Rivers Re-signs with the Clips — Duke Blue Devils

In fact, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, the team has already been informed by Durant’s representatives that he will not be joining the Clippers. Maybe it will finally happen this year.

Maybe he’d head to Golden State to team up with the Clippers’ rivals.

Staying in Los Angeles is the best decision for Rivers who last season, his second year with the Clippers, had his best outing in a young career. The Clippers have a terrific starting roster for the most part. The organization has maintained its depth around Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

The fact still remains that Durant is extremely unlikely to take a deal in which he isn’t making the maximum amount of money possible, particularly with the cap about to spike.

The 36-year-old free agent landed a three-year, $42 million deal, multiple media outlets reported.

The Clippers had tried to keep him on a shorter deal, but when Jamal went shopping for other offers Doc Rivers ultimately caved and brought him back for $14 million a season.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford.

Let’s say the Clippers start Paul Pierce. They have agreed to re-sign the core of their reserves, with Crawford, Rivers and Wesley Johnson all agreeing to come back.

Although this solution wouldn’t have addressed their problem at small forward, it definitely would have solved their lack of bench depth.

We now know that their original offer was for one-year, $12 million, but it’s clearly three years that Crawford wanted.

Johnson reportedly also drew interest from the Memphis Grizzlies, but ultimately chose to re-sign with the Clippers. Instead, they chose to chase the pipe dream of signing Kevin Durant.