Sources around the league maintain that with Dunleavy focused primarily on his coaching responsibilities, Olshey has been the main pipeline into the Clippers’ organization for a while now. Though Dunleavy — and Clippers president Andy Roeser above him — had veto power over any personnel moves, Olshey was the guy you called when you wanted to discuss deals. If that premise is correct, then Olshey had a big hand in getting the Clippers where they want to be financially heading into the summer.
The Clippers are placing a premium on flexibility as they strip their personnel down to the bare essentials in preparation for an active offseason. Only Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, Chris Kaman and DeAndre Jordan are under contract for 2010-11, and the organization will have somewhere in the neighborhood of $15-16 million to spend in free agency. Removing Dunleavy further enables them to reformulate, rebrand and reload.
In addition to extending a hefty contract to an elite player, might the Clippers also be looking for big names to preside in the front office and on the sidelines? Hours before the Clippers announced Dunleavy’s termination, a report surfaced that Larry Brown reached out to the Clippers regarding a possible return to Los Angeles. Given the outcome in Charlotte’s ownership situation, the likelihood of Brown taking a second tour with the Clippers seems unlikely, but the rumor does speak to the Clippers’ desire for a complete makeover.
The timing of Dunleavy’s firing is interesting considering that the Clippers are playing out the string under an interim coach. Evidently, the organization decided that even with one year remaining on his four-year, $22 million contract extension, Dunleavy’s presence no longer offered value for the future. Personnel decisions of this magnitude are usually couched in conciliatory language, but the Clippers’ press release was especially pointed:
The organization has determined that the goal of building a winning team is best served by making this decision at this time. The team has simply not made sufficient progress during Dunleavy’s seven-year tenure. The Clippers want to win now. This transition, in conjunction with a full commitment to dedicate unlimited resources, is designed to accomplish that objective.
The Clippers have placed themselves in a unique and advantageous position. Last month, they signaled that there’s a potential opportunity for a top free agent to name his own coach. On Tuesday, that hypothetical was extended even further — name your own coach and general manager.
If only the Clippers could say, “Name your owner.”
29 Responses
…..Hopefully Baron Davis is the next person out of the organization….can’t stand watching that dog.
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Posted on March 9th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
The Clippers have no loyalty. How can you do this to a guy who worked so hard to try and make the team better? I’m not saying he did, but he tried and he gave it his all. This is a nasty environment to work in. I sure as hell wouldn’t want the responsibility of trying to fix a sinking ship and then be tossed off of it for the sharks as a thank you.
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bongstradamus Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 12:14 am
Elgin was a GM for 22 years. Dunleavy had 7 years. If anything the organization has been TOO loyal. (or maybe it’s really too cheap)
This firing is a good sign. Dunleavy wasnt working.
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oasisman Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 12:29 am
I actually agree with both comments…the firing was a bit harsh…..a terse email…worse than “Up in the Air” video firings. MDsr was apparently getting ready to go watch some ACC bball and do some scouting….are the Clips sure there is someone to replace him doing that job?
Baylor was GM for too long…..Clips are pretty loyal.
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BritClip Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 8:30 am
7 years is loyal enough, it’s not like we were going anywhere. We now have a great chance to move forward with the right appointments.
Go Clips!
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Q.D. Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Clips loyal or too cheap to get rid of Elgin?
I don’t care, in the end we still have the same owner.
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Posted on March 9th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
The team’s sudden firing makes me think that the Clips have a verbal agreement with Larry Brown.
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Q.D. Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Is this Larry brown’s last year in his contract w/ Charlotte?
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 1:11 am
If only the Clippers could say, “Name your owner.” LOL burn!!!!
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 6:28 am
tim legler
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Apparently the clipper players didn’t get the memo of “wanting to win now”
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 7:58 am
If what Dunleavy says is true, that has wasn’t even told of the firing, and that the Clips did not even respond to his messages, then that speaks volumes of a strained relationship with a dysfunctional organization.
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 8:30 am
this was a bit of a harsh move at an odd time but I think it had to be done regardless. The timing is a bit weird since a couple of days ago the rumors were that L. Brown was speaking to Sterling. I do believe sterling is trying to revive the image of the clippers but that’s all gonna depend on who comes here and their work ethic.
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Life might have been good for Dunleavy later, according to the Times, he spent two hours playing golf and he was ready to watch some College BB games. I think the guy knew that his firing was coming.
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Nuclips Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
DITTO!
