It's safe to say that the Los Angeles Clippers are looking like just another team in the Western Conference following a 6-5 start. After a disappointing first round exit at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in the first round last postseason, the franchise would go on to suffer a major blow in the departure of Paul George in the offseason. They also lost former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to the Denver Nuggets.
If those losses weren't bad enough, the Clippers will also be forced to endure Kawhi Leonard's absence, after suffering a knee injury during Team USA's build-up for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Any basketball fan will agree that the Clippers don't look like legitimate threats to the championship. While they still have former NBA MVP James Harden, he isn't as young as he used to be. But more importantly, the Clippers don't exactly have the much needed supporting cast to surround their stars.
Given the Clippers' dreadful situation, things aren't looking promising for the franchise, as the Clippers curse continues to live on. However, they do have the option to make some major roster changes. Unfortunately, that may also mean blowing up their current roster with the hopes of rebuilding for a brighter future. For this piece, let's take a look at three Clippers trade candidates during the 2024-25 season.
Kawhi Leonard
There's no doubt that Kawhi Leonard is still a top 10 player in the NBA. Furthermore, he's still the best player on the Clippers roster. However, his injury history and lack of playoff success in Los Angeles has been a glaring issue for the franchise. With the departure of Paul George, it won't be surprising if the Clippers actually consider blowing up their roster.
As of this writing, both James Harden and Leonard are still superstar caliber players. However, the Clippers also need to consider their future due to their aging duo. With Leonard's injury history that continues to hound him during the 2024-2025 NBA season, this should make him a valuable asset for the Clippers if ever they want to press the rebuild button.
Although it doesn't seem like Leonard can still lead teams to a championship like in the past with the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors, Leonard should be a boost to any championship contender that could use his two-way play in the postseason, a time Leonard brings out his best basketball form. In return for Leonard, the Clippers should be able to get some draft picks and instrumental pieces that can become building blocks of the franchise's future.
PJ Tucker
Widely known in the NBA as an elite Three-and-D player, PJ Tucker wasn't exactly happy about his role with the Clippers after a dramatic 2023-2024 season. Due to a reduced role with various contenders as of late, Tucker has voiced his desire to play a larger role, leading to the NBA champion getting fined.
Taking note of Tucker's situation, the Clippers have allowed his agent to speak with various teams. This paves the way for teams to cook up a potential trade that will give the veteran forward a change in scenery. At the same time, Tucker's contract is about to expire, putting the Clippers in an interesting spot to get the most out of Tucker's inevitable departure.
Tucker should be a valuable asset for any legitimate championship contender. Although he isn't the best scorer on the court, Tucker's defense and timely shooting should be a huge lift. In fact, just ask the Milwaukee Bucks about Tucker's importance to their championship team back in 2021. With perimeter defense as an important recipe for success in the NBA, look out for contenders who will try to lure Tucker away from Los Angeles.
Norman Powell
Depth is an important factor for any team that wants to go deep into the postseason. It's safe to say that's just what Norman Powell provides to any team he plays for. Powell has proved to be a reliable scorer, something a team needs whenever it needs a spark plug off the bench. Given that Powell has been a fixture in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year races, Powell should easily be the Clippers' best trade asset outside of Leonard if the team wants to get haul of players that will prepare them for the future.
With Powell's marksmanship, any championship contender would be willing to trade for his shooting touch. He can be described as a walking bucket. Moreover, he's also had championship experience, helping the Toronto Raptors win the chip in 2019. As a result, this makes him a plug and play type of player.
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