NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard & Kyrie Irving Will Be Doc Rivers’ Top Targets In 2019 Free Agency
Despite losing their best player, Tobias Harris, before the February NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Clippers still remain competitive in the 2018-19 NBA season and prove to be a better team than the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers. As of now, the Clippers have won eight of their last 10 games and are in a strong position to compete in the Western Conference Playoffs 2019.
However, according to Steve Silverman of Bleacher Report, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is “not satisfied” just seeing his team reach the postseason. When the 2018-19 NBA season is over, Ballmer and the Clippers are planning to do everything they can to sign quality free agents and build a legitimate title contender in Los Angeles. The Clippers are set to have enough salary cap space to offer two max contracts in the summer of 2019.
The 2019 NBA free agency is still months away but Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers already has an idea in mind who they should target next July. According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Rivers is planning to go after Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors, Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors, and Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics.
“Any one of those superstars could help the Clippers rise to the No. 3 or 4 seeded team in the Western Conference, but bringing in two could turn the team into the legitimate championship contender Ballmer wants to see,” Silverman wrote.
“Most of the conversation about Los Angeles usually involves the Lakers and how they will find appropriate teammates for LeBron James. However the Clippers have their own plans, and they could steal the headlines from their neighbors with a couple of big moves in the offseason.”
Rare air.@docrivers is just the 7th coach to win 300 games with two or more teams! pic.twitter.com/rpGe30ueEX
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) March 18, 2019
With the emergence of numerous superteams, Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers must be aware that they need to add at least two NBA superstars on their roster in order to have a real chance of beating the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, in a best-of-seven series. The Clippers may have succeeded to beat some of the league’s powerhouse teams in the regular season with their current roster, but the competition in the playoffs is on a different level.
In the postseason, the Clippers will be needing players like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving who can consistently play under pressure and can take charge in crucial situations. The outcome of the 2018-19 NBA season will give incoming free agent superstars an insight why they should join the Clippers over other NBA teams next summer.
