Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro will reportedly meet with ownership about his future. (Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is expected to meet with coach Vinny Del Negro about his future with the team, reports CBSSports.com.

Del Negro’s contract expires at the end of June and he could meet with Sterling next Monday or Tuesday, but no meeting has been finalized. Del Negro is 128-102 in three seasons with the Clippers.

The Clippers won a franchise-record 56 games this season but were eliminated in six games in the first-round of the playoffs by the Memphis Grizzlies.  Point guard Chris Paul will become a free-agent this summer and can sign for more money if he stays with the team.

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Paul is widely expected to re-sign with the Clippers, which was his plan all along when he was traded there in December 2011 with two years left on his contract. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, it was never even a remote possibility Paul would sign an extension when he could get a more lucrative five-year deal once he hit free agency.

Paul is expected to be consulted on the head coaching decision, but people familiar with his position say it is too strong to characterize the All-Star point guard as the final decision-maker in that regard.

Grant Hill is rumored to be considered for the Suns’ GM job. (Nikki Boertman/Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns are looking for a new General Manager to replace the recently fired Lance Blanks, and the oldest player in the league last season might be the one to get it.

UPDATE: Suns hire Celtics’ Ryan McDonough as GM

Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweeted on Tuesday that Phoenix has been slow to fill the vacancy because the front office hopes to hire Grant Hill as the new general manager. Hill officially became the oldest active player in the league last season after the New York Knicks’ Kurt Thomas went down with an injury; at 40 years old, Hill could make a rare jump from player to general manager over the course of one season. He spent five years in Phoenix playing for the Suns before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2012 offseason.

Since their season came to an end last month, the Suns have interviewed two candidates for the open GM position: Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman and Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough. Now that the Clippers’ season is officially over, talks between Hill and the Suns could heat up.

Rumblings persist Suns haven't hired GM yet because they remain hopeful Clips' Grant Hill, out of playoffs now, returns to PHX to take job—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 07, 2013

Chris Paul will become an unrestricted free agent this July. (Joe Murphy/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers are “very confident” that free agent to-be Chris Paul will re-sign with the team despite its disappointing, first-round exit in the NBA Playoffs.

“The No. 1 priority for us right now has to be re-signing our star player, Chris Paul,” Clippers vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks told reporters, according to ESPN.com. “That’s our goal, that’s what we want to do. We want to put ourselves in a position to do that. We feel this organization is in a position to move forward with that goal in mind. It’s always difficult, it’s never easy, but we feel confident we can be successful.”

Paul will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and he will be among the most sought-after names on the open market. He will be eligible to sign a five-year, $107.3 million extension after July 1.

If Paul signs with another team in free agency, he would be eligible for a four-year, $79.7 million contract. That means Paul would be leaving $27.6 million on the table to sign elsewhere.

The Clippers were ousted from the playoffs by the Memphis Grizzlies in six games, in a series that included four straight losses to end Los Angeles’ season. In exit interviews, Paul sounded noncommittal about his future with the Clippers.

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro’s contract expires at the end of June after the team reportedly chose to put off extension talks before the season. (Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers will take “about a week” to decide whether to bring back head coach Vinny Del Negro, whose contract expires at the end of June, according to ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelbourne.

The team had preliminary discussions with Del Negro about a contract extension before the season, but “tabled them indefinitely,” the report states.

Although longtime Lakers coach Phil Jackson is often mentioned as a possible replacement, the Clippers hiring Jackson is unlikely because his relationship with Lakers executive Jeanie Buss would make the situation “too creepy,” a source told Shelbourne.

The Clippers are 128-102 with two playoff appearances in Del Negro’s three seasons in L.A., but the team has endured two disappointing postseason exits since acquiring star point guard Chris Paul.

[Jenkins: Clippers' first-round loss opens door to uncertain future for Chris Paul]

From the report:

“That’s what it was last year, too,” Del Negro said after the game. The Clippers had a team option on him after last season as well.

“So I just go about my business. I think my staff has done a fantastic job. I give them a ton of credit. Players. You’ve got to deal with a lot of things when you’re in this position, but I enjoy it.

“It’s something that I want to do, not something I have to do. I enjoy it, I enjoy the competition, I enjoy seeing guys develop and come together as a team. A lot of things are thrown at you, that’s for sure, but I love the challenge of it.”

