Pros in trading for Vucevic
The Clippers want to compete this year, right? Their rebounding is horrific with their current stable of centers, right?
Okay, trading for Vucevic makes sense.
In more detail, the Clippers currently rank 14th in team rebounds. While that’s middle of the pack, their contested rebound percentage is next to last at 30.1%. In short, the team does not secure the ball when opponents are actually attempting to go for it.
Vucevic grabs almost five contested rebounds per game, putting him 12th among players who have played more than 30 games while playing 15 minutes or more per game. The Clippers heavily need this help on the boards. Tobias Harris leads the team in rebounds at only eight per game. Their second leading rebounder is Montrezl Harrell, who only gets 6.8 per game in 25.6 minutes.
Scoring at the center position would also be huge. While Harrell did start the last game for the team, the position has mostly been filled with Marcin Gortat with Boban Marjanovic occasionally getting the call. Neither is a real scoring threat, putting up only 5.2 and 6.6 points respectively.
While Vucevic wouldn’t be getting the same volume he is in Orlando, the big man could provide a new wrinkle to a starting lineup that needs more scoring outside of Harris and Danilo Gallinari.
Vucevic’s biggest knock has been his defense and the Clippers still don’t have a lockdown center, but his added rebounding and scoring helps offset some of the loss on the other end of the court.
For salary cap purposes, he is a free agent this coming summer which means the Clips could either exercise his Bird Rights, but his cap hold of $19 million would mean someone like Gallinari or Tobias Harris would have to go in order to still open up space for two max-contracts.
If he’s not a long term option though, the Clippers would get him as a rental and ultimately not give up a lot outside of Robinson while maintaining full flexibility next summer.