Congratulations to Harden! The first person in the Clippers trade appears, Coffey s departure is a foregone conclusion, Ballmer will pursue Collins

On May 21, the NBA playoffs were in full swing. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who had Edwards and Gobert, lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, missed a good start, and the series score was behind zero to one. It should be emphasized that the Los Angeles Clippers, who were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round, have set their sights on the offseason strengthening. All trading rumors and player dynamics make the team's future and championship competition full of very big variables.

2024-2025 season trading deadline, President Frank introduced sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic, hoping that he can become the strongest firepower point on the outside, help Leonard and Harden open up space, and escort the team in the playoffs. However, imagination is always beautiful, and reality slapped him. Bogdan, who entered the playoffs, averaged only 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, and a three-point shooting percentage of 29.2%. Such performance disappointed head coach Tyron Lu. As a player who is good at shooting, such inefficiency has made the former's status in danger.

From the perspective of contract, Bogdanovic's annual salary next season will be $16 million, and the last year will be a player option. The 2026-2027 season will be a team option, which means that it is actually an expiring contract. For the Los Angeles Clippers who want to continue to strengthen, this contract will inevitably affect the salary space and put some pressure on them. Coupled with the poor performance in the playoffs, the boss Ballmer also made his idea of ​​sending him away. In this summer's free market, expiring contracts will attract the favor of bad teams and allow the Clippers to get the bargaining chips they want in the transaction.

What is different from Bogdan Bogdanovic is that Kofi's departure has become a foregone conclusion. When the season enters the final stage, he was directly abandoned by the coaching team. When there was not enough staff in the playoffs, he did not intend to use him, and he did not have a minute of playing time. For players who prove their strength in the game they want, this situation is not conducive to him, just like Ben Simmons. Since the Clippers have Coffey's right to bird, they have more choices when dealing with the former's stay and leave. They can exchange it for players with annual salary or better data by signing first and then changing.

It is worth mentioning that it is well known that the Clippers want Collins, who has the option of $26.6 million this summer and will most likely execute this contract. The Utah Jazz are currently in the reconstruction stage and do not aim for the playoffs, so I still like the expiration contract. If President Frank is willing to send Bogdan Bogdanovic, plus Kofi, and draft picks, it may be able to impress General Manager Angie, thus obtaining Collins' joining and making up for the depth of the front line.

You should know that Collins' strength is also good. He weighs 107 pounds, has the ability to move and confrontation, and can play as a power forward or center. His three-point shooting percentage this season is stable at 39.9%. He has the ability to catch the ball and shoot, and can open up space for James Harden and Kawhi Leonard at critical moments and create a breakthrough route. At the same time, he averaged 19 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game, and shot from mid-range, which can enrich head coach Tyron Lue's tactical system and reduce Leonard's pressure. In addition, the ability to protect the frame should not be underestimated. In short, the advantages of Collins joining the Clippers outweigh the disadvantages.

Then these actions of the Clippers during the offseason show that the management wants to help the team, launch a rush to the championship again, and strive to raise a championship flag over the home court of the Intuition Dome, proving that Los Angeles should not belong to the Lakers. The team still focuses on Leonard and Harden as the core to build a competitive lineup. However, there are many uncertainties about whether the transaction can be successfully reached, involving the interests of multiple teams. As long as there are problems, it will lead to a miscarriage of the transaction. So we all look forward to Frank's strengthening, is it a surprise or a disappointment.

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