Clippers sources insist no decision has been made on Del Negro yet and that this early playoff exit won’t be the only basis upon which he’s judged. The team won a franchise-record 56 games this season and Del Negro has always had a good relationship with the team’s ownership.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin will not start in Game 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies but will be available to come off the bench, according to multiple sources. Lamar Odom will start in Griffin’s absence.

Griffin sprained his ankle in practice and was limited to four points, five rebounds and five assists in 20 minutes of action. Head coach Vinny Del Negro pulled Griffin with 5:39 left in the third quarter.

Del Negro said Griffin’s injury was a “freak accident” and he wanted to “protect” Griffin from further injuring his ankle. The Grizzlies lead the Clippers 3-2 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs heading into Game 6 in Memphis.

Blake Griffin will not start, but will be available.—
Kevin Arnovitz (@kevinarnovitz) May 04, 2013

Lamar Odom will start Game 6. Blake Griffin will play and come off the bench.—
Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 04, 2013

Clippers-themed balloons were tied to statues of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West and Chick Hearn outside the Staples Center. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar and West played for the Lakers in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s; Hearn was a long-time play-by-play announcer for the team.

The two teams share time at the Staples Center, and the Clippers have spent the majority of their time in the shadow of the Lakers. But the Clippers won the division for the first time in franchise history this season, and went up 2-0 on the Grizzlies after a game-winning shot from Chris Paul on Monday night. The Lakers, meanwhile, are down 0-1 to the Spurs in Round 1 of the playoffs.

ESPN LA reporter Arash Markazi tweeted the photo:

ICYMI: Clippers balloons were tied to the statues of Magic, Kareem, Jerry and Chick. I'm sure the Lakers loved that. mob.li/_qHAWx—
Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 23, 2013

Under Armour is selling a DeAndre Jordan “dunk face” t-shirt. (UnderArmour.com)

The Los Angeles Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan threw down one of the best dunks of the season on Sunday night.

Following the play, Jordan made a memorable face, seen at the :20 mark, that sports apparel company Under Armour decided to capture and feature on t-shirts that went on sale on its website Wednesday. The “DeAndre Dunk Face T-Shirt” retails for $27.99.

The website markets the t-shirt as follows:

“Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan doesn’t just get noticed because he threw down what is being called ‘the best oop ever’…it’s because he goes all in, every game.”

The dunk happened Sunday evening during the Clippers’ 32-point blowout win at home against the Detroit Pistons, prompting an outpouring of reactions from players and media, but perhaps none more appropriate than the response that came from Pistons guard Brandon Knight, the only player who tried to block the dunk.

It wasn't in the scouting reports that the clippers threw lobs lol—
Brandon E Knight (@BrandonKnight07) March 11, 2013

Caron Butler is expected to miss a week with a strained elbow. (Fernando Medina/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers small forward Caron Butler will miss “about a week” because of a left elbow strain he suffered during a 32 point blowout win Sunday at home against the Detroit Pistons.

The X-ray immediately following the game was negative and the MRI performed on Monday revealed no structural damage, according to head coach Vinny Del Negro. Eric Patten of NBA.com reported that Del Negro said Butler seemed like he was in “a lot of pain” in the training room after the game, but that it didn’t appear to be too serious of an injury:

“There wasn’t anything structurally or anything. He just has a strain. We’ll give him some time off and reevaluate him. But they’re (the training staff) telling us about a week.”

In his absence, Grant Hill and Matt Barnes, who is dealing with a sore hand, will be expected to step up but look for Butler to be back in the lineup next week when the Clippers host the Philadelphia 76ers on March 20, assuming he does not suffer any setbacks.

Butler has started 62 games with the Clippers this season, averaging 10.3 points on 42 percent shooting.

Caron Butler will miss “approximately a week” with strained left elbow. Plus more on the status of Crawford & Bledsoe on.nba.com/16n6FHP—
Los Angeles Clippers (@LAClippers) March 11, 2013

Paul Millsap and Eric Bledsoe are considered to be among the NBA’s most valuable trade options. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Jazz has piqued the interest of the Clippers in a proposed trade that could include Los Angeles point guard Eric Bledsoe and Utah forward Paul Millsap, according to sources in an ESPN.com report.

Although two sources with knowledge of the Clippers’ thinking insisted during All-Star Weekend that Bledsoe would not be moved in coming days and strongly predicted L.A. would stand pat, two other sources indicated the Clippers and Jazz will at least discuss the feasibility of a trade headlined by Bledsoe and Millsap before the deadline.

