The Clippers are arguably the most variable team in the offseason, the Big Four now have three contracts expiring, George, Harden and Wei Shao are all on the sidelines, according to the Clippers team reporter, Wei Shao has played his last game with the Clippers, and he will refuse to exercise the final year 4.03 million player option to become a member of the free market.
His decision to leave is not only because he can't see the team's championship hopes, but also because the Clippers are also waiting for the Warriors' decision on Paul, and if the Warriors cut Paul, then the Clippers will definitely invite him to join.
Since the arrival of Harden, Wei Shao, who was originally arranged to play as a substitute in the Clippers, has given up the position of the main force, if he adds Paul, he may not even have playing time, he has not played time with the base salary, and the championship is also far away, it is better to stay in the Clippers to change places, because it is not worth it for him.
Wei Shao, who is 35 years old this year, has sacrificed enough in the Clippers, and when Harden arrived, the two could not play 1+1 greater than 2 when they started together, and he took the initiative to give up the main position.
After all, basketball is a five-person sport, someone must make sacrifices, sacrifice data, sacrifice team status, Wei Shao returned to the bench for the championship, even so, he can still get an average of 11.1 points, 5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, and the overall shooting rate of 45% is also in line with his long-term level.
But in the past two or three years, the Clippers have repeatedly failed in the knockout rounds, which has made him also have the idea of going, with his current competitive level, changing teams to bring newcomers, and the annual salary is at least the middle class, so he doesn't have to receive a base salary in the Clippers, he doesn't have much time to appear, and he has to take the blame from time to time, and other people have already gone crazy.
Originally, last season's Clippers were the season with the best chance of breaking out of the West in recent years, and the team also won the fourth place in the West in the regular season.
It's a pity that at the critical moment of the playoffs, Leonard's old injury recurred again, as the team's first scoring point, he couldn't play at the critical moment, and the team was eliminated by the Mavericks without suspense, although the Clippers regrettably went out in the first round, but there are still many fans who think that if Leonard is not injured, it will be the Clippers who rush out of the West.
You must know that according to the configuration of the Clippers' Big Four, even if they meet the Celtics in the Finals, except for the center position, the strength of other positions is there. It can only be said that Harden does not have the life of a championship, and since leaving the Rockets, it can be said that nothing has gone well, maybe he should really hire an agent for himself, after all, not every Nowitzki will meet an owner like Cuban.
Now Paul George has no shortage of suitors in the free market, first the 76ers, then the Magic, and now the Warriors want to sign him, so he did not hesitate to ask the Clippers for a long-term contract.
But Ballmer is not stupid, he originally persuaded Leonard to reduce his salary and renew his contract, just to let the team have enough salary space and retain the existing lineup, and also forced Paul George in disguise.
So the two sides are arguing here, the Clippers want to keep the existing lineup, but George doesn't think so, he wants both a salary cap and a championship, at least now it seems that Ballmer doesn't want him to get his wish, if it weren't for the 76ers and other teams to make a bad situation there, George may have signed the contract extension long ago.
In fact, George's decision will ultimately affect whether Harden stays with the Clippers, after all, he originally chose to join the Pepper combination, and now the two don't play at a critical moment, and the other is making a fuss about the top salary, which makes him slow to make up his mind whether to leave or stay.
Now that the pressure is on the Clippers' side, Willis has made a decision, George has no shortage of suitors in the free market, and they are all willing to give the maximum salary, and Harden is waiting to see what happens.
In fact, the source of all this is Leonard's early contract renewal in the middle of last season, if he chooses to renew his contract with a maximum salary, George's request becomes reasonable, the problem is that he just asked for a maximum salary, and now George is embarrassed, he wants a maximum salary, the boss is unwilling to give it, and he feels that he has lost the top salary.
In fact, many Clippers players know, including Harden, of course, that the culprit of all this is Leonard, his injuries at critical moments, and the early salary extension not only did not help the team, but also indirectly made him a loner.
Now the Clippers have prepared for the worst, the Big Four Wei Shao has decided to leave the team, if George chooses to leave, there is no need to make a fuss, after all, you don't give the maximum salary in the business league, and now the worst thing is Harden, George's strength will definitely be greatly reduced when he leaves the team, plus Leonard is often absent, if he chooses to stay, there is a high probability that he will lead the team alone, so it can almost be confirmed that there is no championship in his career.
In fact, Leonard has been in a state of stop-and-go for a long time since he helped the Raptors win the championship, coupled with Ballmer's connivance, his professionalism has also become a place often criticized by the American media, and in the past five years with the Clippers, fraudsters have become synonymous with him.
He also doesn't seem to care about what the American media thinks of him, now he has two championships and FMVP, and the honor is no longer motivating for him, and lying flat is the best choice for him now.
The other big three Harden, Wei Shao and George are different, they came to the Clippers just to taste the taste of winning the championship. The Tao is different, the hearts are not together, and the championship is just a mirror.
What do you think Ballmer will ultimately decide? Brothers who know the ball are welcome to leave a message in the comment area to discuss.