Report: Clippers Amongst Teams Interested in Paul Millsap
While the free agent market has almost dried up completely, veteran forward Paul Millsap still remains unsigned. In a recent article from The Athletic's Shams Charania, it was reported that the LA Clippers were amongst the teams expressing interest in Millsap. The other teams listed by Shams were the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and Chicago Bulls.
In 56 games for the Denver Nuggets last season, Millsap averaged 9.0 PPG on 47.6% from the field and 34.3% from deep. Millsap's numbers came in just over 20 minutes per game, which is likely similar to the role he would play on a team like the Clippers.
Between Marcus Morris and Nicolas Batum, the Clippers have two players who will get the majority of the power forward minutes; however, Millsap could add a layer of versatility that would allow the team more opportunities to play small. While Millsap will be turning 37 during the 2021-22 NBA season, he has yet to decline past the point of being a negative impact.
The Denver Nuggets maintained a +4.7 NTRG when Millsap was on the floor last season. Their offense really flourished as well, posting a 116.2 ORTG in Millsap's 1,162 minutes. While the scoring prowess he possessed during his stretch of four-straight All-Star appearances with the Atlanta Hawks has declined with age, Millsap still has an ability to score from his spots.
While it was a small sample size of only 30 attempts, Millsap converted on 46.7% of his corner threes last season. This was the 5th straight year in which Millsap shot better than 40% from the corner, which would be an important development if he were to land with the Clippers, a team who generates a plethora of open threes.
The Clippers would be able to offer Millsap a veteran minimum contract if he decided to sign with them.