Centers
The LA Clippers are thin at center as well, but they’ve got two promising prospects at the position that played big roles for the team last season and should continue to do so in the future.
Montrezl Harrell
Montrezl Harrell had the breakout campaign we all knew was coming in 2018-2019, and it still feels like he’s only scratching the surface of what he could become.
Harrell played all 82 games for the LA Clippers this past season, scoring 16.6 points and grabbing 6.5 rebounds in just over 26 minutes per game. He’s extremely efficient, a strong defender with a knack for sending shots into the stands, and he’s a sneaky-good ball handler.
He’s also been adding something of a three-point shot to his game, and has been seen working on it this offseason. If he can get it going consistently, Harrell could become a threat to score from anywhere on the floor — making him one of the more versatile bigs in the league.
Harrell will be a free agent following the 2018-2019 season, and the Clippers will likely have to give him a sizable raise to keep him in LA. But like Beverley, he’s earned every penny.
Ivica Zubac
The Ivica Zubac trade is still one of the most head-scratcher moves of the 2018-2019 season, as the Los Angeles Lakers essentially gave him away for nothing to the LA Clippers.
By giving up Mike Muscala (who is no longer a Laker, mind you), the Clippers landed Zubac, a 22-year-old center with plenty of potential.
Admittedly, Zubac was unplayable in the Clippers’ first round series against the Golden State Warriors. He’ll need to work on expanding his game and becoming a more modern big in order to be able to survive those situations, but for now, he’s worth what LA is paying him.
The LA Clippers are presumably nearing the end of their free agency checklist. As they prepare for the upcoming season, there’s just one box left to check off that could elevate the franchise to title contending territory.