The Los Angeles Clippers sit 3.5 games out of the Western Conference's top seed, which is held by their Staples Center rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. L.A.C. has beat the Lakers twice this year, once on opening night and the other on Christmas Day.
The Clippers could easily rest on their standing so far this season, considering they have the reigning Sixth Man of the Year in Lou Williams and Finals MVP in Kawhi Leonard on their roster, paired with All-Star Paul George and up-and-coming player Montrezl Harrell.
However, the Clippers did not come this far to come this far. They are playing for championships. That's why they've gotten Clippers fans like myself to buy into sitting Leonard for load management, which has cost him ten games this season.
Here's why the Clippers should make a move before the NBA trade deadline.
Add Depth For A Run Now
There have already been rumors about the Clippers' interest in Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Marcus Morris and other names in and out of the trade block.
Those guys certainly boost their depth, shooting, and ball handling but their biggest need is probably for a defensive big who can run the floor. That player will help them should they need to play big in the playoffs. As constructed, any injuries in the frontcourt or their only true seven-footer Ivica Zubac getting tired could hurt them in a playoff series.
Either way, the Clippers need to leverage everything to win a title this year. That includes making a trade at the deadline. They own their draft picks the next two seasons before trading or swapping first-round picks with the Thunder from 2022-26.
Those two picks can help the Clippers add a player for this title run as Los Angeles already proved it will leverage its future with the George trade's pick compensation.
Plethora of Trade Assets
Moreover, Los Angeles roster is filled with movable contracts and desired players right now.
Williams, who is averaging 19.9 points and 6.1 assists, makes $8 million each of these next two seasons. Harrell makes $6 million this year before he becomes a free agent. Mo Harkless is an $11 million expiring contract averaging 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 22 minutes per game. Jerome Robinson is only in his second season as a lottery pick.
Any of these players could get moved to help the Clippers nab another All-Star or at least a valuable rotational center at the deadline. The hardest one to move is Harrell as he is averaging 19.1 points and 7.2 rebounds this year in only two starts.
However, Harrell might be hard to keep this offseason and he could get the biggest trade haul at age 26.
Staying Ahead of the Competition
Still, a trade for a rotation center would help the Clippers keep the Lakers on their toes since the Lake Show has one of the better center duos in the league with Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee sharing minutes.
Plus, the Clippers making a move for a valuable asset at the deadline keeps that player from going to the Lakers or any of the other top Western Conference teams.
Don't forget the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets who are nipping at the Clippers' heels, only trailing them by a game. Those teams have been swapping positions all season. The Nuggets or Jazz making a trade could help them pass the Clippers.
Ultimately, adding a center would help the Clippers match up versus those teams with All-Star bigs. That is reason enough for the Clippers to make a move at the upcoming 2020 NBA Trade Deadline on Feb. 6.
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