So maybe Donald Sterling won't ruin the Los Angeles Clippers after all.
At the end of May, ESPN's Chris Broussard reported Chris Paul was upset about being scapegoated in the firing of Vinny Del Negro and possibly wanted out of town. You can't really blame Paul if he wanted Del Negro out of town considering how out of his depth the coach looked at times.
Now, all is right on the red and blue half of Los Angeles after the hiring of Doc Rivers. Where Paul once looked like he was truly going to test the open market, it now seems a foregone conclusion he's sticking with the Clippers.
ESPN's Marc Stein sent out a couple of tweets to sum up the situation well. The first is a retweet from the Orange Country Register's Dan Woike, and the second is his opinion of the situation.
On one hand it's a bit of a shame to see Paul stay with the Clippers because it would have been fun to see the best point guard in the league available to the highest bidder. You don't see that too often.
On the other, if there's a franchise that deserves to give its fans a winner, it's the Clippers. So it's good to see the organization hold on to its best asset.
Although Paul won't be leaving town, there are plenty of free agents whose situations will be very fun to track. In a class that has a few top players and then a bunch of marginal ones, these four players stand out.
Stein also reported the Houston Rockets are the favorites to land Dwight Howard this offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers have really brought out the big guns when it comes to their recruitment process, putting up various billboards and banners across the city to try and keep the big man.
The most surprising thing about the Lakers' campaign is that for a franchise as storied and successful as theirs, they still feel the need to go to such extreme lengths to court a player.
All fans can agree the sooner Howard makes a decision, the better. It was unbearable watching him constantly waffle on his future with the Orlando Magic, only to have a press conference outlining how he was going to stay and how "loyal" he was, only to then bolt for the Lakers shortly thereafter.
Howard is a great defender. There's no doubting that. His offense is a major problem. He hasn't developed a ton of moves and hasn't become a dominant big man as a result.
Still, he's the best center in the league and would radically alter whatever team he signs with this offseason.
Josh Smith
Josh Smith is the proverbial jack of all trades and a master of none. He's got loads of talent, but for a variety of reasons, it hasn't come together for him.
Much like Howard, Smith excels on the defensive end of the floor. He's recorded 1,440 blocks in his career, which is even more impressive considering he's only 6'9".
Of course, when you get Smith, you trade his great defense for his sub-par offense. This year, in particular, was a low for the forward, as his offensive win shares was actually at -0.3. He actually hurt his team with his offense more than he helped it.
The biggest thing with Smith is his propensity to spot up and take mid-range jumpers. If a new team can cut that out of his game, it will get an All-Star-caliber forward.
Andre Iguodala
There isn't a better perimeter defender in the league than Andre Iguodala. Some might be surprised that he chose to opt out of the final year of his deal. But his value is never going to be any higher than it is now. This time next year, he'll be a year older, and it's unlikely Iguodala would have done anything more to impress a team than he did this past season.
The biggest issue with Iguodala is where he fits in on a team. You get the feeling somebody like the Detroit Pistons will give him a huge deal that he can't possibly live up to.
Iguodala is best as a very good team's secondary option. He's not the kind of player who can be a team's go-to guy on the offensive end.
Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings is one of the biggest X-factors in this draft. He's got loads of talent and can do so many things on the court. His attitude is the biggest thing holding back his career, though.
The Milwaukee Bucks have a very intriguing decision to make.
NBA insider Brett Poirier reported that Jennings wants to play in a "big market."
But the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Charles Gardner reported the Bucks are planning to bring back the point guard for next season.
As a restricted free agent, Jennings will have a hard time leaving the Bucks, since they can match any offer another team makes. If they keep him, though, the Bucks risk having a player that is not happy with the franchise and will only cause problems as a result.
If Jennings leaves, Milwaukee risks losing one of the best young point guards in the league and regretting it for years to come.
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