Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Clippers might make a couple of minor trades to work out kinks in their frontcourt or backcourt depth, even if they re-sign star guard Russell Westbrook.
However, with their championship expectations and championship-caliber roster constantly undermined by a lack of availability from their marquee players, it may take a blockbuster deal to really bring the best out of them. To bring the Clippers their first championship in franchise history.
One that might not remove their designation as the Los Angeles Lakersâ âlittle brotherâ franchise but one that could still earn them immense respect. The type that older brothers typically give to their younger siblings after impressive feats.
With that in mind, here are four early trade targets for the Clippers this offseason as they attempt to keep their title hopes alive.
4 early Clippers trade targets in 2023 NBA offseason
Pascal Siakam
In trading for Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, the Los Angeles Clippers would be looking to add Kawhi Leonard's running mate from 2019, whom he won a championship alongside in his lone season with the Raptors.
Having just turned 29-years-old in April, the relative youth of Siakam is also enticing. While the 33-year-old Paul George may be entering the final leg of career, Siakam has just rounded the corner into his prime.
Lastly, while Siakam isn't the most durable player in the league, he's played 139 regular season games over the past two seasons. For reference, George has played in just 87 regular season games over the past two seasons. Though George is a more efficient outside shooter and has more upside as a scorer, Siakam's availability could make all the difference for L.A.
With a potential starting lineup of Kawhi, Siakam, Russell Westbrook, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac likely being backed up by Terance Mann, Nic Batum, Eric Gordon, and Bones Hyland, the Clippers will put a balanced, competitive group on the floor. Prying Precious Achiuwa or Christian Koloko away from the Raptors to backup Zubac would be beneficial.
James Harden
Whether he just is itching to get back to Houston or he doesn't seem himself with the Philadelphia 76ers long-term, 10-time All-Star James Harden would be an interesting addition for the Los Angeles Clippers if they look to move Kawhi Leonard or Paul George this offseason.
Primarily because whether they moved Kawhi or PG in this deal, Harden has enough playmaking and off-ball ability to make it work. Furthermore, trading for Harden would prevent the franchise from tying its championship hopes to Russell Westbrook, a talented player but one that leaves the organization feeling like it's teetering on the edge of a cliff.
That said, the ideal trade for both sides could be a deal in which the 2018 NBA MVP and impending free agent Paul Reed â who Harden had taken a liking to in Philly â are moved for George. Both can replicate the other's playmaking ability, but Harden more so than George, ideal for a team that needs a starting point guard heading into the offseason.
George, though less durable than Harden, offers the Sixers more defensively and from beyond the arc. In fact, Doc Rivers should feel quite comfortable building an offense catered to PG considering his history with Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce.
Article Continues Below
Julius Randle
Like many stars, Julius Randle doesn't have a concrete future with his current franchise, especially with the New York Knicks learning how to live without him in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Furthermore, given Tom Thibodeau's appetite for quality defenders, he might find himself rushing to trade Randle if it meant they landed Kawhi Leonard or Paul George. Not in the least because them adding Kawhi or PG would make them far more difficult to defend.
That said, while the prior trades have been moves that paired Kawhi with a new dance partner in L.A., this move will send Kawhi to New York. Not just because his defensive reputation and postseason accomplishments precede him but because the Knicks will likely view his stoic disposition as ideal in a market that has rattled multiple players.
In giving New York their preferred star, the Los Angeles Clipper can draw out more draft capital from a team that has three first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, a year in which they have none. They could also swing the fence on adding Immanuel Quickley to the deal rather than satiating themselves with draft picks, as Quickley is a starting-caliber point guard that won't get that opportunity behind Jalen Brunson.
Khris Middleton
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton progressed year-after-year, in a manner similar to Los Angeles Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard. Like Kawhi as well, a major injury could precede an even bigger trade.
That said, the reason that the Clippers make this move is for the simple fact that Middleton has a far less concerning injury history than Leonard. Prior to him suffering an MCL sprain in the 2022 NBA Playoffs and tearing a ligament in his left wrist just a couple of months later, Middleton was one of the more reliable stars in terms of durability.
Playing in all 82 games on two occasions, Middleton has played in at least 77 games in five seasons and in at least 62 games in all but three seasons. In fact, considering that he spent the majority of his rookie season in the G League, there are only two seasons in which injuries caused him to miss more than a quarter of his team's games.
The Bucks make this move because Middleton has just one season remaining on his contract, a player option for 2023-24, and his injury history complicates matters in that regard. In addition, the chance to add a two-time champion that can match up with the Jimmy Butlers of the world is just too good to pass up.
