Despite coming off their most successful season in five years, the Clippers would have been in a bit of a pickle last season if they had not been able to scoop up Jamal Crawford for the mid-level exception. Even with Crawford on the roster, the Clips were so stretched at the off-guard spot that 10-year veteran Willie Green started 72 games so Crawford, a prototypical sixth man, could come off the bench.
The Clips don’t want to be caught thin at that position again. They’ve already traded for J.J. Redick, drafted Reggie Bullock and retained Green and Crawford. Jared Dudley, who came as part of the Redick deal, can also move over to two-guard in a pinch. Plus, undrafted second-year player Maalik Wayns is around if things really go south.
Just in case, the Clippers reportedly are considering bringing former All-Star Gilbert Arenas to training camp.
[tweet https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/statuses/380048336016781314 align=’center’]
It doesn’t hurt to give Arenas a look, of course. He’s still only 31 years old and he hasn’t put any extra stress on his knee in more than a year. Grant Hill, another star beset by injuries in the middle of his career, held up fairly well in L.A. last season.
But the Clippers already did their job by adding Redick. Green is perfect because he won’t utter a sound if he ends up being pushed from the starting lineup to third in the depth chart. Arenas would be a nice bonus if he is healthy, can still play and is willing to sign for a modest amount that won’t put the Clippers too much farther over the cap. Still, don’t be surprised if “Agent Zero” gets zero minutes for the Clips, or anybody else, this season.
