The Los Angeles Clippers’ first offseason pursuit is officially a success.
They now employ NBA legend, and logo, Jerry West.
ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne broke the news late Wednesday night, stating that, while West hasn’t signed a contract with the Clippers just yet, he knew that Game 5 of the NBA Finals was his last as a special consultant to the Golden State Warriors:
West told ESPN that he has not yet signed a contract with the Clippers, but knew Monday night would be his final game with the Warriors.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 15, 2017
West called leaving the Warriors "one of the saddest nights of my life" because of the respect he has for the organization and the players.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 15, 2017
Leaving a consulting gig with the Warriors to hold a similar advisory role with the Clippers seems bonkers on the surface. Golden State is clearly light years ahead of Los Angeles. West must have brokered a massive raise to make the switch, one that comes accompanied with a stronger voice in organizational decisions.
Read between the lines, though, and this also makes sense. West has borderline bemoaned how easy life has become for the Warriors. He clearly values the competition and drama and mystery that’s supposed to be associated with sports. Syncing up with the Clippers, as part of an opportunity to restore some of the league’s competitive balance, which was admittedly shallow before now, tracks with his line of thinking.
As for how much work has to be done in Los Angeles, not even West can know.
Four of the Clippers’ five starters are free agents this summer. If they lose any of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, J.J. Redick or Luc Mbah a Moute, they’re absolutely screwed. Lose both Paul and Griffin, and they’re thrust into an impromptu rebuild—an undertaking we can only assume West is prepared to help pilot, since he’s switching sides well before free agency has a chance to shake out.
