The Los Angeles Clippers are certainly solidified with their two leading stars in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Be that as it may, they also experienced quite a bit of trouble during their debut season together without a legit ball-handler to help initiate offense. On more times than none, Leonard was the one left generating offense, which sometimes made opposing defenses' jobs easier in predicting which way the ball would swing and being able to get stops.
The guard position, amongst other aspects, will be a top priority for a Clippers club that won't look to be a third-round exit once more next year. There've been a few candidates that the Clippers have shown interest in, while others would be simply a more logical fit in a system built to cater to Leonard and George.
The Clippers in some scenarios will have to look into possibly deals done via sign-and-trades, while others can be facilitated by parting ways with some key contributors.
Here are a few trades that the Clippers could work out for a significant upgrade at the point guard position.
3. Chris Paul
Clippers get: Chris Paul
Thunder get: Montrezl Harrell, Louis Williams and Patrick Beverley
A Chris Paul return to LA would be a dream come true for many fans that watched the Wake Forest product give his all during the lob city days. This time around, his co-stars would be viewed as a huge upgrade compared to that of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
Still, if the Clippers are looking for an offense-initiator, Paul may be as good as they come for a risk-it-all maneuver to the 2021 NBA Finals. He's arguably one of the best floor generals of all time, and could cater to both Leonard and George's style, taking most of the pressure off of them as a legitimate playmaker.
Grabbing Harrell back in a deal can be beneficial for the Thunder as well, the 6-foot-8 forward is coming off his best season with the Clippers and can form a twin-tower like defense alongside Steven Adams. The Clippers would first have to sort out and sign-and-trade with Harrell, who's looking to cash in this time around in the offseason.
With developing reports of Dennis Schroeder possibly being on the move as well, the Thunder could be on the lookout for its next guard with Beverley at a reasonable price.
There's one major complication to trading for Paul, for any team at that: his contract. At 35, Paul still has $85 million remaining on his contract. With that in mind, his contract becomes harder to sell with every day that goes. Depending on where his next stop is, it'll likely be his last. That feat in itself makes it difficult to gauge if the Clippers would be willing to pull the trigger on a deal for
2. Ricky Rubio
Clippers get: Ricky Rubio
Suns get: Patrick Beverley, Rodney McGruder
This could very well be a pretty logical trade for both parties. While Rubio has continued to make his value rise over the past few years, he still doesn't pose as a liable threat in multiple facets of his game, one being his defense. The Suns finished 20th in defensive rating during the 2019-20 season, and while they'll surely be on the lookout for some star-like talent, they should be looking to fill in some voids to help their defensive front next season as well.
Rubio will always be known as a pass-first point guard that looks to make plays for his teammates before himself. He also may become a moveable target when viewing the Suns' success in his absence in the Disney bubble. While his time may be over in The Valley, he could find a perfect role in setting up the Leonard-George duo for success. He's coming off a season in which he averaged 8.8 assists, tying his second-highest mark of his career. He's also a capable shooter from deep as well, knocking down 36 percent of his threes last season.
Clearly, Beverley provides a tremendous upgrade from a defensive standpoint, but where most spectators will ponder is how much value he can bring on offense. Prior to sharing the court with Leonard and George, Beverley had a tremendous year from beyond the arc during the 2017-18 season, shooting 40 percent from 3-point range.
1. Jrue Holiday
Clippers get: Jrue Holiday
Pelicans get: Patrick Beverley, Louis Williams and Landry Shamet
Holiday is likely to be on another squad by the start of next season, and he'll likely want it to be a contender. While he spent the majority of his career playing alongside Anthony Davis, now may come time for the two longtime friends to become crosstown rivals. A Holiday-led backcourt could legitimately change the landscape for the Clippers' offensive sets.
Holiday is coming off a 19.1-point scoring average in the 2019-20 season, his second-highest average of his career along with 6.7 assists. At 30, the Cali native could return to his hometown with possibly the best cast he's had in his career.
For the Clippers, they obtain an athletic guard that's capable of creating his own shot while generating plays for both Leonard and George. In all actuality, Holiday could end up being a realistic trade target to land the Clippers in the 2021 NBA Finals.
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