The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly interested in another Minnesota Timberwolves forward.
Another day, another Los Angeles Clippers-related trade rumor.
Yesterday it was a reported interest in Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay from ESPN’s Chris Broussard, doubling down on the rumor first reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee earlier this year. Gay’s a big fish. With big fish you need interesting assets, and the Clippers are skimp in that category unless they’re willing to part ways with J.J. Redick or one of its “Big 3” which seems wholly unlikely.
So next is a small fry. Earlier in the year it was reported the Clippers were interested in Minnesota Timberwolves forward Shabazz Muhammad but with the UCLA alum being outside of their asset range, they’ve shifted their sights toward another Minny forward: forward Adreian Payne, per Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500.
“There are some teams, the Spurs, I hear the Clippers, the Thunder, there are some teams with fringe trade interest in Adreian Payne,” said Wolfson on The Scoop podcast, “but I’m not quite sure I see a trade happening before the deadline in a couple weeks but maybe something to watch come this summer.”
Traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, Payne has shown flashes of what he could be in the NBA: a floor-stretching, athletic power forward. Last season, Doc Rivers and company got a front-row seat to Payne’s best-case scenario when the forward collected career high’s in points (16) and rebounds in a March matchup between the Clippers and Timberwolves — we know how important performing against Doc Rivers matters when it comes to the possibility of being acquired by Doc Rivers, cc: Byron Mullens and Hedo Turkoglu.
But best-case scenario only matters if it’s achievable, and Payne has shown little through his year and a half in the NBA that says he can be that player consistently. After averaging 24.8 minutes in 29 games with the Wolves last season, Payne is down to 9.4 minutes per, good for second lowest in Minnesota, only above Damjan Rudez.
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What is true about Payne and a potential fit on the Clippers is he’d be a better fallback option in the rotation than rookie forward Branden Dawson — despite an impressive showing in the Summer League, Dawson is a long ways from helping this Clippers team in the now. But that’s where the bus stops with Payne: if the Clippers want a small-ball forward that can spread the floor, Wesley Johnson or Paul Pierce could handle the role; one who can rebound, Luc Mbah a Moute helps in that regard; one who’s athletic, Rivers can tap Johnson to fulfill the demand.
To simply put it, his addition alters the Clippers’ ceiling as a potential contender very little, only improving areas that need little improving and adding harm to the areas that could use a boost (defense).
It shouldn’t have to be said at this point but any player being traded for should be able to defend or contribute on low usage, tying up loose ends that make the Clippers less of a contender than the organization likes to pretend to be. Doc Rivers and co. are in the correct mindset by targeting a young player who could be productive in the immediate future.
The intent is just off in regard of the talent pursued in Payne, and given Wolfson described the Clippers’ interest as “fringe”, the conversation held may have been a routine call-up to see just what the team is offering and at what price; given the Clippers’ assets, the best they could get from Minny was probably Payne.
Next: Breaking down the Blake Griffin-Kevin Durant trade rumor
The trade deadline runs out within the next few weeks so this won’t be the lone fringe player to pop up connected to the Clippers. Hopefully ones in the future are more fitting for this team.