The Clippers are reportedly reluctant to part with Bledsoe until point guard Chris Paul is signed to a long-term extension, possibly in July. Bledsoe, 23, is also under contract until he becomes a restricted free agent following the 2013-2014 season.

Millsap, 28, could add a young front-court option to the Clippers’ expected playoff run, and bring youth to a Jazz point guard rotation — Mo Williams, Jamaal Tinsley and Earl Watson — that’s long-in-the-tooth.

Bledsoe has also been linked to a trade involving the Celtics sending forward Kevin Garnett to the Clippers.

The Clippers say guard Eric Bledsoe is not on the trading block. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers said on Saturday that don’t plan on trading guard Eric Bledsoe or forward DeAndre Jordan.

There have been many reports saying that the Clippers are interested in trading the two for Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. Garnett turns 37 in May and has more than $24 million left on his deal which expires in two years.

The Clippers have the NBA’s fourth-best record at 39-17 behind San Antonio (42-12), Oklahoma City (39-14) as well as defending champion and the Eastern Conference’s Miami Heat (36-14).

Gary Sacks, the Clippers’ vice president of basketball operations, didn’t mention any names, but said to the Los Angeles Times,“every team has called me” and that “it’s my job to call them back and to listen.”

“I haven’t called anybody to say, ‘Hey, we have Eric Bledsoe and would you like him?’ Or, ‘We have DeAndre Jordan or we have anybody and would you want them?’ That’s not where I am right now with this team,” Sacks said in a phone interview from Houston on Saturday. “That’s not where we are.”

The New York Knicks may have to deal with yet another weather-related cancellation to a game this season,  according to a report in the New York Post.

The Knicks will need to make it back to the Big Apple in time for Sunday’s 1 p.m. matchup against the Clippers, but the blizzard currently working its way across the upper east coast could ruin those place. Heavy snowfall is expected in much of the New York area throughout Friday and going into Saturday, and many flights to and from the city have already been cancelled.

The Knicks currently in Minnesota to play the Timberwolves, and the Post reports the team is likely to stay in Minneapolis overnight instead of flying straight home after the game as usual.

But even if the Knicks somehow make it to New York, the Clippers may have travel problems of their own as well. The team plays the Heat in Miami Friday night and will also have to find a way to New York in order to play the game.

The Knicks dealt with a similar situation earlier this season, when Hurricane Sandy cancelled the team’s first intra-city game against the Brooklyn Nets.

Chris Paul could return Friday against the Heat. (Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers expect to have their All-Star point guard and MVP candidate Chris Paul back in the lineup on Friday as the team travels to South Florida for a marquee matchup against the Miami Heat.

According to a report late Wednesday night from Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News, the Clippers are “optimistic” that the team will have both Paul and Chauncey Billups back for the game on Friday. Paul hasn’t played since Jan. 21 because of a bruised right knee cap, while Billups has missed all but three games this season with peroneal tendinitis, an inflamed tendon, in his left foot.

The Clippers currently sit atop the Pacific Division with a 35-16 record, good for fourth overall in the NBA, but have gone 3-6 since Paul went down. The team has also been without its star power forward, Blake Griffin, for the past two games as he deals with a strained left hamstring.

Overall, regarding all of the injuries that have plagued the Clippers throughout the season, head coach Vinny del Negro has repeatedly said that he is focused on the big picture and is more concerned with the health of his roster for the playoffs than how the team fares in the first half of the season.

The Clippers are interested in a trade for Kevin Garnett, according to a report. (J. Meric/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers have contacted the Boston Celtics about a possible trade for forward Kevin Garnett, The Sporting News’ Sean Deveney reported on Sunday. Citing multiple sources, Deveney reported that the Clippers’ offer would center on second-year guard Eric Bledsoe and veteran forward Caron Butler.

The report came as the Celtics beat the Clippers 106-104 in Boston on Sunday, the Celtics’ fourth straight victory since losing star point guard Rajon Rondo for the rest of the season. The Clippers also played without their star point guard in the loss — Chris Paul missed his seventh straight game with a bruised right knee cap.

Any deal would have to be completed by the Feb. 21 trade deadline. It would represent a major push by the Clippers to contend at the top of the Western Conference, while the Celtics would signal that they are ready to rebuild away from a long-time core that includes both Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Aside from Paul, the Clippers have also been hampered by injuries to guard Chauncey Billups and forward Jamal Crawford. Still, they sit third in the Western Conference even after Sunday’s loss, four games behind the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics remain comfortably in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference at 24-23 after their four-game winning streak. In addition to Rondo, they also lost rookie big man Jared Sullinger for the season last week.

