Marcus Morris and Norman Powell on the block
The Clippers have been trying to find a trade exit for both Marcus Morris Sr. and Norm Powell, league sources say. They found neither before Wednesday at midnight and thus felt forced to waive Eric Gordon, because shedding Gordon’s $21 million salary for next season saved $110 million in luxury tax. You read right: $110 million. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer can afford that — more so than pretty much any owner in the league — but the team-building restrictions on teams that stray more than $17.5 million past the luxury tax line are so onerous that even Team Ballmer has to avoid the dreaded second apron if it can. The Clippers are still in that zone even after parting company with Gordon, who appeared in only 27 games as a Clippers (including the playoffs) after LA traded away Luke Kennard, John Wall and a pick swap in a three-team deal with Houston and Memphis to get him.
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com
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Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
The Clippers are in a CBA crunch (you might have heard about that today!) and were set to have multiple players on/around $20 million in 2nd unit.
Eric Gordon was one of them. Norman Powell the other.
That, in addition to players that need to emerge like Bones Hyland, led here – 11:31 PM
The Clippers are in a CBA crunch (you might have heard about that today!) and were set to have multiple players on/around $20 million in 2nd unit.
Eric Gordon was one of them. Norman Powell the other.
That, in addition to players that need to emerge like Bones Hyland, led here – 11:31 PM
More on this storyline
The Hawks, as another example, have made well-known contact with various teams about De’Andre Hunter. The Clippers continue to canvas the league, seeking what a trade package of Marcus Morris and Norman Powell can return to Los Angeles, sources said. But there’s yet to be any type of list forming for teams interested in Portland’s best trade asset at the moment: 24-year-old guard Anfernee Simons, who’s entering the second season of a four-year, $100 million contract. There were brief discussions with Cleveland about Portland forward Nassir Little before the draft unfolded, sources said, but no deal structure ever gained real traction there. An expected increase in league-wide trade calls Wednesday and Thursday before free agency opens Friday night can certainly bring more developments for the Blazers. -via Yahoo! Sports / June 28, 2023
StatMuse: Amen and Ausar Thompson are the first twins to be selected in the top 10 of the same draft. The first brothers to be selected in the same lottery since the Morris brothers. pic.twitter.com/lrGYYhG88s -via Twitter @statmuse / June 22, 2023
Andrew Greif: Clippers guard Norm Powell was fourth in Sixth Man voting. pic.twitter.com/fArPFAPNXg -via Twitter @AndrewGreif / April 20, 2023
“It’s just his overall mentality and his approach,” said Los Angeles Clippers forward Norman Powell, who played with Leonard in Toronto. “He’s just being locked in start to finish. The aggressiveness, the calmness and just the pace before the game, I feel like he has all of that clicking in the playoffs. I’m excited to see it again up close and in person.” -via sportsnaut.com / April 16, 2023