The Los Angeles Clippers enjoyed one of the more fruitful offseasons in recent memory this summer when they were able to orchestrate a trade that landed them Paul George and subsequently also Kawhi Leonard. Despite piecing together the stacked roster they currently have, the Clips are reportedly still on the search for additional help with the trade deadline less than two weeks away.
According to NY Times’ Marc Stein, the Clippers will explore the trade market for additional wing depth along with ‘dependable size’ up front.
The Clippers, even after the off-season of their dreams, are exploring the trade market for dependable size as well as potential wing depth in advance of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 23, 2020
Though some may question whether LA really needs to shuffle their roster again prior to the deadline, it does make sense for them to explore their options, just as all 29 other teams will. The Clips currently sit in third place in the Western Conference behind the Utah Jazz and the impressive Los Angeles Lakers who feature two of the NBA’s best forwards in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
While Montrezl Harrell has turned into a premier bench option for the Clippers, they could certainly use more size in the post to combat Davis along with centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard. Ivica Zubac currently mans the starting five position for LA while the undersized Moe Harkless slots in at power forward. There’s no doubt LA has their eyes on the Lakers and with such a lengthy frontcourt rotation, the Clippers could certainly use another big to match the Lakers’ physicality down low.
As for their wing position, they currently boast the NBA’s best starting combo in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. However, the depth behind the two stars is questionable, especially with Lou Williams taking on most of the playmaking duties off the bench. That leaves players such as Rodney McGruder and Landry Shamet to play heavy minutes off the bench, both of whom haven’t exactly taken the jump the Clippers had hoped.
It remains to be seen who becomes available for the Clippers to pursue but names such as Thaddeus Young, Marcus Morris and Bogdan Bogdanovic have been mentioned and could be worth monitoring. Expect the Clippers’ aggressiveness towards finding that final piece to heat up as we approach the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
