The Los Angeles Clippers were hoping to emerge as a serious title contender in the 2022-23 season, but so far, that simply has not happened. While they are sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference, their 25-24 record is certainly not what fans were expecting from them entering the season, and it has resulted in a rather disappointing start to the season.

Still, there are a lot of reasons for hope when it comes to the Clippers. They have dealt with a never-ending string of injuries, and can't seem to keep their two best players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, on the court at the same time. Los Angeles has time to turn things around, but with the second half of the season now upon them, that time is running out.

With their disappointing first half of the season in the rearview mirror now, the Clippers will be focused on turning their attention to the upcoming trade deadline. L.A. is expected to be a big player on the trade market, so let's take a look at the Clippers' dream scenario that could immediately thrust them back into contention for the top spot in the West.

Clippers dream scenario for the trade deadline

Even with a fully healthy and functional duo of Leonard and George, it's clear the Clippers roster needs some work done to it. They have solid depth across the board, but it feels like the top-level talent aside from their star duo is somewhat lacking, and the trade deadline is the perfect place for them to fix that issue.

Los Angeles' biggest needs are an improved point guard depth chart, and another center to at least play behind Ivica Zubac. Both areas have been weak spots this season, and getting some help at both positions would likely result in the Clippers trade deadline dealings being labeled as a success.

There are several different avenues the Clippers could take here, but their dream scenario would see them address both of these needs in one big trade with the Indiana Pacers. After being surprisingly competent to start the season, the Pacers have fallen apart with Tyrese Haliburton on the sidelines as of late. And that may convince them to further aid their rebuild by dealing away some of their more veteran pieces.

Two guys who have consistently been involved in trade rumors are Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. Both of these guys have been getting linked to the Los Angeles Lakers rather than the Los Angeles Clippers pretty consistently, but it may actually work better for both the Pacers and these two players if they get dealt to the Clippers here.

The prize here would obviously be Turner, who could immediately come in and be the Clippers starting center. Turner is putting together the best season of his career with Indiana (17 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.4 APG, 55.1 FG%, 39.6 3P%) and would fill several needs for the Clippers. Whether it be interior scoring, rebounding, paint defense, or three-point shooting, Turner is a man of many talents.

Hield is also putting together a really strong season with Indiana (17.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 44.8 FG%, 42.2 3P%) and would be added mainly for his scoring. Hield is really more of a shooting guard or a small forward, and while he doesn't offer much as a playmaker, it's clear that he could come in and help out in the Clippers relatively weak backcourt.

This is a dream scenario for the Clippers for a couple of different reasons. For starters, adding Turner and Hield immediately would allow them to reemerge as one of the deepest teams in the West. It may be tough for them to catch the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies toward the top of the West, but the rest of the standings after them are wide open.

On the other hand, this ensures that another team, such as potentially the Lakers, doesn't get their hands on this dynamite duo of Turner and Hield. It will surely cost the Clippers a pretty penny, but remember, they want to be aggressive, and this move would make their roster extremely dangerous. This is a trade that would fall right into their wheelhouse as the deadline approaches.

Los Angeles could simply stand pat and hope they get healthy over the second half of the season, but they haven't shown much to indicate that even if they were to be healthy, things would be much different this season. Leonard and George need more help right now, and this deal would get it, while keeping their competitors in their current state, which makes it a dream trade deadline scenario for the Clippers.