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Could the LA Clippers Trade Into the First Round? Three Possible Deals

By Ethan Smith

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: A general view of the Official @NBA Spalding Basketball inside the lottery room during the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: A general view of the Official @NBA Spalding Basketball inside the lottery room during the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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PLAYA VISTA, CA – SEPTEMBER 24: Los Angeles Clippers’ first-round draft pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) signs basketballs during the team’s media day in Playa Vista, CA, on Monday, Sep 24, 2018. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
PLAYA VISTA, CA – SEPTEMBER 24: Los Angeles Clippers’ first-round draft pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) signs basketballs during the team’s media day in Playa Vista, CA, on Monday, Sep 24, 2018. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images) /

The LA Clippers made a decision to go for the playoffs instead of tanking into the lottery, thus giving the Boston Celtics their first-round pick. Will that stop the Clippers from picking in the first round though?

The LA Clippers haven’t had much success in the draft under Doc Rivers until as recent as last year.

Trey Thompkins, Brice Johnson, C.J. Wilcox, Reggie Bullock and Furkan Aldemir are just a few players on that list.

Recently though, the Clippers acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander via trade with the Hornets in exchange for Miles Bridges, might I add an amazing swap for the Clippers. They also added Boston College product Jerome Robinson, who showed flashes of his potential despite limited minutes and G-League stints.

The last outstanding draft pick past SGA that the Clippers had is pretty easy to find, when they took Blake Griffin number-one overall in the 2009 NBA Draft which also featured the likes of Stephen Curry, James Harden and Jrue Holiday.

So, moving towards the 2019 NBA Draft, the Clippers currently have two second-round draft picks(No. 48 and No. 56), which doesn’t really leave room for excitement for Clippers fans, but the Clippers can flirt with the idea of trading into the first round.

Here are some trade packages that came to mind as to how the Clippers could trade into the first-round. I am excluding lottery teams due to the fact that the lottery is not happening until next week.