The Los Angeles Clippers have had a much quieter offseason than their in-town rivals, as the Lakers have been making headlines for better or worse ever since July 1 when they inked LeBron James to a max deal.
The Clippers find themselves in familiar territory as the Staples Center B-side, but they’re still hoping to claw their way into the playoff conversation in the West this season. L.A. lost DeAndre Jordan to free agency, but hope the addition of Marcin Gortat via a trade with the Wizards can mitigate the effects of that loss.
Otherwise, it’ll be just about the same squad as last year, with the hope that another year of continuity and some better health can push them from the 10-seed up to the eighth spot. They re-signed Avery Bradley at the start of free agency and gave Lou Williams an extension back in February, bolstering their backcourt, and on Saturday they reached an agreement with restricted free agent Montrezl Harrell to bring him back for two more years, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Restricted free agent center Montrezl Harrell has agreed to a two-year, $12M deal to return to the Clippers, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 21, 2018
Harrell had a career year in 2017-18, averaging 11 points and four rebounds per game off the bench in just 17 minutes per game. It’s a solid deal for both sides as Harrell gets a solid annual salary in what is otherwise a pretty soft market, especially for RFAs, and the Clippers keep a key piece of their frontcourt depth.
