the Nuggets in transition while the team's star center is on the bench. According to DNVR Sports' Harrison Wind, Jokić had "pushed behind the scenes" for the Nuggets to acquire Westbrook.

The decision by USA Basketball to replace Kawhi Leonard prior to the Paris Olympics will allow him to rest up for the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, but Clippers president Lawrence Frank still isn't happy about it.

"It was USAB's call, and I was, quite frankly, very disappointed with the decision," Frank told reporters on Monday. "Kawhi wanted to play, we wanted him to play."

Lawrence Frank said it was Team USA’s decision for Kawhi Leonard to not compete in the Olympics.

Frank was very disappointed in the decision, and thought Kawhi looked great. pic.twitter.com/8FT9feL73i

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) July 15, 2024

Leonard missed 12 of the final 14 games for the Clippers this past season due to right knee inflammation. Still, he practiced with Team USA in Las Vegas for three days before it was determined that he would be replaced with Boston Celtics guard Derrick White.

"Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the last several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas. He felt ready to compete," USA Basketball said at the time. "However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it's in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris."

Frank attended two of the three practices, and Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is a member of the Team USA coaching staff under Steve Kerr. Frank added that he felt Leonard deserved more of a chance to prove he'd be ready for the Paris Games, which would've been the first Olympics of his career.

"I expressed to them that I really wish they would've given Kawhi more time. ... He looked good to me. I know all the sacrifices he made in order to make this commitment to the Olympics, so it was very disappointing," Frank said.

Team USA is also working through the absence of star forward Kevin Durant, who is nursing a calf strain. Frank said he understands USA Basketball had to do what's best for the team and he will be rooting for Team USA to take home the gold medal, but he's still disappointed for Leonard.

The Los Angeles Clippers offseason of change may see another high-profile veteran depart.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, "The Clippers and Russell Westbrook plan to part ways this offseason, and the franchise continues to discuss trades for the former NBA MVP, team and league sources said. The Denver Nuggets are a front-runner to sign Westbrook if he becomes a free agent."

Bennett Durando of the Denver Post reported last week that "Nikola Jokić has indeed endorsed the idea of acquiring Westbrook, according to a league source, but he hasn't approached the front office demanding or pressuring Denver to make it happen."

Westbrook, 35, averaged 11.1 points, five rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals last season, largely coming off the bench behind starting point guard James Harden. He shot 45.4 percent from the field but just 27.3 percent from three, as his inability to stretch the floor continued to be an offensive limitation.

He opted into his $4 million player option for the 2024-25 season in June, perhaps prompted by his playoff struggles, as he only made 26 percent of his shots in six postseason games during a first-round ouster against the Dallas Mavericks.

That locked in a salary higher than the veteran minimum, though Law Murray and Jenna West of The Athletic reported in late June that his "return to the team is not a certainty."

The Clippers already lost superstar Paul George in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers, prompting a new direction for the roster behind Kawhi Leonard and Harden. Most notably, the team has added Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr., Nic Batum and Mo Bamba, solidifying its depth.

It appears that Westbrook may not be a part of those plans, however.

In Denver, the veteran point guard would provide valuable playmaking, a skill set the team lacks at the position outside of Jamal Murray. If the Clippers do part ways with Westbrook, Denver is a logical suitor.

Veteran point guard John Wall remains committed to extending his NBA career as he remains a free agent to this point in the offseason.

During ESPN's broadcast of the Minnesota Timberwolves' 105-94 Summer League win over the Indiana Pacers, Wall said he's "not giving up on my dreams of getting back" in the Association. He added he's willing to accept any role on a prospective team.

Wall hasn't played an NBA game since Jan. 13, 2023. He spent the 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, who later traded him to the Houston Rockets in a three-team deal that also included the Memphis Grizzlies.

Houston then went on to waive him on Feb. 13, 2023, making him a free agent. While he hoped to sign with another franchise to close out the 2022-23 campaign, the buyout market was rough for Wall.

Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report and NBA insider Marc Stein both reported on their #ThisLeague Uncut podcast on Feb. 27, 2023, that a market hadn't formed for the veteran.

Wall went unsigned for the remainder of the 2022-23 season and the 2023-24 campaign.

The Clippers had been "proactive in seeking trade partners for Wall" leading up to the 2022-23 season's trade deadline, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times reported Feb. 3 2023. And if they didn't find a trade partner for him, they were going to consider buying him out.

Wall signed a two-year, $13.3 million contract with the Clippers in July 2022. The second year of the deal was a team option for 2023-24.

The 2010 No. 1 pick appeared in 34 games for the Clippers during the 2022-23 season, playing mostly off the bench for Ty Lue's squad as Terrance Mann handled starting point guard duties. He averaged 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor and 30.3 percent from deep.

Wall was one of the best point guards in the NBA during his nine seasons with the Washington Wizards from 2010-2019 and earned five All-Star selections. He averaged 19 points, 4.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from deep in that span.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PugXibm15lY

However, his career has been derailed by numerous injuries, most notably a ruptured Achilles tendon that sidelined him for the entire 2019-20 season. Since then, he has failed to recapture that success.

Wall was initially traded to the Rockets in December 2020 in the deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Wizards. During his lone season on the court for the franchise, he averaged 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 40 games while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor and 31.7 percent from deep.

The Kentucky product sat out the entire 2021-22 season after he and the Rockets agreed to keep him off the court as they pursued a trade. When nothing came to fruition, the two sides agreed to a contract buyout, making him a free agent.

