The Los Angeles Clippers have already pushed their major chip to the center of the table when they acquired James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers back in late October. It may have taken the Clippers a few games to integrate Harden, and now that they have, they look like one of the most unstoppable teams in the league; since November 30, they have won 26 of their past 31 games, putting them well within striking distance of the top-seed in the loaded Western Conference.
At this point, it's not like it's a pressing need for the Clippers to add more depth behind Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George. Russell Westbrook has settled in as one of the best spark plugs off the bench, Norman Powell and Amir Coffey have been on a heater, and now that Ivica Zubac is back, the Clippers have three quality centers to throw in the frontcourt.
But for any contending team, they know better than to take their current position in the league for granted. There is always room for improvement. And the Clippers may be able to find a way to pull off a trade that not only improves the team's depth and gives the team another playoff-viable player, but also rob other contenders of his services.
With that said, here are two events that would fulfill the Clippers' dream scenario with two days to go before the trade deadline.
Clippers pull off a PJ swap
Clippers receive: PJ Washington
Hornets receive: PJ Tucker, Bones Hyland, Kobe Brown, two second-round picks
In the trade that brought James Harden to the Clippers, LA had to trade away the four power forwards they had on the roster, leaving Kawhi Leonard as the nominal starting four. PJ Tucker was supposed to help fill the void left by the departure of Nicolas Batum and Robert Covington, but it became immediately clear that Tucker was nearing completely washed-up territory.
Nevertheless, Amir Coffey's emergence has given the Clippers more firepower and size on the wing, making it easy for the Clippers to just keep Tucker under wraps and, perhaps, use him as a trade asset for someone who could give the team more versatility in the frontcourt.
Enter Charlotte Hornets forward PJ Washington.
Washington is not a game-changing piece by any means. He is currently coming off the bench for a putrid Hornets team, and he profiles as more of a support player on a contending team. But that should do for a Clippers team that would give Washington a role where he could excel at.
The Hornets forward has active hands in the passing lanes, and at 6'7, he has the size and mobility to keep up with most forwards in the association. Moreover, given the Clippers' arsenal of talented playmakers, Washington will have the time of his life as he gets the most wide-open looks of his career.
A power forward by trade, he could give the Clippers another option in the frontcourt when they need to grease the wheels on offense without suffering too much from a size deficit on the glass.
Giving up Bones Hyland and Kobe Brown, two young pieces, may not be ideal for the Clippers. But Washington isn't exactly old. He's only 25 years old, and he's under contract for an easily tradeable contract that decreases in worth over the next two seasons.
Washington's name has popped up for many teams looking to add a 3-and-D power forward to their roster; this archetype seems to be in demand around the NBA, and if the Clippers end up winning the sweepstakes for the Hornets forward, then it reduces the number of options other contending teams can pursue to upgrade their frontcourt.
Thunder, Timberwolves, and Nuggets stand pat
The three aforementioned teams are the Clippers' fiercest competitors for the top seed in the Western Conference. It'll be a delight for LA if they witness the trade deadline come and go without those three adding more firepower to load up for the stretch run.
For example, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in their first year of contention with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are a prime candidate to pull off a blockbuster deal for a star such as Lauri Markkanen. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves can stand to add more offensive firepower. On the other hand, the Denver Nuggets just need more playoff-viable depth as they remain a shallow team, barring a huge emergence from the likes of Christian Braun and Peyton Watson.
If those three teams manage to add talent, it'll be even more difficult for the Clippers to stand tall among the giants in the Western Conference. Even then, given how well they've played as of late, it might not matter even if the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Nuggets fail to make some needle-moving deals.
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