VIDEO: Patrick Patterson Calls Reported Deal With Clippers 'Nothing but Rumors'
After completing a buyout with the OKC Thunder that would allow him to become a free agent, the word around the NBA was that Patrick Patterson had signed a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. But according to Patterson, those are nothing more than rumors.
Patterson's two seasons with the Thunder were less than spectacular to say the least, averaging less than 4 points and 15 minutes per game. The forward could never get a rhythm in OKC.
This was surprising for the organization, who had acquired him after a solid four-year stint with the Toronto Raptors where he averaged a high of 9.1 points per game. So it's no wonder that OKC agreed to a buyout deal with Patterson to clear more roster space and to allow some financial relief.
Since news of the buyout hit the media, the rumor has been that Patterson had signed a deal with the Clippers who are looking to add the final pieces to their championship-contending roster, but it looks as if those claims are untrue.
Of course with some of the NBA's most prominent inside sources reporting the news, there was no reason to dispute it. But at his basketball camp, Patterson told the media that his deal with the Clippers was merely a rumor and that he is allowing his "camp" to work and put him in the best position for next season.
But we've heard this type of line before. It's pretty typical for NBA players to deny deals before they are completely finalized.
So people must ask if the insiders are correct and Patterson is just keeping the deal under wraps, or if there truly is no deal as of right now.