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The Los Angeles Clippers need a lottery ticket. JaVale McGee needs another chance.
The line from Point A to Point B is quite short in this case, so fans are left to wonder if McGee's latest social media post is a nod to that potential partnership. McGee posted a photo of his cleanly trimmed - or clipped, rather - fingernails Sunday night, leading to speculation that a deal with the Clippers may be in the works.
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Reports over the weekend suggested McGee was a "serious consideration" for the Clippers, who were expected to reach out to him Saturday.
The marriage wouldn't be a perfect solution for the Clippers, who just lost DeAndre Jordan to the Dallas Mavericks, but they're not exactly flush with options. McGee has played fewer than 400 minutes over the last two seasons due to a stress fracture in his left tibia, leading the Denver Nuggets to dump his salary and the Philadelphia 76ers to waive him last season.
Prior to the injuries, McGee was an aloof but talented rim-protector, someone who many believed was some maturity or coaching away from being a legitimate force. Then-Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri thought highly enough of McGee to trade Nene for him and sign him to a four-year, $44-million contract, a rare Ujiri misstep.
With head coach and president Doc Rivers having managed the Clippers' roster and salary cap poorly - to put it kindly - L.A. is devoid of a means of improving their roster beyond low-cost fliers, veteran retreads, and unproven youngsters. Teams can find a gem like that, and using a roster spot on someone with upside makes more sense than using it on a known commodity who won't move the needle.
The 27-year-old McGee averaged 10.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 56 percent between 2010-11 and 2012-13, and Rivers has been known to get the most out of players who sometimes lack focus or discipline. A player looking to rehabilitate his value on a short-term deal and a coach desperate for frontcourt talent could make for an unlikely, but ultimately symbiotic, relationship.
The Sacramento Kings were also rumored to be interested in McGee but have since signed Kosta Koufos as a DeMarcus Cousins runningmate