Is time running out on the Los Angeles Clippers' championship chances? Perhaps not, for as long as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are on the roster, they will always have a puncher's chance of giving arguably the most inept franchise in NBA history its first-ever championship. However, given where they stand on the league's totem pole at the moment, that task appears to be exceptionally difficult without outside reinforcement.
The Clippers have made it a point over the past few years to stack up on talent, with the team having acceptable depth at multiple positions. But given the long grueling grind that is the regular season and the physical limitations Leonard has, thereby limiting his overall impact for the team, there is a need for the Clippers to acquire a workload sponge or two — someone who could show up for the team on a nightly basis and cover for the team for when The Klaw needs to manage his load.
One trade, in particular, seems to be on the cards for the Clippers in this regard. But the question is: can they pull it off, given the disarray the prospective trade partner is currently undergoing?
Nevertheless, here are two trades the Clippers must pursue heading into or during the 2023-24 season.
Just get The Beard here in LA already
Clippers trade Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, Jason Preston, 2027 top-five protected first-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for James Harden, PJ Tucker
James Harden and the Clippers' mutual interest in each other is the league's worst-kept secret. Everyone knows that Harden opted into his Sixers contract for the 2023-24 season under the premise that he'll soon receive a trade to his favored destination, but here we are, deep into the offseason, with the two teams still in a stalemate.
The reason for either side's hesitation is easy to comprehend. The Clippers do not want to give up too many assets for a prickly player who has made it clear that he only has his sights set on them as his preferred destination. Meanwhile, the Sixers don't want to trade Harden for scraps; for as much flak as Harden gets, he is still a nightly 20-10 threat, a deadly pull-up and playmaking threat who can still bend defenses to his will (but not as much as he used to). Thus, trading him away for spare parts is an admission that the Sixers may not be ready to put together a contending team around Joel Embiid — a bitter pill to swallow for the franchise.
Sooner or later, it's in both of the teams' best interest to agree to a compromise. The Clippers won't be including Terance Mann in the deal, but they will have to include their 2027 first-round pick. But as a safeguard, that pick will be top-five protected. On the Sixers' side of the equation, they'll be receiving Nicolas Batum instead of Marcus Morris Sr.; Batum is a piece who fits a contending team in a much better manner than Morris in their current states.
It's hard to declare this a win-win, given how much the Sixers will be downgrading in this trade. But the Sixers may not have a better hand to play, given how much James Harden has put off other prospective suitors with his behavior this offseason — much to the Clippers' benefit.
Just get Mook out of LA already
Clippers trade Marcus Morris Sr. to the Miami Heat for Duncan Robinson, two second-round picks
In a situation that became borderline toxic, the Clippers fanbase grew to loathe Marcus Morris Sr. during the 2022-23 season. It became confounding for fans how Morris managed to maintain his starting role even as his footspeed declined and his output from the perimeter suffered. Morris' ball-stopping ways, which worked in the past when his shot was falling, became infuriating to watch.
One would think that there's simply no way the Clippers are starting the 2023-24 season with Morris still on the roster. With Kenyon Martin Jr. sure to play a huge role for the team, not to mention PJ Tucker's presence in this hypothetical world, Morris should find himself buried deep in the Clippers bench.
But what if the Clippers could find a willing trade partner for Morris while adding someone to replace the marksman they gave up this past February (Luke Kennard)? Enter Duncan Robinson and the Miami Heat.
Robinson showed during the Heat's 2023 NBA Finals run that he can contribute at a high level for a contending team. But it's his contract that's a problem. Under contract for three more years at an average of around $19 million per year, Robinson's contract is onerous. This is not helping matters at all in their pursuit of Damian Lillard.
Thus, the Heat will be acquiring Marcus Morris Sr.'s expiring deal to help grease the wheels, with the Clippers receiving two second-round picks for the burden of absorbing Robinson's contract.
It may not be the shrewdest move for the Clippers to tack on even more future salary. But adding Robinson could helpful for the team on the court, and it rids them of a potential headache off of it.
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