Los Angeles Clippers small forward Matt Barnes has been suspended for one game without pay for an altercation with Minnesota Timberwolves center Greg Stiemsma, the NBA announced Friday afternoon.

Matt Barnes suspended a game—
Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) February 01, 2013

The incident occurred midway through the second quarter of Thursday’s Clippers-Timberwolves game. Playing defense, Barnes ran into a screen set by Stiemsma at the top of the three point line. Stiemsma added a little shove to the face of Barnes, who responded in kind. the NBA has video of the incident here.

The Clippers would go on to win the game 96-90.

Clippers guard Chris Paul will miss at least one game with a contusion in his right kneecap. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul will not play in the team’s road game against the Memphis Grizzles and could miss the game against the Houston Rockets tomorrow night as well, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Paul sat out the Clippers’ shootaround on Monday with a contusion in his right kneecap. Paul was injured against the Orlando Magic when he and Magic guard J.J. Redick bumped knees late in the Clippers’ 104-101 loss to Orlando on Saturday. Eric Bledsoe will start in Paul’s place.

 ”I don’t know yet. If a miracle comes through. I hope so. I want to play, no question. But if I feel like I’ll hinder the team, then I won’t. It’s a little swollen,” Paul said when asked if he will play against Memphis. “I’ll see if I can get it out by game time.”

Paul is averaging 16.9 points, 9.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game for the Clippers (28-9), who are one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the Western Conference.

Memphis will also be without one of its top scores as guard Rudy Gay will miss Monday’s game in order to attend the funeral of his grandmother.

Grant Hill expects to make his season debut in January. (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

Veteran forward Grant Hill expects to make his season debut with the Los Angeles Clippers in January, though a firm date is still not certain.

Hill has been dealing with a bone bruise in his right knee  that has kept him from practicing with the team since exhibition games in the preseason. At 40 years old, he is the second oldest active player in the NBA, behind Kurt Thomas of the New York Knicks.

For now, he is ramping up workouts, including sprinting on the treadmill for 30-minute intervals, but according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, a specific game obviously won’t be determined until he returns to practice.

So Hill was asked what date he has in mind to play. “Sometime in January,” is all Hill would say. “Hopefully soon I’ll get to start practicing a little bit,” he said. “They are stressing that a lot of it is how you respond. So a target date could be sooner, it could be later. You want to let your body dictate that.”

The Clippers had been faring well with their current roster, despite injuries to Hill and veteran point guard Chauncey Billups, 36, who has missed all but three games this season with tendinitis in his left foot. According to the report, head coach Vinny Del Negro said that Billups is not as far along in his rehab as Hill. Despite injuries to their veteran leadership, the Clippers managed to win 17 straight games dating back to Nov. 28 before falling to the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 1.

Chauncey Billups will miss even more time through injury. (Andrew D. Bernstein, Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups has been declared out indefinitely just games after he made his long-awaited return from injury. The Clippers announced the news before their game against the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night.

Billups will miss time due to tendonitis in his left foot. According to the Clippers, the injury is unrelated to the injury to the left achilles tendon Billups tore 10 months ago. Billups started three games last week for the Clippers, but told ESPN that he never felt 100% in his appearances.

“”Honestly, in that Utah game, it was really painful and I couldn’t really push off my left foot,” Billups said. “It was just really weak. I couldn’t explode off of it, I couldn’t cut. Everything I was doing, I was just getting through it. I said, ‘I should be better than this.’”

The Clippers will continue to start Willie Green in place of Billups.

Nearly ten months after he tore his left Achilles tendon, Chauncey Billups will return to the Los Angeles Clippers and start at shooting guard tonight, reports Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears.

Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will make his season debut tonight against Minnesota, a source tells Y! Sports. Billups will start at SG.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) November 28, 2012

Billups, 36, suffered the injury on Feb. 6 during a game against the Orlando Magic last season. He said at the time that he expected to miss six months and would not consider retiring.

The 15-year veteran of seven teams re-signed with Los Angeles in July for one year, $4.3 million. He played 20 games for the Clippers last season, starting at shooting guard next to Chris Paul and averaging 15.0 points and 4.0 assists.

