Clippers NBA Draft Targets: Ranking top 5 wings to consider
By Tom West
The Los Angeles Clippers need to select a wing in the 2016 NBA Draft, so here’s a look at five of the top candidates for them to target.
The Los Angeles Clippers could easily have the least cap space of any team in the NBA this summer, the wing who was meant to be the answer and The Truth (Paul Pierce) was defeated by Father Time, and the Big 3 may be approaching their very last season together. In essence, the Clippers need all the help they can get this summer and not much will be coming from free agency, placing more pressure on Doc Rivers to make wise selections in the draft and use them wisely once they arrive in L.A.
A recent report that makes the Clippers’ draft process even more interesting is that they’re supposedly planning to trade up in the first round in order to pursue someone outside of their current range. Of course, they’re still continuing with workouts and won’t have a finite idea of who that guy is yet, but it’s interesting to see that they’re committed to making something happen and could move into the top 20 (they’re currently at 25).
This shows that rather than placing minimal importance in the draft, Doc could be pushing to make the most of this opportunity and land the kind of talent that he can use to contribute right away next season.
It’s what they need, and it’s more urgent than ever with next season likely being the last run at a championship that this current core has. So, if Doc can find a versatile playmaker or reliable 3-and-D wing in the first round, he needs to utilize them more than he typically does with young players.
Let’s get straight to it with some of the first options we’ll consider in preparation for the draft, working up towards the top two targets.
Next: The elite defender and proven commodity