NBA Free Agency: Mike Scott, Clippers Agree to One-Year Deal

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Clippers have signed veteran forward Mike Scott to a one-year deal.

Scott had the best season of his career for the Wizards last year, averaging 8.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game off of the bench, while shooting an efficient 52.7% from the field and 40.5% from three-point range. He gives the Clippers something they didn’t have last season: a competent backup forward who can play ahead of Wesley Johnson and Sam Dekker and actually space the floor.

Still, it’s sort of a hard addition to get excited about, as the Clippers don’t figure to be competitive next season and have spent the free agency period chasing after players on the wrong side of 30. With the 9 teams who finished ahead of the Clippers only getting stronger (and several teams that were behind them gearing up as well), and LAC losing DeAndre Jordan in free agency, the team can hardly claim to be balancing a playoff push with long-term development. A playoff push is far out of the Clippers’ reach as currently constructed. Adding veteran free agents with no long-term upside simply serves to secure the Clippers’ hold on 11th place in the West—because God forbid they slide to 13th and get a better draft pick.