The Clippers are currently tied for fourth in the Western Conference with an 8-6 record, but have lost four straight games. Willie Green has started each of the team’s first 14 games, posting 6.4 points in about 18 minutes per game.

Blake Griffin will reportedly sign with Jordan Brand. (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers’ franchise power forward Blake Griffin will reportedly sign a deal with Jordan Brand, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports. An official announcement is expected soon, according to Berger.

The two-time All-Star, now entering his third NBA season after a knee injury that kept him out his rookie year, debuted a pair of cobalt blue Jordans on Wednesday evening as the Clippers tipped off their season with a win at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. Griffin’s teammate, point guard Chris Paul, is also part of the Jordan Brand. Carmelo Anthony, Ray Allen and Joe Johnson are also part of the brand, as is Russell Westbrook who joined in early October.

Despite deals with a number of NBA stars, Jordan Brand did see an end to its relationship with Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who left the company shortly before the season in favor of Chinese shoe company, Li-Ning. Wade is now Chief Brand Officer of the Chinese-based company.

Griffin’s signing is yet another major deal for the high-flying forward, who signed a five-year contract extension worth $95 million with the Clippers in July. Paul declined a three-year, $60 million extension with the Clippers during the offseason, paving the way for him to become a restricted free agent July 2013.

Matt Barnes of the Los Angeles Clippers has been suspended by the NBA for one game after pleading “nolo contendre” in September to a misdemeanor for “resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer in the discharge of his duties,” according to a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Barnes was arrested in Manhattan Beach, Calif. in July on suspicion of threatening a public official, which carries a felony charge. But the district attorney’s office in Los Angeles County ended up filing a lesser charge of a misdemeanor. The charges stem from an incident in which Barnes, 32, was approached on foot by a police officer who knew that he already had an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor traffic violation. He had been given a $26,000 traffic warrant for driving with a suspended license and had also resisted arrest. That same summer, Barnes had a $25,000 lawsuit brought against him for rear-ending a car in March 2011.

The Clippers, who signed the small forward in September, tip-off their season on Halloween at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. Barnes will not be active for the game but will be allowed to resume playing with the team on Nov. 1. Barnes had previously spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds last season.

The NBA has suspended Clippers Matt Barnes one game for pleading out in California state court to incident with police. He'll sit opener.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 30, 2012

Chris Paul returned to Clippers practice on Tuesday in China. (Randy Belice/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul participated in a full-contact practice on Tuesday morning as the team readies for a two-game exhibition series against the Miami Heat in China, according to Eric Patten of NBA.com:

“It felt great (to practice),” Paul told Clippers.com. “I actually felt like I was part of the team. I was a little winded out there, but it felt good to get back out there and get in the mix. … I felt fine because I haven’t done anything for so long. I’m pretty well rested, so I was excited to get out there and play.”

Head coach Vinny Del Negro said that Paul played well but conceded that the All-Star point guard needs to get into better game condition. He hasn’t played since he injured his thumb this summer as a member of the U.S. mens Olympics basketball team and underwent surgery in August.

Though he is back at practice, Paul is reportedly not expected to play in Thursday’s exhibition game against the Heat in Beijing. It’s unclear whether he will suit-up for the game on Sunday in Shanghai, the Clippers’ last overseas exhibition game.

News of Paul’s return comes on the heels of positive news for the Clippers’ other veteran guard, Chauncey Billups, who had season-ending surgery in February to repair his Achilles tendon. Billups was cleared last week to participate in contact drills but is still considered improbable for the Clippers’ opening night of the regular season on Halloween against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Ty Lawson is latest NBA player to leave CAA. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

More NBA players are following LeBron James’ recent fast break from one of the league’s biggest player agencies.

Denver Nuggets point-guard Ty Lawson is the latest player to leave Creative Artists Agency, according to a report by ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst.

Lawson could be the fourth NBA player to leave CAA after James’ departure last month.

In addition, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Eric Bledsoe and the San Antonio Spurs’ Cory Joseph also filed paperwork to leave CAA, according to league sources.

The timing is especially crucial for Lawson, who is in the midst of contract extension talks with the Nuggets following a career year.

James left CAA to join a new sports agency run by his childhood friend and former CAA agent Rich Paul.All four of the recent CAA defectors are believed to be leaning toward Paul’s new agency.