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 9:56 am
The timing and the way it was done was very strange. I was hoping for Sterling hiring Donald Trump to make a 5 second video saying ‘Dunleavy, You’re Fired’ and play it in the middle of a home game, but this will do.
So what are the odds that Olshey will be the GM, during free agent time next year?
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Not that I ever really want to stick up for Dunleavy, but no one should ever, ever find out about being fired by reading a press release. That is dispicable behavior for an organization and anyone in their right mind would steer clear. This are never going to change until Sterling is gone. He is a disgusting human being who has taken advantage having a team in Los Angeles for too long. Why would Lebron ever come to a team that is as volatile as the Clippers. Who cares if he can pick his own GM, when that GM can just get fired a week after he signs a contract. Same with the coach. I really think the Clippers screwed the pooch on this one. Handled so poorly it is going to ruin any slim free agent chances we had for the summer.
/vent over
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Mike Wr Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Couldn’t agree more. It’s telling of the quality of an organization and ownership about how a decision of this importance is made and carried out.
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Q.D. Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Doesn’t matter what changes you make in the front office until you get rid of the constant in all the clipper woes, “Donald Sterling”.
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laknights Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Agree COMPLETELY. You don’t build character in the organization from the bottom up, it goes from the top down. Sterling has again proven to all free agents out their how he treats his employees, like sh*t. That will help him win the Elgin Baylor lawsuit (i.e. Sterling isn’t a racist, he is an ecumenical a**hole employer, but it certainly won’t make LeBron want to work for him.
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 11:15 am
They should have parted ways amicably. This erratic behavior(of Sterling) is not going to help. This whole thing is ridiculous and damaging.
Thank you Mr.Dunleavy for serving this mediocre group of people who know nothing about
sports and winning by playing and acting smart.
God Bless Dunleavy.
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 11:24 am
You have started “thank Mr. Mediocre GM ………
Nobody forced Mr. DL to work for the Clippers, I did not hear him excusing for taking the job from the previous GM.
A few weeks ago the most of all were nailing DL now the guy was not so bad after all.
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Hoopshype is saying that the Clippers are gonna offer Lebron to pick the GM and coach. I guess it can’t hurt and it’s a unique approach, but there’s still Sterling.
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
some q&a with Livi towards the bottom fo the page:
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/david_aldridge/03/08/morning.tip/index.html
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
My prediction:
Clippers first hire a GM that is unproven and will be pretty crappy
Said crappy GM will hire a crappy coach
Together they will manage to use the cap space to give Rudy Gay a Max
player deal he doesn’t deserve when we lose out on the top tier free
agents
Jason Powell will continue to have a job as Clippers trainer even
though its his fault we have all these “freakish unlucky
one-in-a-million injuries”
End result – Clippers go 20 and 62 again next year and Blake Griffen
never plays a game for LAC due to injuries and the Clippers jinx.
We will also resign Baron Davis because he sucks ass and thats what we deserve.
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clippafan4life Reply:
March 11th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
make the bad man stop!
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
“When I jumped to block the shot, I looked down and saw that there was a hole in my knee.”
– Greg Oden, recalling to the Indianapolis Star his latest season-ending knee injury. Oden started light jogging this week for the first time since fracturing the patella in his left knee last December.
Longtime NBA reporter and columnist David Aldridge is an analyst for TNT.
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
It wasn’t that long ago that I was saying Dunleavy should be Exec of the Year and Coach of the Year. The Clips had made the 2nd round of the playoffs and decisions were FINALLY being made for basketball reasons rather than financial reasons. Dunleavy was the first outsider to wrest control from Roeser and Sterling. In Clipperland that was a monumental accomplishment and sign of progress.
It’s amazing how quickly the wheels fell off. It all started with Daniel Ewing, right? Followed by Livingston’s injury, Brand’s defection. Then there were the big money deals to Dunleavy, Kaman, and Baron. Then there was Griffin’s injury.
At the end of the day, KA totally nailed the problem and the problem is the top of the organization. The other thing we’re seeing is that Olshey was the guy who got to discuss deals but Dunleavy and Roeser/Sterling had veto power. The organization is still dysfunctional. It will always be dysfunctional as long as that jackass who hijacked the team from San Diego 26 years ago is still alive. (Kudos to reporters who likened the maliciously-worded firing to some shenanigan Al Davis would pull. Birds of a losing feather.)
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Posted on March 10th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Funny you should say, name your owner. Check out the movement over at http://www.buytheclippers.com. Sure its a pipe dream, but fans can dream!
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Posted on March 14th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
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