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With the NBA trade deadline quickly approaching, teams around the league are making some last-minute offers before March 25th. With multiple playoff-caliber organizations for ways to improve their roster, there may be a few trades in the coming days and the Los Angeles Clippers might be active.
Lonzo Ball of the New Orleans Pelicans has been swirling around the NBA rumor mill about being a possible trade piece for his current team. He's on the final year of his contract, and with the Pelicans in 12th place in the Western Conference, this team may trade Ball away soon.
With multiple organizations interested in Lonzo Ball, it appears the Clippers are the latest team to show interest in Lonzo Ball. They're a team that dominates the scoreboard and are solid on defense. However, they lack exactly what Ball specializes in. Having a playmaking point guard could elevate this roster towards a championship level. Having someone who can facilitate the scoring options on the court would be a huge improvement for this Clippers team.
A trade between these two teams will be difficult, however, as New Orleans will want draft picks in return. The Clippers have dealt all of their first-round picks away from 2021 to 2026. For a trade to come to fruition, it's possible a third team would have to be involved to make it work, per Marc Stein.
Draft-pick limitations complicate any Clippers pursuit and would likely require a three-team (or more) construction … but they have six days to keep working the market in search of a difference-making trade.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 19, 2021
One team that could get involved is the Atlanta Hawks. They're currently fifth in the Eastern Conference and could use a little boost at power forward or center to elevate their game. They could give up a couple of players deep on the bench and a draft pick to heighten their chances of making the playoffs.
Potential Clippers-Pelicans-Hawks Trade
Clippers Receive – Lonzo Ball (NO).
Pelicans Receive – Patrick Beverly (LAC), 2021 1st round pick (ATL), 2022 2nd round pick (LAC), Bruno Fernando (ATL), and Brandon Goodwin (ATL).
Hawks Recieve – Nicolo Melli (NO), 2021 2nd round pick (LAC), 2024 2nd round pick (LAC).
A lot of moving parts are involved, however, this trade would meet the cap situations for each organization, and give what each team is looking for. Clippers get the playmaking point guard they need to make a deep playoff run, without giving up any core players. Lonzo Ball would find his way back to Los Angeles, which would likely make his father happy as well.
The Pelicans walk away with a veteran point guard in Beverly but also acquire young prospects in Bruno Fernando and Brandon Goodwin. Additionally, New Orleans also acquires a first and second-round pick, giving the Pelicans youth and draft capital to continue building their young roster.
Lastly, the Hawks would acquire Nicolo Melli, as well as two second-round selections to make up for the prospects they lost in the trade. Melli would be a solid swing forward to help provide depth behind Danillo Gallinari and John Collins.
This would be a solid trade for each franchise. The NBA trade deadline is on Thursday, March 25th. Expect rumors to continue swirling and for a potential trade to come through at any moment.