CAA negotiated James’ NBA basketball contracts including the six-year, $110 million deal he signed with the Miami Heat in 2010.

Chauncey Billups is expected to miss the start of the Clippers’ season. (D. Clarke Evans/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers received more bad news this week as the team will reportedly be without veteran guard Chauncey Billups for the start of the season as he continues to nurse a torn Achilles tendon he tore in February, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Billups, 35, started 20 games for the Clippers last season before going down with the injury less than two months into the lockout year. Despite being on the downside of his career, the former NBA Finals MVP averaged 14.9 points and four assists in 30 minutes per game last season for Los Angeles.

The bad news for the team’s backcourt comes on the heels of Tuesday’s announcement that the Clippers’ All-Star franchise point guard Chris Paul will be sidelined for eight weeks following August thumb surgery from an injury he sustained during Olympic play this summer. He is expected to miss training camp as well as the preseason and could be on the bench with Billups at the start of the season, which tips off for the Clippers on Halloween in a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

With these two injuries, the team may have to start the season with Eric Bledsoe and the recently-acquired Jamal Crawford in the backcourt. Blake Griffin, who signed a five-year contract extension worth nearly $100 million this offseason, had knee surgery after an injury he suffered in the days leading up to the London Olympics. The silver lining for the team right now is that he is expected to be ready for training camp.

Chris Paul will likely miss the start of the Clippers’ season. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul will be sidelined for the next eight weeks after the team announced on Tuesday that he underwent successful thumb surgery, according to a report from Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com:

Chris Paul underwent surgery this morning to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, the Los Angeles Clippers announced today, saying the injury occurred last month during Team USA training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to Sheridan, Paul can begin full-contract drills with the Clippers after his rehab period. He will definitely miss training camp and could miss the start of the regular season, which tips off Oct. 30. The Clippers’ preseason begins Oct. 6 and the regular season starts on Halloween in a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Paul ran the point for Team USA en route to a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He averaged 8.3 points, 5.1 assists and an Olympic tournament-leading 2.5 steals per game.  He also started all eight games for the team, averaging 25.8 minutes. Paul made headlines this offseason after turning down a contract extension with the Clippers. He is set to become a free agent July 2013.

League sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that the Los Angeles Clippers’ director of player personnel, Gary Sacks, is the favorite to be named the team’s general manager.

Los Angeles Clippers personnel director Gary Sacks has emerged as the frontrunner for franchise's GM job, league sources tell Y! Sports.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) August 08, 2012

The Clips have been without a G.M. since Neil Olshey did an about-face and fled to Portland on June 4. Sacks has been part of the braintrust running L.A. in the interim and has long been mentioned as a leading contender to succeed Olshey.

Sacks, a UCLA grad, is entering his 19th season with the Clippers franchise, having worked many lower-level jobs in basketball operations before being promoted to assistant director of player personnel and then director of scouting.

Ronny Turiaf joins his sixth NBA team after winning his first NBA title with the Miami Heat in June. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers will have several options in the paint this season.

NBA journeyman Ronny Turiaf has agreed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract of $1.146 million with the Clippers, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times‘ Broderick Turner. He’ll be the fifth big man on the team’s roster along with Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Lamar Odom and Ryan Hollins.

Turiaf comes to the Clippers after spending last season with the NBA champions Miami Heat. He appeared in nearly as many playoff games (12) as regular season games (13) for the Heat, and he averaged 1.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per playoff contest.

This is the former Gonzaga star’s sixth NBA team since entering the league in 2005 with the Lakers.

Veteran forward Grant Hill will sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to reports on Twitter. Terms of the deal are not yet known. John Gambadoro, a talk show host at Sports 620 KTAR Phoenix, was apparently the first to report the agreement. Yahoo! Sports‘ Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news as well, with SI’s own Sam Amick also providing some of the details:

Grant Hill is going to the Clippers.

—
John Gambadoro (@Gambo620) July 17, 2012

Clippers are still finalizing terms of the deal, but Grant Hill has committed to signing with them, sources tell Y!

—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 17, 2012

Grant Hill will be joining the Clippers via sign-&-trade w/ Phx or w/ bi-annual exception, but source confirms he has committed to come.

—
Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 17, 2012

The 39-year-old Hill brings another experienced player into the Clippers’ rotation. He reportedly also considered the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.

