The free agency of LeBron James took over the offseason, but new details are still coming out after he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. It turns out that the Los Angeles Clippers actually offered the most money to LeBron in hopes of keeping him in the city. The Clippers were not mentioned among the serious candidates to land James to make this quite surprising.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin shared the following note of how much money the Clippers actually offered to James:
“There were surprising suitors along the way. The Boston Celtics, James’ consistent nemesis through the years, expressed interest, sources told ESPN. The LA Clippers even discussed a lucrative one-season contract north of $20 million that would allow him to stay at his Brentwood, California, home, sources said.”
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is not shy about spending money nor about his desire to win an NBA Championship. The Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era failed with just one Western Conference Finals appearance. LeBron would have given them more credibility within the NBA if he badly wanted to remain in Los Angeles. Philadelphia ultimately won over James by convincing him they were his best chance to win one more NBA ring.
Why LeBron James Didn’t Consider Clippers
No other details were given about the Clippers in the article other than they made a big contract offer, while other teams were looking to give cheaper deals. The article does imply that the Clippers and Celtics were interested teams who didn’t have a realistic chance to land LeBron.
Everyone knew that James was considering the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors as the main threats to what ended up being the 76ers race to win. LeBron stated that he wanted to play high level basketball most of all and picked the team he thinks can win a title.
The Clippers just can’t present a serious case for NBA Championship consideration after the past season. Leonard is traded in principle to the Toronto Raptors once the Aspiration endorsement deal investigation ends to lose their best player. James Harden and Ivica Zubac were also traded last season to start a rebuilding process.
The Clippers Want To Get Better Fast
NBA fans may view the Clippers as entering a rebuilding process, but this news shows that they are willing to add big names. Ballmer is known for wanting to speed up the process by signing the best talent. Young forward Peyton Watson is currently on the Clippers radar after losing out on James.
The Denver Nuggets will have the chance to match any offer for Watson, but the Clippers can raise the price to hurt Denver. A big contract offer of over $20 million would put pressure on the Nuggets to pay an even higher tax by going further over the salary cap.
Solid complimentary pieces like Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram could see the team winning again if they add the right star to the mix. Expect the Clippers to go after big names over the next few seasons to try another run at title contention.
Clippers Offered LeBron James Most Money During Free Agency