Los Angeles Clippers Amnesty Ryan Gomes to Save Cap Space

The Los Angeles Clippers have been quite busy in the 2012 NBA offseason. They have re-signed Blake Griffin and Chauncey Billups and brought in Jamal Crawford, Lamar Odom and, most recently, Grant Hill, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

That continues to be the case, as the organization has waived forward Ryan Gomes by way of the NBA's amnesty clause.

According to the Associated Press, the 29-year-old Gomes was cut loose and will no longer count against the Clippers' salary cap.

Gomes had some productive seasons with the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging double-digit points per game in a few seasons. However, he put up just 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game as a forgotten reserve in L.A. last year.

Gomes had been making $4 million per season for the Clippers, although he was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2012-13 season.

Bringing in Grant Hill and releasing the little-used Gomes proves that the Clippers are serious about competing for an NBA title with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference.

The Clippers can now roll out a starting lineup of Griffin, Billups, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler. They will also have steady reserves in Crawford, Hill and Odom.

There aren't many teams that can go eight men deep in terms of starting-quality players, so L.A. will be a tough team to beat in 2012-13.

As for Gomes, there is still a good chance that he can land in a favorable spot. He wasn't productive last season, but that was due to a lack of minutes more than anything.

He has produced like a starter in the past, and since he is going to make his $4 million this year, he can take a discounted rate to sign with a contender looking to fill out its roster.

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