- The Minnesota deal does not preclude a Sessions acquisition. Those conversations will continue, according to sources on both sides of the discussions. The Clippers still hold a trade exception, which is a nice chip to have and gives them another way to structure any potential deal.
- Craig Smith is a considerable upgrade over Quentin Richardson, though they don’t have the same positional profile. If he comes into the season in shape, he gives the Clippers even more flexibility in the frontcourt. Since there’s a possibility that, at the outset of his career, Griffin will defend 3s better than he defends 4s, you could conceive of a scenario where Griffin and Smith could be on the floor simultaneously either with a center, or as a 4 and 5 against smaller squads. Smith won’t stretch the floor for you (he attempted a single 3-pointer last season), but he’s a very capable face-up jump shooter.
- Sebastian Telfair is a serviceable backup and a far better option than the Brunson/Dickau prototypes Clippers fans have been accustomed to over the years. Although we may be loath to admit it, Telfair represents an upgrade over Mike Taylor. Bassy is a lousy shooter (so is Taylor), but a terrific passer, particularly on the break. You want up-tempo? Telfair can initate those opportunities far more effectively than Taylor.
- My one beef with the deal is Telfair’s 2010-11 $2.7M player option. Barring unforeseen circumstances — like a Baron Davis injury whereby Bassy steps in and actualizes all that potential — it’s unlikely he’d opt out. This means the Clippers’ 2010-11 cap number just grew by nearly $3 million. It’s not a tragedy, given that they picked up an efficient backup forward and a guy who can run the break and whip passes to the right guys, but it cost them a teeny bit of flexibility.
