Although trade season is now open, the LA Clippers should not be looking to make any significant changes to their roster.
December 15 has passed, so all players who were signed to deals this summer are now eligible to be traded. With championship aspirations, the LA Clippers have been brought up as one of the possible teams looking to make a move. Despite the speculation by media companies like ESPN, the LA Clippers are better off not making any significant changes.
The Clippers currently sit at 20-8 which puts them at second in the Western Conference. With only the Lakers ahead of them, it doesn’t seem like a move is really necessary. Let’s look at a couple of the ideas that have been floated.
Both of these ideas were discussed on Sunday night during Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe’s NBA trade special.
Robert Flom over at Clips Nation is 110% correct in saying the trade idea floated in the above video is horrible.
In this scenario, the Clippers would be giving up their lone remaining tradeable first-round pick, a starting-caliber player in Maurice Harkless and a solid end of the bench rotational piece in Patrick Patterson. All of that for Marcus Morris seems ridiculous.
Yes, Morris is a very respectable rotational piece and is averaging 18.7 points per game this season while shooting very well from deep. At 6’8″, he can play either forward position and would fit well next to both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Those stats are inflated though. Morris is the Knicks’ best player, but how much of an accomplishment is that really? If he were to move to the Clippers, he would at all times perhaps be the Clippers’ third-best option. A slight upgrade in scoring sounds nice, but at the expense of Harkless, Patterson and a pick just seems like way too big of an overpay.
The next scenario floated by Woj is arguably worse though.
I don’t see how in the midst of a championship run the team could give up one of their core four players just because they are scared of his salary next summer. If there is one thing we know, it’s that Steve Ballmer wants to win. I don’t see a scenario where he looks at Montrezl Harrell‘s upcoming free agency and thinks, “You know, I don’t want to give this 26-year-old budding star any money”.
Regardless of what plans Trezz has this summer with Klutch, I don’t see the team moving on from him during the year. His one-two punch off the bench with Lou Williams has been amazing for the team and he proved in Minnesota and Chicago on Friday and Saturday that he can still be good off the bench on his own.
I don’t understand how in one breath, Lowe can say the Clippers are all in on a championship so they should trade for Morris to only have Woj suggest moving one of their best players. The media is ultimately just speculating about a championship team to generate clicks.
The Clippers have no business making any significant moves unless someone like Davis Bertans becomes available for a first-round pick. Unless a silly trade falls in their lap (It’s not impossible. See: Ivica Zubac last season), the team should stand pat and evaluate themselves once they are fully healthy. Maybe someone hits the buyout market that can help, but the Clippers seem to be built the right way already.