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It's hard to envision the Los Angeles Clippers entering the 2023-24 season without making any more seismic moves that would reshape their roster. Sure, it's not like the Clippers would become the 2021-22 Houston Rockets if they fail to swing any more trades to consolidate talent. They still have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading the way, which should guarantee that the Clippers, at the very least, remain competitive. But will they be competitive enough to the point of championship contention with their roster as presently constructed?
Of course, it's still early in the offseason. The Clippers front office has around two months to go before training camp starts to wheel and deal. Trading just two second-round picks for KJ Martin was a neat move, and re-signing Russell Westbrook and Mason Plumlee, especially for cheap, was incredible business. But they may need one more piece to get over the championship hump.
Could that piece end up being James Harden? It's unclear at this point. But what's clear is that the Clippers cannot afford to stand pat — especially not when this certain player is still on their roster.
This is the Clippers' biggest mistake thus far during the 2023 NBA free agency period.
Clippers' biggest mistake during 2023 NBA free agency: Failing to trade away Marcus Morris Sr.
June 21, 2023 was almost one of the most memorable days for the Clippers fanbase. That was when Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Clippers were involved in a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards that would have brought Malcolm Brogdon, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, to LA.
Receiving a player who would have boosted the Clippers' guard depth in a huge way in exchange for what they would have given up — Morris and the 30th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft were enough to get the deal done — would have been nothing short of a huge coup. Brogdon may not be as fast as Russell Westbrook off the bounce, but he can still get to the rim, and to top it all off, he's also a much better shooter from deep than Westbrook.
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But acquiring Brogdon alone wasn't the cause of major Clippers euphoria. In the deal to acquire the Celtics guard, they were also trading away Morris, a player that's in obvious, considerable decline. There was once a point when he was one of their most important players, but as the Clippers roster around him has aged, his lack of rebounding and his declining perimeter defense have become detrimental.
Trading away Morris means that Tyronn Lue wouldn't have the option to put him on the court over the likes of Nicolas Batum and Robert Covington. One point of contention the Clippers fanbase had during the 2022-23 season was that Lue remained insistent on playing Morris even though it was evident that he wasn't the player he once was. So dealing him away would save the Clippers from their own worst instincts.
Alas, the Clippers backed out of the trade due to reported concerns over Malcolm Brogdon's physical condition. So after all that hullabaloo, Marcus Morris Sr. remains a member of the roster, which is honestly astonishing given how much fans have turned on him and how much his play has declined.
The Clippers front office, one would think, is moving in silence — after all, their trade for Paul George during the 2019 offseason came out of left field. Surely Lawrence Frank and company have something up their sleeves. According to the rumor mill, the Clippers are keeping an eye out for James Harden and Damian Lillard so they could form a big three alongside Kawhi Leonard and George.
But will the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers even want to take on Marcus Morris Sr.'s contract in prospective trade packages? Surely they will prefer to acquire Terance Mann, Norman Powell, Robert Covington, and Nicolas Batum before they even entertain the idea of absorbing Morris' deal, expiring as it may be.
At this point, the Clippers may not be able to trade Morris just to get rid of him, as teams have already used their cap space with over 10 days having elapsed in NBA free agency. And there are no guarantees the Clippers can trade for a third star anyway, as the Sixers may well prefer to attempt mending fences with Harden, while Lillard remains hellbent on landing in Miami.
Whatever the case may be, it will be bitter pill to swallow if they start the season with the 33-year old forward still on the roster. Time is still on the Clippers' side, but with every passing day comes a greater sense of urgency to deal him away.
