The Clippers have matched the 4-year, $43 million dollar offer sheet that the Golden State Warriors gave to 23-year old center DeAndre Jordan.  Jordan played in 80 games (66 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 25.6 minutes, 7.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.8 blocked shots per game.  He has now played in 203 games (91 starts) in his first three years with the Clippers and he is averaging 19.5 minutes, 5.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game.  Jordan is likely going to bump Chris Kaman to the bench or out of town (in a trade) this year.

The Clippers have claimed 35-year old point guard Chauncey Billups off waivers from the Knicks.  Billups played in 72 games (all starts) for the Knicks & Nuggets last year and he averaged 32.1 minutes, 16.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Billups shot 40.2% from three point range last year and the Clippers could definitely use his long range shooting.  Billups has now played in 982 games (888 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 32.3 minutes, 15.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  This was a good move for the Clippers as Billups is expected to replace Mo Williams as the starting point guard in 2011-12.

The Clippers will be without 22-year old point guard Eric Bledsoe for at leas the next six weeks due to knee surgery.  Bledsoe played in 81 games (25 starts) as a rookie for the Clippers last year and he averaged 22.7 minutes, 6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  Randy Foye will likely back up Mo Williams at point guard until Bledsoe is ready to return to action.

The Clippers have waived 28-year old forward Craig Smith.  Smith played in 48 games for the Clippers last year and he averaged 12.2 minutes, 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  He has now played in 356 games (49 starts) in his first five years in the NBA and he is averaging 17.9 minutes, 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  The Clippers might miss Smith a little bit as he is a very solid bench player.

The Clippers have waived 28-year old power forward Ike Diogu.  Diogu played in 36 games (0 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 13.1 minutes, 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.  He has now played in 223 games (18 starts) in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 12.5 minutes, 6.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  The Clippers needed Diogu’s money to help pay for Caron Butler.

The Los Angeles Clippers have signed 31-year old small forward Caron Butler to a 3-year, $24 million dollar deal.  Butler played in 29 games (all starts) for the Mavericks last year and he averaged 29.9 minutes, 15.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  He has now played in 589 games (556 starts) in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 36.3 minutes, 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.  Butler is a solid team player and he should fit in great with the Clippers.

The Los Angeles Clippers maintain that they are going to match any offer that restricted free agent center DeAndre Jordan gets on the free agent market.  That being said, they still have 29-year old center Chris Kaman.  Kaman played in 32 games (15 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 26.2 minutes, 12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game.  He has now played in 493 games (425 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 29.7 minutes, 11.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game.  Kaman could also be trade bait for the Clippers if they do indeed re-sign Jordan.

22-year old power forward Blake Griffin was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2010-11.  He played in 82 games (all starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 38.0 minutes, 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.  Griffin could even top those numbers in 2011-12 for the Clippers as he is the most exciting player in the NBA right now.  I stay up late on the East Coast to watch the Clippers on my NBA League Pass, because of Griffin.  28-year old Ike Diogu will backup Griffin in 2011-12.  Diogu played in 36 games (0 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 13.1 minutes, 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.  He has now played in 223 games (18 starts) in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 12.5 minutes, 6.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  21-year old Trey Tompkins was taken by the Clippers in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft last April.  He has a nice upside as a power player in the near future for the Clippers.

The Clippers need more offensive production out of the small forwards in 2011-12.  22-year old Al-Farouq Aminu might get a shot to be the full-time starter this year.  He played in 81 games (14 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 17.9 minutes, 5.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.  Aminu only shot 39.4% from the floor and he’s going to need to improve on that figure if the wants to play more this year.  29-year old Ryan Gomes will have a good shot of beating out Aminu for the starting job at small forward this year.  He played in 76 games (62 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 27.6 minutes, 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.  Gomes has now played in 450 games (369 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 28.9 minutes, 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.  30-year old Brian Cook is #3 in line at small forward for the Clippers.  He played in 40 games (0 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 11.2 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Cook shot 43% from three point range last year for the Clippers, so he’s not totally without value.  Cook has now played in 389 games (74 starts) in his NFL career and he is averaging 13.8 minutes, 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.

The Clippers are in great shape at shooting guard heading into the 2011-12 season.  22-year old Eric Gordon played in 56 games (all starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 37.7 minutes, 22.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  He has now played in 196 games (181 starts) in his first three years with the Clippers and he is averaging 35.8 minutes, 18.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  He has a nice upside to be even better than he was last year and that has to excite the Clippers.  28-year old Randy Foye will be Gordon’s back up again this year.  Foye played in 63 games (24 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 24.6 minutes, 9.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.  He has now played in 324 games (166 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 27.3 minutes, 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.  Foye is a solid player, when healthy.  22-year old Willie Warren didn’t get on the court much as a rookie last year.  He played in 19 games (0 starts) for the Clippers last year and he averaged 7.1 minutes, 1.9 points, 0.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.  21-year old rookie Travis Leslie was a 2nd round pick last June.  He will likely be sitting either at the end of the bench or he will be playing in the D-League in 2011-12.