It sure does seem like time is running out for this iteration of the Los Angeles Clippers. They're approaching Year 5 of the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George partnership, and they only have one Western Conference Finals appearance to show for it. When healthy, the Clippers have shown that they can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the playoffs (apart from their colossal collapse in 2020). But that's exactly the thing: when have these Clippers gone through a season unscathed?

Nevertheless, it doesn't look like the Clippers front office will be making wholesale changes to the team anytime soon. With the Clippers set to move to Intuit Dome in 2024, it's a good bet that both Leonard and George will remain with the team until then so at least the franchise can establish itself in its new stomping grounds with two proven stars.

But with Leonard now 31 years old and George now 33, it won't be long until the Clippers find it necessary to hand over the proverbial torch to the foundational piece of the next contending version of the team.

Even then, the Clippers will have difficulties finding a young star through the NBA Draft, as they are still out a few first-round picks in the Paul George trade of 2019. The Clippers won't be controlling their first-round pick until 2027, which makes nailing what few draft picks they have a must.

During the 2023 NBA Draft, the Clippers will have the 30th and 48 selections, and with the uncertainty surrounding the 2023 draft class, there will be plenty of steals to be had late in the process. And perhaps it'll be for the best if the Clippers target someone whom scouts thought was a future star before his stock tanked in college, especially if they end up drafting a more NBA-ready prospect with one of their picks.

With that said, this is the draft sleeper the Clippers must target.

1 sleeper prospect Clippers must target in 2023 NBA Draft: Emoni Bates

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what the Clippers' draft strategy has been in recent years. They have taken older prospects, such as Terance Mann and Mfiondu Kabengele, and they have rolled the dice on youngsters like Keon Johnson and Brandon Boston Jr. Nevertheless, with the new rules in the new collective bargaining agreement making it more difficult for the Clippers to load the team with veterans, it may be a wise choice to target players who won't have much of a learning curve.

Asking that of a late first-round pick, much less a second-rounder, is asking a lot. Even the 30th overall picks who turned out to be quality players, such as Jimmy Butler, Desmond Bane, Kyle Anderson, and Kevon Looney, didn't quite feature heavily in their rookie seasons. So it's not like the perceived NBA-readiness of a prospect automatically translates to the next level.

Thus, drafting someone based on what scouts see as a “safe floor” may not always be the best bet. Drafting someone based on their upside isn't necessarily the best way to go either. But what teams must do is assess the development strategy they have in place, and whether a player can flourish under the current locker room leadership and under the tutelage of their current coaching staff.

Based off that point of emphasis, it sure looks like the Clippers have the proper infrastructure in place to, perhaps, bring out the best in Emoni Bates, someone whom scouts once thought was a generational prospect.

Bates was one of those players who always went number one in future draft classes in old NBA 2K games, but clearly, his stock has dipped considerably, and now, he's looking like a late second-round pick, at best. And the Clippers should be all over him with the 48th overall pick, or perhaps with a second-rounder they can procure with cash.

Emoni Bates is a 19-year old, 6'8 forward who can handle the ball, and his aggressiveness makes him tough to stop going towards the hoop. Alas, his lack of burst limits his impact. His 6'7 wingspan — shorter than his listed height — is also concerning.

But given the Clippers' vast array of wings who can teach him the ropes, Bates may not have a more ideal landing spot for the progression of his career. Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, and even Brandon Boston Jr. have contributed to the Clippers to varying degrees (with Mann as the ultimate success story), and perhaps with the right seasoning, Bates can develop into a contributor sooner than later for the aging Clippers.

Emoni Bates may not be a future star anymore, but his ability to put the ball through the hoop can certainly become of use to a Clippers team that's grown accustomed to playing without one or both of their stars for extended stretches.