Clipperholics
Fansided

Breaking down the LA Clippers’ depth chart following the trade deadline

By Garrett Chorpenning

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 07: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the Los Angeles Clippers watches the action against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 07: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the Los Angeles Clippers watches the action against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 07: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers watches the action against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 07: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers watches the action against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

The LA Clippers made plenty of moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, and the depth chart saw a major shakeup. Here’s an updated look at the squad.

The LA Clippers came into the week with a big question mark attached to them — would they be buyers? Sellers? Do nothing? Nobody really seemed to know for sure.

But once Wednesday morning came around, the direction became clear — the Clippers were going to do whatever it took to get into the best position to land as many max-level free agents as possible, regardless of the cost.

The first domino fell that morning, when the Clippers dealt Tobias Harris to the Phildelphia 76ers. The move was largely unexpected, even among the players, and it set the tone for one of the busiest deadlines in recent memory.

Before too long, Avery Bradley, Mike Muscala, Marcin Gortat and Milos Teodosic were all gone. Some went by way of trade, while others had to be cut to make room for the new players coming in.

Whether it was intentional or not, one could argue that the Clippers actually improved their all-around depth, despite shipping out a group of players that was averaging nearly 60 points per game. And even though the Clippers could easily call it quits on the season and collect their lottery pick come June, it doesn’t appear that they’ll bow out just yet.

On Thursday, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that Doc Rivers said the Clippers will still try to make the playoffs, and that their potential lottery pick isn’t a concern.

With all the new additions, the Clippers certainly still have a shot at the playoffs. They have one of the easiest schedules left in the NBA, after all. It will still be an uphill battle, though. The Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers are both vying for the same spot, and it’s likely that only one of those three teams makes the cut.

Without digressing too much from the current situation, here’s an updated look at LA’s projected post-deadline depth chart. (Keep in mind that the order of the players isn’t necessarily the order in which they’ll play — plenty of them can and will play multiple positions. In addition, Michael Beasley won’t be included on this list, as he’s expected to be waived and likely won’t play for the LA Clippers.)

Home/Clippers News