Counterintuitive as it may seem! The Clippers have become the NBA's retirement home: can signing multiple veterans really reduce injury risks?

On July 23, Beijing time, NBA analyst Perkins referred to the Clippers as a “retirement home,” expressing skepticism about their playoff prospects. The well-known media outlet CBS also discussed the age issue surrounding the Clippers, and here’s CBS's interpretation—

40-year-old Paul will reunite with the Clippers, and he is just another veteran free agent joining this team's “retro party.” Last week, the Clippers successfully recruited 32-year-old guard Beal, who had just reached a buyout agreement with the Suns; at the beginning of the offseason, they also signed 37-year-old center Brook Lopez.

Throughout most of NBA history, signing players around the age of 34 (Leonard) and a point guard who will turn 36 before the season starts (Harden) for a “win-now team” has been a common practice.

22 years ago, the Lakers held a press conference to introduce Karl Malone and Gary Payton—both Hall of Famers who were about to turn 40 and 35, respectively. Four years ago, the Nets, where Harden played, had 36-year-old Aldridge, 36-year-old Millsap, and 32-year-old Griffin in their early-season roster (both Aldridge and Griffin joined after being bought out by their former teams).

However, in the Thunder's championship roster of 2025, there are no older players “coming for a championship,” while33-year-old Pacers guard McConnell is the oldest player in the rotation of the Eastern and Western Conference championship teams.In recent years, with changes in the league's playing style and officiating rules, the demands on players' mobility and physicality have reached unprecedented heights.

“Compared to ten years ago, the intensity of our games is almost equivalent to playing two gameswith players' physical involvement being completely different,” said Thunder GM Presti at the post-season press conference.

Warriors head coach Kerr has also mentioned that younger players are more likely to maintain their form throughout the season.In this context, the Clippers' decision to bet on experience seems “counterintuitive.” While the entire league is striving to catch up with the Thunder, can a team primarily composed of players in their 30s keep pace with the competition?

Clippers president Frank told reporters that the management has always tried to “bring in the best players,” and these players just happen to be veterans. “What is age? Just a number, right?” The big man Collins, acquired through a trade for Powell, is entering his ninth season in the league, and he will turn 28 at the start of the season, making him the youngest player expected in the Clippers' rotation. Frank pointed out that Beal is “technically” younger than the shooting guard he is expected to replace (Powell)—he was born 34 days later; he also described Lopez as “not looking old.”

“37 feels like 17,” Frank said, “because I need Brook to stay young so I can feel younger too; after all, I coached him when he was a rookie.”

Ironically, a year ago, the Clippers let 34-year-old star Paul George leave because they were unwilling to offer him a four-year contract, yet now the team has four players older than George—Harden, Lopez, Paul, and forward Batum, who will turn 37 in December.However, “young players are important” is not the only lesson learned from the 2024-25 season. In an increasingly depth-oriented, size, and flexibility-focused league, the Clippers' offseason moves (aside from the ages of the players acquired) actually align with the trend.

Watching George leave was not easy, but the management never considered it a “waste.” What the Clippers gained was flexibility. By keeping their salary below the second luxury tax line, the Clippers were able to sign Batum with the biannual exception, sign Derrick Jones Jr. with the mid-level exception, and acquire Chris Dunn through a sign-and-trade, followed by trading for Bogdan Bogdanovic during the season.

In a way, trading Powell for Collins (this trade could not have been completed if the salary exceeded the second luxury tax line) instead of giving Powell a lucrative extension mirrors their decision regarding George: it effectively turned one player into multiple players while preserving future salary cap space.

This does not mean that the Clippers planned to allocate their mid-level exception for 2025 to Beal and Lopez in 2024. “We never thought Beal would be bought out,” Frank said, but they positioned themselves to offer free agents contracts above the minimum, allowing them to build a highly threatening, versatile, and deep team. Before signing Paul, Frank accurately stated that the roster already had 10 players “proven to be capable of entering an NBA rotation.” He said that at the start of the offseason, they wanted to give head coach Tyronn Lue “different tools and personnel to try,” aiming to enrich the frontcourt configuration, enhance the roster's size, and increase playmaking and shooting capabilities—all of which they achieved.

In recent years, the Clippers have always been able to field small lineups as needed. Now, with Collins and Lopez, they can also explore another style. With Zubac and Lopez, they have 48 minutes of rim protection, and Lue can even play both together, similar to how the Houston Rockets use Sengun and Adams (but the Clippers have better spacing). Collins can set screens, initiate handoff passes, orchestrate in the low post, and create space. Lopez is exactly the type of space-creating center this team has been seeking.

Frank stated that Lue wants the team to have more movement in half-court offense, so Beal's shooting ability and ability to initiate plays using screens will come into play. With Beal, Paul, and ideally a healthier Leonard, Harden's burden will lessen in the 2025-26 season. With Dunn, Jones, and Batum still on the team, the Clippers can continue to reduce Leonard's time guarding opposing stars during the regular season.

To be fair, the Clippers certainly hope for a younger roster—Frank admitted this after losing to the Nuggets in Game 7 of the playoffs. But theirtop priority in the offseason was to enhance the team's strength, and at least on paper, they have achieved that. While betting on players over 35 to stay healthy always carries risks, signing multiple such players might help mitigate that risk.Lopez played 2,456 minutes last season, the highest since 2011, but unless there are significant issues, they won’t need him to play that much next season. Paul played 2,292 minutes last season, the highest since 2016—similarly, the same applies.

Last season, despite Leonard's long absence, the Clippers exceeded everyone's expectations; with the addition of new players, they are now better equipped to handle injuries. “We have addressed the needs of the team,” Frank said. If that means they appear “aged” compared to the defending champions, so be it.