The Los Angeles Clippers seem to be in prime position once again to consolidate some of their best trade candidates to make a big acquisition before the start of the season. While it's highly unlikely the Clippers will do anything involving Kawhi Leonard and Paul George a year before they finally move into their new arena in Inglewood, acquiring a good fit next to their two star forwards may be a priority as the championship window will only stay open for so long.
Health has been the biggest detriment to the Clippers' success over the last four seasons with Leonard and George, but the Clippers have also failed to put a consistent supporting cast around them. While the depth of the roster has been impressive, there are still too many overlapping parts and tough decisions for head coach Ty Lue to make as training camp approaches. A clarifying trade that cleans up some of the rotation issues and simplifies things for Lue could be in order before the 2023-24 season.
If the Clippers choose to go that route, here are the three most likely trade candidates on the roster entering training camp.
Marcus Morris Sr.
Marcus Morris Sr. sticks out like a sore thumb with the rest of the Clippers starting lineup. While he technically provides spacing with his three-point shooting ability, Morris is a ball-stopper who often halts the flow of game with his pump fakes and one-dribble pull-up decisions. Morris has stepped up as a scorer when the Clippers have been shorthanded, but at full strength, his lack of speed, both physically and with his decision-making, is a bad fit next to Leonard and George.
Perhaps more importantly, Morris has a big expiring contract ($17 million) that the Clippers could use to go get a star in a trade. Building up enough salary to pull off such a deal is challenging without Marcus Morris, and he could easily be re-flipped around the trade deadline by any team who acquires him before training camp.
Marcus Morris has long been rumored as the Clippers most likely trade candidate — and was reportedly included in the failed deal for Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon. Any discussion of a trade for the Clippers begins with him, and rightly so.
Robert Covington
Covington just hasn't been able to find a consistent role in Ty Lue's rotation, despite being one of the most active defenders on the roster and spark plug capable of changing the game off the ball. Covington is another player with a sizable expiring deal ($11.6 million) who might not mind a change of scenery given that he's been in and out of the rotation during his time with the Clippers.
Covington would be coveted for his salary number more than his on-court production, but he's a good player who hasn't been able to fully show his capabilities buried behind all of the depth in Los Angeles. Like Morris, he'd have value on the buyout market or at the deadline for any team who acquired him now.
There's a role for Covington if the forward logjam ever clears up, but as is, he's a likely trade candidate for the Clippers this season.
Terance Mann
This isn't a fun one to include, as Mann has been at the heart of some of the Clippers' biggest and best moments over the last few years and is talented enough to really explode with more opportunity. Ultimately, though, if Ty Lue doesn't see Mann as being worthy of more than 23 minutes a game, he'll have more value to the Clippers as a trade asset than a rotation player.
The easy solution would be to just play Mann starters minutes and see where the chips fall, but the addition of Russell Westbrook at point guard complicates Mann's fit next to Leonard and George. If the Clippers do end up stacking up trade chips and pushing all in for a high-salary star, Mann will be the first and most desirable player other teams will covet. In his prime at 26 years old and on a contract ($10.5 million a year) he can easily outplay, Mann is the Clippers' key to getting another big name next to George and Leonard, if that's the plan entering training camp.
It would be incredibly difficult to see the next best two-way player to Leonard and George leave in a trade, but if the Clippers want a legitimate third star, Mann is likely going to have to be included in any negotiations as the Clippers enter training camp and the 2023-24 NBA season.
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