Milos Teodosic may not be a household name to NBA fans, but that doesn't mean he's not going to have a big impact in the league next season.
A three-time All-EuroLeague first-team selection, Teodosic agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. From ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
Serbian guard Milos Teodosic, one of the most flamboyant and creative playmakers in Europe, has agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million deal with the LA Clippers, league sources told ESPN on Thursday.
The deal includes a player option for the second year, league sources said.
Teodosic is already drawing praise from new teammate Patrick Beverley, who played with him in Greece.
Patrick Beverley on Teodosic: "He might be the best passer in the NBA right now." PBev needs to change hotel alias: "I used Milos Teodosic!"
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2017
SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh ran the numbers, and found that Teodosic greatly affected the team's projected win total and playoff chances. Los Angeles went from a win projection of 39.3 to 42.2, and their chances of making the playoffs increased from 38.5 percent to 59.4 percent.
| L.A. Clippers | Wins | Win % | Playoffs | Conference seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Without Teodosic | 39.3 | 47.9% | 38.5% | No. 9 |
With Teodosic | 42.2 | 51.5% | 59.4% | No. 7 |
Impact | 2.9 | 3.5% | 20.9% | 2 |
As you can see, the Clippers are now projected to be the No. 7 seed in the West, whereas they were set to miss the playoffs without Teodosic. It remains to be seen whether the 30-year-old will make a splash in the NBA, but the expectations appear to be high.