Wall will be 34 when next year tips off in the fall. It's perhaps premature to say the door has permanently closed on a return to the NBA, but his hopes of a comeback probably rest squarely on him finding a new home in 2024-25. Should he go two full seasons without playing, that could effectively be the end of his playing career.

Montrezl Harrell played the best basketball of his career during his three-year stint with the Los Angeles Clippers, but he can pinpoint the moment the team no longer wanted him.

In an article for The Players' Tribune, Harrell wrote he threatened to knock out teammate Paul George in a huddle after a miscommunication on a switch during the Clippers' second-round loss to the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 NBA playoffs.

Harrell said the death of his grandmother was the catalyst for his behavior:

"OK, time-out — I'm simple. Real motherf--ker. That's why a lot of people, I think, don't like me. At the end of the day, everybody's out here in between these lines because we're trying to, one, feed our family, but, two do some s--t for the team, for the organization, for the city. Real talk. I came back to the Bubble for this, after having to bury my grandma in the ground, bro. The person who raised me, the reason I play this game. I was so f--ked up mentally, more than I even knew. Alright, with that in mind…. I told P right then and there, in front of coaches and everybody, "I will knock you the f--k out, bro. You're trippin'. You was wrong, bro. You're WRONG." I can look back on that now and realize I went too far in the heat of the moment. I realize this is a business and you can't talk like that to the star player. But when you're going through grief, you only see what's right in front of you. And it was just all bad from there. We lost in the second round to Denver, in seven games. The next summer, the Clippers sent me a text message saying something like, "Thank you for everything you did for us … but, we're going to go in a different direction."

Despite his consistent success as a reserve for the Clippers, Harrell wound up with no contract offer and wound up bouncing around the league. He signed a two-year, $19 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers before being traded to the Washington Wizards in the summer of 2021 and then the Charlotte Hornets at the 2021-22 trade deadline. The Hornets distanced themselves from Harrell after he was caught with marijuana in his car during a traffic stop.

The Philadelphia 76ers signed in the summer of 2022, but he saw the most limited role since his rookie season. He averaged 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds while playing just 11.9 minutes per game. The Sixers released Harrell before the start of the 2023-24 season after he suffered a torn ACL in training camp.

It would be easy to look at that moment between George and Harrell as a turning point in the latter's career. Harrell never found a role he excelled in as much after leaving the Clippers, and it's possible his NBA career is over as he attempts to return from injury.

"It was like boom, boom, boom. First I lost my grandmother and had to grieve in the Bubble. Then I get a setback in Charlotte and have to miss out for something else away from the game. Then I finally get with people who I thought understood the person I was, the player I was, and it doesn't pan out," Harrell wrote. "Then, in an instant, it's all taken away. All of a sudden, I'm dealing with these emotions I can't really place. And I don't really know how to deal because the person who I turned to the most was gone."

Harrell says he hopes to return to the NBA this season and wants to write the final chapter of his career "leaving it all on the floor."

USA Basketball announced Wednesday that Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has withdrawn from the 2024 Olympic team.

In a statement, USA Basketball noted that while Leonard "felt ready to compete" and had some good practices with the team despite missing the Clippers' final four playoff games last season with a knee injury, USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it was "in his best interest" to withdraw.

An update on Kawhi Leonard from the USA Basketball Men's National Team. pic.twitter.com/84TjYpc90i

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 10, 2024

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White will take his place on the roster.

Andscape's Marc J. Spears reported that Leonard's camp reached out to USA Basketball two days ago "expressing concern," which may have played a role in the decision.

According to the Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner, "People not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told The Times last week that there was concern about Leonard's knee after Grant Hill, the managing director of Team USA; Steve Kerr, the coach of Team USA; and Lawrence Frank, the Clippers president of basketball operations, watched him work out at the Clippers' practice facility recently."

"I want to thank Kawhi for his commitment to the U.S. men's national team," USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill said. "He earned the opportunity to represent the United States, but USA Basketball and Clippers leadership felt it's important to allow Kawhi to prepare for the NBA season."

The 33-year-old Leonard played in 68 regular-season games in 2023-24, marking the first time he reached the 60-game mark since the 2018-19 campaign, which was his only year with the Toronto Raptors.

Leonard missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a torn ACL and returned to appear in 52 contests the following season.

This past season, Leonard reclaimed his spot as one of the NBA's top players, averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 three-pointers made and 1.6 steals per game en route to his sixth career All-Star selection.

However, the two-time NBA Finals MVP and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year missed four of the Clips' six first-round playoff games against the eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks due to knee inflammation.

Anything knee-related is a concern for Leonard since he has missed a significant amount of time during his career with knee issues.

Leonard signed a three-year, $149.5 million contract extension with the Clippers in January, and given that Paul George left L.A. for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, the Clips can ill afford to have Kawhi risk further injury.

The Clippers' head coach, Ty Lue, is an assistant coach for Team USA, meaning he had a firsthand look at Leonard during Team USA's practices and scrimmages this week.

White becomes the third 2024 NBA champion on the roster alongside Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday.

The 30-year-old White is coming off the best season of his career, as he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 three-pointers made and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the arc.

White has been named to the NBA All-Defensive second team in each of the past two seasons, so he would give Team USA another elite perimeter defender.

Despite losing a player of Leonard's stature, the Americans remain heavy favorites to win a fifth straight Olympic gold medal in men's basketball due to the presence of superstars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Tatum and others.

Team USA's first group game at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is scheduled for July 28 against Serbia, followed by clashes with South Sudan and Puerto Rico on July 31 and Aug. 3, respectively.