Clippers lose another free agent as Cole Aldrich agrees to sign with Minnesota
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The Clippers lost another free agent they wanted to keep on Sunday when backup center Cole Aldrich agreed to a three-year, $22-million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Keeping Aldrich was considered something of an uphill climb for the Clippers because they did not own his so-called Bird Rights, which would have allowed them to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him. Thus they were likely going to be outbid by other suitors such as the Timberwolves.
The Clippers are now 2 for 4 in their efforts to retain their top free agents, having lost Aldrich and Jeff Green while holding onto Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson. Rivers agreed to sign a three-year, $35.7-million contract and Johnson agreed to come back for three years and $18 million. Rivers’ and Johnson’s contracts both include player options in the third years.
The Clippers have also made an offer to star sixth man Jamal Crawford and hope to keep veteran forward Luc Mbah a Moute. Crawford has received heavy interest from numerous other teams and was mulling his choice, according to someone familiar with his thinking.
One center the Clippers could target in the wake of Aldrich’s departure is journeyman Jason Thompson, who split last season between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors and has career averages of 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Aldrich’s move allows him to return close to his hometown of Burnsville, Minn., just outside of Minneapolis. He was one of the team’s best backups last season after moving into the rotation in late December.
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Aldrich, 27, averaged 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in only 13.3 minutes per game, solid production that would have translated to 14.8 points and 13.0 rebounds in 36 minutes. He scored 19 points in a victory over the Miami Heat while filling in for sick starter DeAndre Jordan and was a factor across the board with 21 points, 18 rebounds and five steals in a late-season triumph over the Utah Jazz.
He was also a strong presence in the locker room who memorably unleashed one of the worst postgame victory dances of the season in which he mimicked shaking maracas, swinging a golf club and “making it rain” with dollar bills.
Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
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