Last year, after acquiring Chris Paul in a trade, the Clippers had only their second winning season in the past 20 years. Los Angeles was led by mostly young players, including All-Star Blake Griffin, Deandre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe. Chauncey Billups, who was signed to be a veteran presence on the team, tore his left Achilles tendon in February and missed the rest of the season.

But Billups is expected to be back this year. The Clippers also signed free agent guard Jamal Crawford to come off the bench. Adding in Hill gives Los Angeles more versatility and may help the team move closer to the Western Conference’s elite.

Hill averaged 10.2 points per game with the Phoenix Suns last season. He is still looking for his first NBA title, and next season could be his last chance to win one.

The Miami Heat will begin their title defense with two preseason games in China against the Los Angeles Clippers in October. (Don Emmert, Getty Images)

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the title-winning Miami Heat will take on Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers in a star-studded preseason slate in China this October, Bloomberg reported Sunday night.

The Heat and Clippers will play two games in China. The first will come on Oct. 11 at the MasterCard Center in Beijing. Then they will play three days later on Oct. 14 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

“The NBA China Games will feature several of the best and most dynamic basketball players in the world and we’re excited to tip off next season in Beijing and Shanghai,” NBA International President Heidi Ueberroth said in a statement.

The matchups will bring some international buzz before the start of the season. The Heat will be coming off their first title, and it will serve as the Heat debut for the newly acquired Ray Allen.

The Clippers, meanwhile, had their best season in franchise history last year behind Griffin and Paul, winning just their second playoff series in 28 years. They have signed Jamal Crawford and brought back Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom this offseason.

John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports that the Los Angeles Clippers have approached the New Orleans Hornets about a possible sign-and-trade for unrestricted free agent guard Marco Belinelli.

The Clippers are apparently willing to part ways with seven-year veteran power forward Ryan Gomes and a second-round pick in exchange for Belinelli, but sources say the Hornets don’t appear to be interested because of Gomes’ $4 million salary, although he would be in the final year of his deal this upcoming season.

Asked if the team was interested in bringing Belinelli back, Hornets general manager Dell Demps said, “I’m not a poker player, but I don’t want to show my hand.”

Belinelli started 55 games last season in place of an injured Eric Gordon and averaged 11.8 points.

Blake Griffin will sign a five year, $95 million contract extension with the Clippers. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Blake Griffin will re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers for five years and $95 million, according to a tweet Tuesday afternoon from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

Though that kind of money is atypical for a 23-year-old player, Griffin’s extension is now the second time in the last year that the league has seen a 23-year-old sign a contract worth nearly $100 million; in December, Derrick Rose, who had just become the youngest MVP in league history, signed a five-year contract extension with the Chicago Bulls worth $94 million.

Griffin, who made $5.7 million last season with the Clippers, is already a two-time All-Star and has received a number of accolades after missing his rookie year because of injury. He came back after that lost season to win the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2011 and was the Slam Dunk Champion as well. Last season he was named to the NBA All-Second Team, averaging 20.7 points 10.9 rebounds, and led the Los Angeles Clippers to a Game 7 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Playoffs. The team lost in the semi-finals to the San Antonio Spurs.

The relationship between the Clippers and Chris Paul, who played with Griffin in the All-Star game and is expected to compete with Griffin at the London Olympics, is much more tenuous. In June, Paul turned down a contract extension with the team.

Blake Griffin and the Clippers have formally agreed on his five-year, approximately $95 million deal, league sources say.—
Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 10, 2012

Free agent guard Nick Young has reached an agreement with the Philadelphia 76ers, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein on Twitter.

Nick Young is signing with Philadelphia, agent Mark Bartelstein announces. Details to come

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Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 06, 2012

Finals details still being sorted, but Sixers and Young headed for one-year deal in $6 million range

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Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 06, 2012

Young spent most of his first five seasons in the NBA with the Washington Wizards, but he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers during last season. His numbers dropped sharply as his playing time fell, but Young played well at times during the postseason.

His best season came in 2010-11 when he averaged 17.4 points per game.

The Clippers agreed to terms with veteran guard Jamal Crawford on Thursday, making Young expendable.

The Clippers don’t have a use for Ray Allen after nabbing Jamal Crawford for a three-year deal. (Glenn James/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers are out of battle to get free agent Ray Allen.

According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers will sign guards Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups, effectively ending their pursuit of Allen.

Crawford, an unrestricted free agent who opted out of his $5.2 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, has been offered a spot by the Clippers. He is expected to sign a three-year, $15.7 million contract, according to the executives.

