The offseason exodus left massive minutes on the table, and Rui Hachimura, Keaton Wagler and Max Strus are the players most likely to fill them.
The Los Angeles Clippers lost more players than nearly any team in the Western Conference this offseason, and the minutes that opened up behind all those departures are about to land on three names who have never been asked to carry this level of responsibility in a Clippers uniform.
Guard Bradley Beal re-signed after opting out of his deal, and forward Kawhi Leonard's agreed-upon trade to the Toronto Raptors is finally done after the fallout of the salary cap investigation, but the players who will define what this roster looks like on a nightly basis are the ones stepping into bigger roles for the first time.
Hachimura Finally Gets a Feature Spot
Forward Rui Hachimura signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers after spending the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the contract alone shows how the front office sees him fitting in.
Hachimura averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game last season while shooting 44.3 percent from three on the Lakers, and his fit alongside Beal and the young core gives the Clippers a floor-spacing forward who can score without needing plays drawn up for him every time down the floor.
"My top priority was winning," Hachimura said when discussing his decision to join the Clippers. "The roster construction, the team organization, and their style of play altogether, the Clippers felt like they gave me the best opportunity."
Wagler Steps Into the Rotation From Day One
Guard Keaton Wagler was the fifth overall pick out of Illinois, and the Clippers did not draft him that high to sit on the bench.
His shooting, size and basketball IQ were the reasons the front office targeted him, and the expectation heading into camp is that Wagler will compete for starter's minutes from the jump.
Rookies who land on rebuilding teams sometimes get buried behind veterans playing for their next contract, but the Clippers have built this roster so Wagler can develop and contribute at the same time.
Strus Brings the Veteran Floor
Guard Max Strus arrived from Cleveland in a multi-team trade that sent forward Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers, and his 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season gave the Clippers a plug-and-play wing who can defend multiple positions while knocking down open threes.
Strus broke his left foot in an offseason workout a year ago and missed most of the season recovering, but he showed enough in his return to prove he can still play on a roster that needs veterans who have been through something.
His presence in the rotation gives head coach Tyronn Lue a reliable option he can lean on during the stretches when the younger players are still figuring things out.
The Clippers are not going to compete for a title this season, and nobody in the building is pretending otherwise.
What they can do is develop the players who are here while staying competitive enough to build habits that matter down the road.
Hachimura, Wagler and Strus getting expanded roles is the front office admitting it is building for two years from now, not two months from now, and how all three handle that responsibility will shape what comes next.
