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Los Angeles Clippers
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Clippers, Jazz Announced Trade On Saturday
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/clippers-jazz-announced-trade-on-saturday/
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers are making moves.
The Utah Jazz agreed to take one of their out-of-favor players in a salary-shedding move.
The Clippers reportedly will send P.J. Tucker, Mo Bamba, a future second-round pick and cash to the Jazz for Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills, according to Shams Charania and Bobby Marks of ESPN.
On paper, this shouldn’t move the needle that much for either team.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue will get some diverse threats in Mills and Eubanks.
Mills gives L.A. another playmaker and shooter off the bench, and with Kris Dunn struggling with injuries, the veteran could be serviceable.
He will also be reunited with former San Antonio Spurs teammate Kawhi Leonard.
As for the Jazz, they get some salary off their books and some draft compensation in the process.
Tucker has been away from the Clippers for a while now.
He grew frustrated about not getting to play and now will be a prime buyout candidate.
Though it’s been some time since he was on the court, multiple teams might be interested in his services.
His offensive performance has steadily declined over the years, but he remains a pesky and physical defender who can contend against forwards and some big men.
The Jazz are most likely looking to make more moves, so they’ll be a team to watch as the NBA trade deadline draws closer.
The post Clippers, Jazz Announced Trade On Saturday appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/clippers-jazz-announced-trade-on-saturday/
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James Harden Has Honest Admission About Facing Celtics
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/james-harden-has-honest-admission-about-facing-celtics/
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers experienced one of their most disappointing losses of the season on Monday night when the Chicago Bulls took them down at home.
Following the 112-99 loss, James Harden was asked about facing the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, and he had a frank and revealing answer.
“I’m not looking toward nobody. We just got whooped at home by the Bulls,” Harden said, according to Farbod Esnaashari, via Legion Hoops.
Like many fans, Harden was astounded and disheartened by the defeat at the hands of the Bulls and isn’t thinking about what’s ahead.
Harden tried his best to pull out a win against the Bulls, posting 17 points and 10 assists.
Meanwhile, Norman Powell had 27 points, while Derrick Jones Jr. and Terance Mann both had 12 points each.
This was supposed to be an easy win for the Clippers even without Kawhi Leonard and it was going to set them up for a productive and exciting week.
Instead, they have been thrown off their game before the match against Boston on Wednesday.
Everyone knows the Celtics are one of the toughest teams in the league, and they will capitalize on every mistake the Clippers make.
Los Angeles needed to head into that game with confidence.
But right now they are unsure of themselves and what they can do.
The Clippers are the fifth team in the West with a 24-18 record.
However, they are just a couple of games ahead of the teams behind them, so a few more losses could see them slip down the standings in a heartbeat.
That means every win is important right now.
Harden was unhappy to see his team fall short and now he has just a day to get himself together and prepare for an incredibly difficult opponent.
The post James Harden Has Honest Admission About Facing Celtics appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/james-harden-has-honest-admission-about-facing-celtics/
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Insider Reveals When Kawhi Leonard Will Make His Season Debut
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-reveals-when-kawhi-leonard-will-make-his-season-debut/
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
It’s been months since we saw Kawhi Leonard take the floor for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Fortunately for the team, the wait is almost over.
According to a report by Shams Charania of ESPN, the former Defensive Player of the Year plans to make his season debut on Saturday vs. the Atlanta Hawks.
After rehabbing from his perennial knee injuries, he will play his first home game at Intuit Dome.
Leonard had already spent some time with the team’s G-League affiliate, so this isn’t much of a surprise.
The Clippers are currently No. 7 in the Western Conference with a 19-15 record.
Needless to say, Leonard’s health would give them a massive boost, as we’re talking about one of the best two-way players in the league.
Then again, it’s hard to envision Leonard being healthy often for this team, especially in the playoffs.
It’s been the same story with him for years, so his return should not really change anything.
The former NBA champion will most likely be under a long-term minutes restriction.
