The Los Angeles Clippers pulled off a blockbuster trade a few weeks ago to acquire James Harden. Harden is a star guard but has not fit well around Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook thus far. The Clippers are 0-5 with Harden, and the team has struggled to find chemistry. Head coach Tyronn Lue has a tall task: Getting the four star players on the same page.
Westbrook has opted to come off the bench to help the team. The 35-year-old guard is averaging 14 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He is shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three. Westbrook came off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers last season but did not fit into the roster. His willingness to try a bench role with the Clippers is noble and could help them improve this season.
With the team's new reality and recent struggles in mind, here are the Clippers trade targets early in the 2023-24 NBA season.
Torrey Craig
After pulling off a trade for Harden, the Clippers have limited options in a trade. They will likely keep their current core and have to work around the edges to make another move. A forward that Los Angeles should target is Torrey Craig. Craig is a quality role player who is on the Chicago Bulls. Chicago is currently shopping All-Star Zach LaVine, which means role players like Craig could become available.
The 32-year-old has playoff experience and is a solid two-way forward. After trading away Marcus Morris, Nicholas Batum, Robert Covington and KJ Martin, the Clippers' depth at forward is very depleted. Acquiring Craig would give them a key contributor off the bench. He averaged 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Phoenix Suns while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three.
Los Angeles could use a reliable forward off the bench, and Craig could play that role for Lue. He is on a cheap contract that would make it possible for the Clippers to trade for him. He should be a priority target for Los Angeles to acquire.
Jalen McDaniels
Jalen McDaniels is another forward the Clippers should pursue. McDaniels may be more difficult to acquire as he is a younger forward. However, he has struggled in his first season with the Toronto Raptors and hasn't played in many games.
McDaniels is a good defender, but hasn't been able to develop his offensive game. Los Angeles already has four All-Star players who can carry the load on offense, so adding a defensive forward in McDaniels would be a good move.
The 25-year-old could contribute for the Clippers in a bench role. He could contribute to the second unit alongside Westbrook and Norman Powell. They must find depth at forward, as Los Angeles has struggled with small lineups since trading for Harden. They haven't had versatile options off their bench since trading away their depth for Harden. While McDaniels may not provide a ton on the offensive end, he could be a key contributor as a defender with the bench unit.
The Clippers' experiment with Harden has not gone well so far, but Westbrook's move to the bench could help them. Their lack of depth at forward is apparent and is something that needs to be addressed. Craig and McDaniels should be targets for Los Angeles, as they are on cheap contracts and could play a role in Lue's rotation.
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