4 players the Clippers could sign with their disabled player exception
Bring in the reinforcements!
With Patrick Beverley ruled out for the year, the NBA has reportedly granted the Los Angeles Clippers a disabled player exception worth roughly $2.75 million for one player contract that may run through the end of the season.
With additional injuries to Blake Griffin, Danilo Gallinari, and Milos Teodosic, it's likely the Clippers will look to restore some playmaking to their beaten-down roster. Here are four available players who could address the Clippers' needs:
PG Deron Williams
Williams looked like he was running in water by the end of last season, and he wouldn't do much to help the Clippers' woeful defense, but he brings some skills to the table they could sorely use. He'd be a needed extra distributor for a team that's grown over-reliant on isolations since Griffin went out, and a strong outside shooter for a team that ranks 26th in the NBA in 3-point percentage over its last 15 games.
Williams averaged 11 points and 5.6 assists with a respectable .438/.363/.826 shooting line for the Mavericks and Cavaliers last season. He hasn't been actively looking to get back onto an NBA roster, but he also hasn't ruled out a return, and while injuries have ravaged his body, he's still just 33 years old. He should have some juice left in the tank. - Wolfond
PG Ty Lawson
Lawson is averaging 24.4 points and 5.2 assists per game for the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association. He's reportedly set to make up to $3 million if certain bonus criteria are met. Leaving just 10 games into the season isn't a great look, and would surely cost him, but the Clippers could offer him an opportunity to showcase his skills as a playmaker once again.
Lawson was averaging 9.6 assists per game in the NBA as recently as 2014-15. For an offense desperately in need of a spark, the Clippers could do a lot worse than two or three Lawson-DeAndre Jordan pick-and-rolls every quarter.
- Potter
PF Terrence Jones
Gallinari is nearing a return, but with Griffin still due to be sidelined for up to two months, the Clippers need frontcourt depth all the same. If they can pry him from his contract with the CBA's Qingdao Double Star Eagles, they could do a lot worse than Jones.
The 25-year-old power forward had a promising start to his career with the Houston Rockets - posting a 19.1 PER, 57.7 true shooting percentage, and 7.3 win shares in his sophomore season - until a frightening nerve injury in his leg railroaded him. Even a diminished Jones was a solid rotation player for the New Orleans Pelicans last season, averaging 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and a block in 51 games before the team waived him following its acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins.
Jones is averaging 22.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and a league-leading 2.3 blocks in China this year. - Wolfond
PF Boris Diaw
Diaw is well past his prime, but the gregarious Frenchman can still be an effective cog on offense, helping alleviate pressure on the backcourt. For his career, he has averaged 4.6 assists per 36 minutes. Even just 15 minutes per game of Diaw alongside Jordan or Willie Reed in the frontcourt would keep the ball moving, serving as an adequate stopgap in Griffin's absence.
Though currently plying his trade with the Levallois Metropolitans in France, Diaw has an opt-out clause in his contract that would enable him to return stateside should the NBA come calling. For his selfless playmaking and positive impact in the locker room, the Clippers should give "Bobo" a call.
- Potter
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)