He’s never been the kind of player who will push to be on the court unless he feels he’s close to 100%, regardless of the context or how much his team needs him.
Also, as great a player as he is, we cannot ignore that he is already 33 years old.
If anything, he will be a welcome addition to this team when he can play and for as long as he’s healthy.
The post Insider Reveals When Kawhi Leonard Will Make His Season Debut appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-reveals-when-kawhi-leonard-will-make-his-season-debut/
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Insider Reveals Target Date For Kawhi Leonard’s Return
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-reveals-target-date-for-kawhi-leonards-return/
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers have been held down over the past five years by injury problems, particularly to star forward Kawhi Leonard, and after losing Paul George as a free agent this offseason, it was announced that Leonard would miss an indefinite amount of time to start this season.
It led to some doom and gloom about the Clippers’ prospects, but they have played surprisingly well, which allowed them to open with a 17-13 record that put them in seventh place in the Western Conference.
Now, there reportedly is finally a target date for Leonard’s return.
Without Leonard there to bust defenses and bail them out near the end of the shot clock, the Clippers have been one of the NBA’s weaker offensive teams, but they have gotten by with their defense.
They rank fifth in defensive rating and have held their opponents under 100 points nine times in 30 games.
Their interior defense has been solid, and they’re one of the NBA’s best on the defensive boards, where they rank second in defensive rebounding percentage.
Guard Norman Powell has stepped up offensively in Leonard’s absence, but James Harden is struggling with a field-goal percentage of just 38.9 percent.
The arrival of Leonard and George in 2019 put the Clippers among the favorites to win the NBA championship, but they have gone to the Western Conference Finals just once and have failed to win a single playoff series since 2021.
The post Insider Reveals Target Date For Kawhi Leonard’s Return appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-reveals-target-date-for-kawhi-leonards-return/
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Clippers Are Reportedly Shopping 2 Players On Trade Market
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/clippers-are-reportedly-shopping-2-players-on-trade-market/
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
They haven’t been without their struggles, but the Los Angeles Clippers have performed better in 2024-25 than some people expected, especially because they have been without Kawhi Leonard.
But the team isn’t content with staying the same and is contemplating some action before the trade deadline.
Evan Sidery is reporting the Clippers have been shopping both PJ Tucker and Bones Hyland, as well as draft capital for a “rotational upgrade.”
“Los Angeles is also preparing for Kawhi Leonard’s eventual return from injury soon,” Sidery wrote.
If the Clippers really say goodbye to Tucker and Hyland, few people will be surprised.
Tucker has done very little for the team since coming over in the James Harden trade.
He has averaged just 1.6 points during 15 minutes on the court for only 28 games.
Those games were all last season because Tucker hasn’t played for the Clippers at all this year as he has been attempting to find a new home in the league that would give him more time on the court.
It was only a matter of time before Tucker and the Clippers cut ties.
As for Hyland, his story is a little more complicated.
He moved to the Clippers a few years ago after a year and a half with the Denver Nuggets.
But he hasn’t been given a lot of time to shine in Los Angeles, and his minutes and output have declined.
Sidery made a point to remind readers that Leonard is recovering and should be back with the Clippers soon.
The team is keeping that in mind as they look at all options on the trade market.
They would love the team to be fully formed and ready to compete when their most important star finally returns.
The post Clippers Are Reportedly Shopping 2 Players On Trade Market appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/clippers-are-reportedly-shopping-2-players-on-trade-market/
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Ben Simmons Has Decided On Jersey Number With Clippers
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/ben-simmons-has-decided-on-jersey-number-with-clippers/
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Ben Simmons is looking to inject new life into his career after signing a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The former No. 1 overall draft pick just agreed to a contract with the Clippers after being waived by the Brooklyn Nets.
To mark the occasion, Simmons is changing his jersey number.
According to Etienne Catalan on X, Simmons will wear No. 25 for the Clippers.
This number was last worn by Moussa Diabate in 2024.