Turner reports the Billups’ contract is a one-year deal worth up to $4.3 million. He played only 20 games last season due to a torn Achilles tendon.

Allen had a visit scheduled for Friday in Los Angeles, but that visit has since been canceled.

The veteran sharpshooter is still being targeted by his current team, the Boston Celtics, as well as the newly crowned NBA champions Miami Heat. Before the news broke that Allen would not be visiting L.A., Heat guard Dwyane Wade sent this tweet to Clippers point guard Chris Paul.

@CP3 how about we shoot for it??? lockerz.com/s/222526459

—
Dwyane Wade (@DwyaneWade) July 05, 2012

The Clippers extended an offer to Jamal Crawford, and are eyeing Chauncey Billups and the Rockets’ Courtney Lee (Sam Forencich/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly extended an offer to Portland Trail Blazers free agent Jamal Crawford following their meeting on Tuesday, according to a tweet from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times reported that the Clippers’ would use their mid-level exception on Crawford:

The Clippers plan to offer Crawford the mid-level exception that starts at $5 million. The Clippers are willing to offer Crawford, a 6-foot-5 guard, at least a three-year deal, sources said.

He is still considering a number of teams, according to Spears, including Minnesota, Philadelphia, Memphis and Phoenix. The Clippers, meanwhile, are scheduled to meet with Boston Celtics free agent Ray Allen on Friday.

Turner said in the report that the Clippers will also offer a one-year contract worth $4 million to their point guard, Chauncey Billups, who played in only 20 games last season because of a torn Achilles tendon.

The Clippers also have interest in guard Courtney Lee, who was told on Tuesday that he will not be receiving a qualifying offer from Houston, where he played last season. Lee will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team on July 11.

According to another report from Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, Lee, 26, now has interest from a number of teams:

Multiple reports said that the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards also have interest in Lee.

He could be a low-risk signing for a team looking to add depth in the backcourt. Lee, who made $2.2 million last year for the Rockets, averaged 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals in 58 games last season, 26 as a starter. He shot 40-percent from three last season and 43-percent overall.

Clipps had a positive meeting w/Jamal Crawford in LA today & made a contract offer,but hes still considering MIN, PHL, MEM, PHX, source says—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 04, 2012

Reggie Evans is heading to Brooklyn while the Nets send a future second-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers. (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

The Brooklyn Nets are finalizing a deal to land Los Angeles Clippers big man Reggie Evans in exchange for a future second-round draft pick, according to a tweet from Howard Beck of The New York Times.

According to Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com, the Nets will reportedly pay Evans $5 million over three years. Evans is a veteran power forward known for his gritty style of play and rebounding. He averaged nearly five rebounds in just under 14 minutes per game last season for the Clippers.

With Kris Humphries and Brook Lopez possibly on their way out if the Nets sign Dwight Howard, Evans could play a more prominent role in coach Avery Johnson’s rotation. The Nets also finalized a deal on July 3 to sign forward Mirza Teletovic from the EuroLeague to a three-year contract worth $15.6 million.

Confirming reports: Reggie Evans coming to Nets in s&t deal from LAC, for future 2nd-rd pick. Nets use trade exception to make it work—
Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) July 03, 2012

Forward Lamar Odom, recently acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers, will not try to make the United States’ men’s basketball team for the London Olympics, reports ESPNLA.com‘s Arash Markazi on Twitter.

Lamar Odom tells ESPNLA he will skip Team USA this summer and work with trainers in L.A. and focus on this season.

—
Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 02, 2012

A report from HOOPSWORLD‘s Eric Pincus said Odom had not officially decided if he would try to make Team USA.

Odom, who missed the end of the 2012 season after agreeing to part ways with the Dallas Mavericks, was not expected to be part of the team until recently. But because of injuries and players deciding not to participate, the team is in need of size, making it possible that the versatile Odom would have been selected.

Dwight Howard needed back surgery, and LaMarcus Aldridge is recovering from season-ending hip surgery. Chris Bosh said he wanted to rest and rehab the abdominal strain he suffered during the playoffs. (Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade also are both out after suffering knee injuries).

Earlier on Monday, it was reported that top draft pick Anthony Davis suffered a severely sprained ankle and was likely out of consideration for a spot on the team.

Odom’s decision takes another potential big body out of the running. The team could still have Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin, among others, available to play down low, but the loss of Odom takes another option away from Team USA.