NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 659 Jaden McDaniels

11月10日，在双十一开始之前，联盟公布了NBA自由市场开启时间，首先联盟2020-21赛季工资帽（1.091亿美元）和奢侈税保持不变（1.327亿美元）。另外，自由市场将在帝都时间11月21日早上7点开始。

The annual NBA draft will be held on November 18 at 7 p.m., and will be conducted online, with ESPN broadcasting the entire event live.

The Clippers still have draft picks this season, meaning their future assets are in their own hands. They are in a "flexible" position, with no need to worry about lacking the space or assets to strengthen their roster or make trades. If a suitable target emerges, they can go all in on the draft picks, while also having the necessary assets to match their trades, making them very flexible.

In terms of team management, the Clippers have been the best among the 30 NBA teams for the past few seasons. Their salary cap is also very healthy, and they haven't even incurred any luxury tax, which is simply incredible. Many NBA teams are already in a bad salary situation. Even the Warriors benefited from signing players before the salary cap increase and from Curry's rookie contract. But now that their championship heroes have all signed new contracts, their paychecks have swelled, and the owners' wallets are bleeding.

The Clippers have their own first-round and second-round picks this season. Last season, they traded their 28th first-round pick to the Cavaliers in exchange for four second-round picks plus some cash. This means they currently have one first-round pick (their own) and two second-round picks (their own and the Cavaliers').

However, the Clippers' first-round pick is very low, at 30th overall. It's difficult to select a player they want at this pick. If they could trade up, they might be able to get the player they want.

As for the two second-round picks, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find bargains now. The Clippers don't need that many players right now; they don't have many roster spots left. If they were to draft three players as per the normal draft, they would need to free up roster space to sign them all. Not signing them would be a waste of roster spots.

The best solution is to make a trade, either for free players or by trading draft picks with players in the free agent market.

Jia Fei had his own considerations...

The draft will officially begin on the 18th, but due to a severe cold, it will be held online.

Before the draft began, NBA insider Shams reported that the Clippers and Grizzlies had completed a trade, with the Clippers sending out last season's starting point guard Patrick Beverley in exchange for a second-round pick from the Grizzlies this year!

This deal caused an uproar...

Many people ridiculed Beverley for constantly proclaiming he would lead the Clippers to five championships, only to be traded away in the end.

Of course, Beverley doesn't lose out either; his contract won't be reduced by a single penny, and even if he leaves, he'll still receive last season's championship ring. In other words, in terms of the number of championship rings, he's greater than superstars like Westbrook, Harden, Durant, and Curry…

In the words of many legends, Beverley's historical status is greater than that of Harden and other stars...

Many believe that after trading Beverley, the Clippers should acquire a guard in free agency or the draft. Do they already have a target? And who is that target?

This year's draft still has many talented players, such as Georgia shooting guard Edwards and LaMelo Ball's younger brother, LaMelo Ball, etc.

Although the Clippers have a 30th overall first-round pick and three second-round picks, they've still attracted a lot of attention. The media is eager to know who they'll select with those picks, or whether they'll make any trades.

The mystery was quickly solved when, at the start of the first round of the draft, it was suddenly revealed that the Clippers and the Jazz had made a trade!

The Clippers traded their 30th overall pick and three second-round picks to the Jazz in exchange for the 27th overall pick in the first round!

What are the Clippers up to? Do they already have a target?

The Clippers' move has attracted significant attention from other teams!

The mystery was quickly solved when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who has no hair on his head, announced: "The Los Angeles Clippers selected forward Jaden McDaniels from the University of Washington with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft!"

Wow, another striker!

The Clippers actually traded up to acquire a forward who looks like a giant spider!

Jaden McDaniels is just 20 years old. Standing at 206cm tall, he weighs only 84kg. Last season, he played for the University of Washington in the NCAA, averaging 13 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. After his freshman season, he declared for the NBA draft.

Clearly, from an immediate impact perspective, Jaden McDaniels is unlikely to become a key rotation player for the Clippers next season. As a 20-year-old, his selling points are defense and potential. Offensively, he wasn't a particularly outstanding offensive player in college. His ball-handling skills are mediocre, his catch-and-shoot is inconsistent, and his high center of gravity and slender build make it difficult for him to penetrate to the basket for points. Defensively, he has quick footwork and a wide defensive range, capable of guarding multiple positions. However, due to his lack of experience and slender build, he struggles to defend strong players in the paint and is prone to foul trouble.

Jia Fei was quite satisfied that the Clippers could use these draft picks to trade up the value chain. Drafting Jaden McDaniels was his idea; he wanted to "trade small change for big money." Jaden McDaniels wasn't a large sum of cash, at least not yet. But the small change they had wasn't a large amount either. From a purely objective standpoint, this trade seemed like a loss for them, but if they got Jaden McDaniels, he felt it was worthwhile.

Of course, they could have used the 30th pick in the first round to get Bane, but the Clippers really don't need a shooting guard anymore. They have too many players who can play shooting guard, while they have relatively few players who can play power forward or center.

In today's NBA, stockpiling forwards is not a mistake, but a very good one. Some teams stockpile interior players, while others stockpile guards, leading to bizarre lineups like the "death lineup" or "suicide lineup" when injuries occur.

A five-forward lineup will have no major problems in either offense or defense.

Jia Fei's plan for next season is for the Clippers to play more five-forward lineups, further strengthen their defense, and on offense, develop the potential of young players Grant and Brunson to maintain their top-tier offensive record in the league. With improved defense, the team's floor will be further raised, and he is very optimistic about next season.

Since the Clippers have already traded away three second-round picks, they haven't drafted any second-round picks this year. Jia Fei has carefully reviewed the roster and there aren't any particularly worthwhile second-round picks to choose from this year, which is one of the reasons he decided to round up his money.