Will a new number give Simmons a different outlook and direction after years of falling short?
Simmons is putting up an average of 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists this season.
Once again held back by injuries, Simmons still wasn’t contributing to the Nets as fans had wanted.
But things might change with the Clippers, and Simmons could look like the former Rookie of the Year again.
Over the last several seasons, Simmons has been heavily criticized for his on-court output and lack of aggression.
He has often seemed unsure of himself and hasn’t even attempted a three-point shot since the 2020-21 season.
Fans have been waiting for Simmons to turn the page and start a new chapter of his career, but they may not hold their breath much longer.
If Simmons isn’t able to turn things around in Los Angeles, they might lose all hope, and the Clippers may not keep him around for a long time either.
Simmons’ injury problems are reportedly behind him, so this gives him a perfect chance to show off his new number and his once-remarkable skills to Clippers fans.
The post Ben Simmons Has Decided On Jersey Number With Clippers appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/ben-simmons-has-decided-on-jersey-number-with-clippers/
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Bill Simmons Reveals When Kawhi Leonard Could Return
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/bill-simmons-reveals-when-kawhi-leonard-could-return/
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers entered the 2024-2025 NBA season without one of their best players.
While everything seemingly pointed to Kawhi Leonard being healthy and ready to go, a week before the season opener, it was announced that he wasn’t going to play.
Not only did Leonard not play in the season opener, but he hasn’t made his season debut yet due to his knee issues.
This has been a major setback for the Clippers, who were operating like he would be back into the fold for the entire season.
They’ve still managed a 14-10 record without him, but they could use his services to take down some of the contenders in the West.
A recent episode of Bill Simmons’ podcast indicated that he could enter the fold soon, which could give an infusion of life and talent to this roster.
If a late-December timeline is realistic for Leonard, it could give him enough time and regular season games to gear up for the playoffs, where he has thrived throughout his career.
Leonard’s health has been a major concern over the past several years, but when he is healthy, he’s been a prolific scorer and contributor in the postseason.
It will be interesting to see if he does come back soon, and how long it’ll take to get acclimated to playing with this team.
The post Bill Simmons Reveals When Kawhi Leonard Could Return appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/bill-simmons-reveals-when-kawhi-leonard-could-return/
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Kendrick Perkins Names ‘Sneaky Pick’ To Win NBA West
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/kendrick-perkins-names-sneaky-pick-to-win-nba-west/
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
With the All-Star Game in the rearview mirror, we’ve officially reached the most crucial part of the NBA season.
As such, it only makes sense that people start making their bold predictions for the final stretch.
With that in mind, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins shared a rather bold take.
Talking on ESPN’s “Get Up,” the retired big man claimed that the Los Angeles Clippers were now his sneaky pick to come out of the Western Conference.
.@KendrickPerkins says the Clippers are his sneaky pick in the West to make a runpic.twitter.com/FDkkCMTRA3
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 17, 2025
Perkins claimed that having Kawhi Leonard being their third option was actually a good thing, as he can play behind James Harden and Norman Powell.
He also believes that Ivica Zubac is one of the most underrated big men in the league.
Perkins also likes the Ben Simmons pickup and predicted that he would be ‘special’ off the bench.
He highly regards coach Tyronn Lue, and if they’re all healthy, he thinks the Clippers can be very dangerous.
Of course, it’s hard to argue with his words, at least on paper.
Nevertheless, we’ve heard and seen this way too many times in the past.
Leonard can’t be trusted to stay healthy, especially late in the season.
Harden has turned back the clock and is having a great season, but he also has a long history of shortcomings in the playoffs.
As for Simmons, he has barely played in the last three years, and he has some well-documented struggles in the postseason.
This team can definitely make some noise, but we’ll have to see it to believe it at this point.
The post Kendrick Perkins Names ‘Sneaky Pick’ To Win NBA West appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/kendrick-perkins-names-sneaky-pick-to-win-nba-west/