LA Clippers Offseason Needs

Resign Chris Paul:
Chris Paul is the reason why this team made the playoffs the past two years. Without him, they are doomed. He will go into free agency to see what teams would be interested to sign him. There have been rumblings that he would leave the Clippers because he does not believe that they are a championship caliber team. I tend to agree with him. They are just missing that one piece that can put them into contention. If Paul does not think they can get that person, he will leave. I think there is a good chance that he stays with the team because he seems to be running the show down in Clipperland. The Clippers can also offer him more money than any other team, which will likely entice him to stay. If he decides to leave, this is probably the end of the Clippers playoff run.

Center:
I think we can tell by now that DeAndre Jordan is not a starting caliber center, he will be receiving more than 10 million a year for the next two seasons. They cannot afford to pick up a high price guy in free agency because of his salary. However, they have a first round draft pick that they could possibly use on a center. Lucas Noguiera has a possibility of being available at their pick. He is like Jordan, but a little more fine tuned on offense. He is very athletic and a good defensive player. Having him behind Jordan for a year or two is not a bad idea because he can continue to tune his offensive game. There is not much else behind Noguiera in the draft so he may be the only possible pick at center for the Clippers.

Small Forward:
Caron Butler had one of the worst seasons of his career and is aging quickly. He does not bring much on the defensive end and with his offensive game going down the drain, I have a hard time seeing what he brings to the team. He still has a good three point shot, but outside of that he cannot do much. Matt Barnes had a good season last year. He is an excellent bench player. He will turn 34 next season so don't expect him to be around much longer considering he is a free agent. I would expect the Clippers to sign him to a one year deal. They will likely draft someone to take the starting spot. Tony Mitchell is could possibly still be on the board by the time this pick comes around. He is very athletic and he could take over for Lamar Odom if the Clippers decide to let him leave. They could also go after Ricky Ledo who is a guard/forward type. He never played in college because he was ruled ineligible. However, he has plenty of potential. Both Ledo and Mitchell could start right away if they were given the chance.

The Clippers had a good season last year, but they face some challenges in the offseason. First, they need to find a new coach. After that, they need to convince Chris Paul to stay because if he doesn't then they will be in big trouble. They have needs at center and small forward. They can only fill one of those needs in the draft, but if they trade Bledsoe, they could fill one of those needs or get another draft pick. Bledsoe is a key asset for them since he proved he could be capable of being a starter. If the Clippers get CP3 back, they should be in the playoffs again, around the fourth seed. If they do not get him back, they will likely find themselves in next seasons lottery.